Section II Portland Observer, December 17,1961 Page 3
He cook« all o f his meals without
sugar or salt, but unless you were
told so before hand, you probably
would not notice their absence. In
place o f those ingredients, W hitfield
makes liberal use o f fresh herbs and
spices.
W hitfield’s method o f cooking is
leisurely and well-organized. He will
not be rushed and is almost imper
turbable.
W hitfield served up a deliciously
tender rum p roast seasoned w ith
bottled Ita lia n dressing, oregano,
garlic and gravy accom panied by
garden-fresh snap beans cooked to
the point o f crispness, a fruit salad
and a sauce o f mayonnaise, honey
and ginger. Preceding the main
course, we helped ourselves from a
b ea u tifu lly arranged tray o f
cantaloupe, watermelon and cheese,
w ith plums and red and green
grapes, all on a bed o f lettuce.
The meal was as relaxed and lei
surely as its p re p a ra tio n , all the
more enjoyable because o f the good
conversation and good feeling that
filled the room as palpably as the
arom a o f the lo vingly prepared
food.
Having dinner at the W h itfie ld ’s
is like going home for the holidays,
a relaxed, down-homey celebration
in the American tradition. By com
parison, dinner at the Scott Tylers is
a step into another world.
Their friends say dinner at the T y
ler’s is much more than a hobby for
Scott Tyler. It is a passion.
Tyler is a gourmet cook who will
go to almost any length to achieve
exactly the right taste and presenta
tion for the food he prepares, but he
did not start out that way.
” 1 guess I've always known some
thing about cooking,” he said, "but
I began to get seriously involved
when I was in college. A bunch o f us
would pool our money to buy food
and cook our own meals. I usually
ended up being the cook, and we
usually had chili or spaghetti. What
better way to make a little go a long
way?"
During those collegiate summers
and after college, Tyler worked as a
photographer for the Chicago De
fender and free-lanced for ou t-o f-
town newspapers, wire services and
n atio n al p u b licatio n s, including
Ebony and Jet.
His free-lancing led to a stint in
public relations for C oca-C ola. In
tim e he went back to graduate
school for his M B A . On receiving
his degree, he opened his own real
estate business. W ith hard work, de
term ination and concentration, he
soon had a success on his hands.
A lo n g the w ay, he discovered
there is a lot more to cooking than
c h ili and spaghetti. H e form ed a
gourm et club w ith a group o f
friend s, most o f them struggling
graduate students.
As his interest in cooking grew,
Tyler began trying his skill at differ
ent types o f ethnic cuisines. H e at
tended a num ber o f cooking
schools, including (he famed Dumas
Pere School o f French C o o k in g
taught by Master C hef John Snow
den, an A m erican Black who
learned his art in the kitchens o f
some o f the best restaurants in
France.
T y le r brings to his cooking the
same single-minded concentration
he applies to his business. His skill
and confidence are so great, how
ever, that he is completely relaxed as
he works.
The Tyler apartment is equipped
w ith a full restaurant kitchen, in
cluding a six-burner com m ercial
range w ith double oven, a huge
commercial refrigerator, an upright
freezer and a butcher’s table. This is
his domain, and when he is cooking,
his wife, Joyce, keeps discreetly oc
cupied elsewhere in the apartm ent,
always ready to lend a hand if need
ed. (Joyce Tyler is also an excellent
cook in her own right.)
Tyler dismissed the hardware as
merely a convenience. "Th ese are
tools that make it easier to cook on
a large scale,” he said, ‘ but anyone
can be a really good cook with the
equipment in the average kitchen.
A ll it takes is a little know ledge,
practice and p lann ing . Those are
things anyone w ith the desire can
master."
"O n c e you know what happens
when you blend various foods,
herbs and spices,” said Tyler, "you
can get almost any taste or effect
you w ant. I t ’ s ju s t a m a tter o f
knowing what you are doing."
P art o f that is using the best
meats, vegetables and other ingredi
ents you can find and affo rd , Tyler
said. Another part is planning.
Tyler’s first decision was the main
course. He chose Beef Wellington, a
tenderloin o f beef seasoned and
cooked inside a pastry chemise or
wrapping. Once that decision was
made, he chose the other courses to
complement the main course. Their
selection was based as much on ap
pearance as on taste. A Tyler meal
teases and leads the palate in much
the same way that a fine painting
teases and leads the eye.
The creation o f that effect begins
From Your Friend & Neighbors At Safeway!
Scott Tyler carve* the piece de resistance for his guests, his own
Beef W ellington. On the dish in the background are Florentine
Stuffed Tomatoes, another red and green holiday touch for this
most special meal.
SAFEWAY
'8-PACK
Coca Cola
Refreshing Soft Drink
Plus Dep.
$1 6 8
1fr-0i»n<*
Betti*
Sour Cream
H|
H
Smooth Texture
Plat
Cartaa
Bel-air Vegetables
Sharp Cheddar
1-Liter Soft Drinks
Shoestring Potatoes
c
68
CaMoma or Japanese
Sty*. Frown 20oz
Saiaway importad
Canadun WMa Chaaae
Cragmom Aaacnad Regular
Diet, or Miian Pius Dap
Flavored Milk
T/aV Butter Wheat Bread
Real Butter... 1-Pound Quarters
Mrs Wright s Crushed Wheat. 100% Whole
Wheal, or Sandwich 24-oz Loal
® s14 8 f 7 9
S ' 1 Champagne
Frozen Dinners
Cocktail Ice
WM» P"* « CoW Due*. 750 (W
(C m * 0112
*23 SSI
(tc ip M Sahjbury Staat or
M a * O rni
Swwtati UMlbalh
MlbaHi ,1-01 l o l l Soj
*1
■
t :
Shampoo
F »berge
Assorted
15-OZ
9
9
«
Tangerines
Sweet California Algerian
Or Dancy Varieties
Full 28-Lb. Bex ‘4.71
$1
$ 1 9 9
T oothpaste
Regular
Gel. Or
Mint, 6 4-oz
FABERCE
S-J39
Sauce Buy Ron-Athotc
Ho*day Favoma KaNGal
> 1 9 9
CREST
Ponty Hose
air
Pair
3?1
3..99*
Party Pride Is Available At
Your Nearby Safeway Store
SAFEWAY
Sheer
Assorted Sizes
And Colors
Talar Boy
Troian 20-01
U-Ol
Pag
99*
$269
*1
Sweat Paacal
Variety
or Almonds
Numbar I
3?1
,98*
25
AQUA NET
Hair Spray
AH Purpose
Assorted
10-O2 Sue
Large Celery
In-Shell Walnuts
*1
19
Prices Effective W ed., Dec. 16 Thru. Tues., Dec. 22
at Safeway Stores in the Portland Area.
SAFEW AY
with shopping for just the right in
gredients. A ccording to T y le r,
knowing when to buy is just as im
portant as knowing what to buy. He
said some foods can be purchased at
almost any tim e and stored u n til
needed.
T y le r’ s confidence is reassuring
and contagious. W ith o u t having
sampled his wares, you just know he
is a great cook. He works at his own
pace w ith com plete assurance.
When some produce he had planned
on was not up to his standards, he
simply found an acceptable substi
tute and made w hatever a d ju s t
ments in the menu were necessary.
On this occasion, he experiment
ed with a commercial pastry chemise
for the Beef W ellington. It was the
first time he had used the product,
and at the last minute he discovered
it was too small. U nfazed, he sim
ply rolled the pastry sheets out to
what seemed an impossible thinness.
He then proceeded to wrap the par
tially cooked beef tenderloin in the
im proved chemise. It w o rked , o f
course, and anyone who was not
present in the kitchen w ould not
have guessed that anything had gone
awry.
Before we got to the Wellington,
how ever, the evening began w ith
canapes, including a pate, smoked
salmon (lo x ) and ham on w hite
bread, to rm asalata on cucum ber
slices and onion sandwiches.
The tormasalata and onion sand
wiches were discoveries for most o f
those present. Torm asalata is best
described as a Greek caviar made o f
carp eggs. Instead o f the dark color
o f c av iar, to rm asalata is a bright
pink, almost matching the color o f
the salmon.
Tyler made the onion sandwiches
with thin, almost transparent slices
o f small onions between circles o f
w hite bread spread w ith m ayo n
naise. The edges o f the circles were
roiled in mayonnaise and covered
with finely chopped parsley.
The red, green and white colors o f
the canapes created a festive picture.
The sit-down phase o f the dinner
began with a clear potato and leek
soup (w h ich T y le r described as a
French peasant soup) and a celery
root salad with vinaigrette dressing.
These were followed by a delicious
shrim p de jonghe served on clam
shells. Each course was accom
panied by an appropriate wine.
The Beef Wellington, when it ar
rived, was a treat to the eye and the
nose. The delicately browned pastry
chemise was as ta n ta lizin g as the
bright Christmas wrappings around
a c h ild ’ s presents. W e could not
wait to discover the delights inside.
The m eal lived up to and sur
passed all expectations. And then
came dessert, another discovery for
most o f us. T y le r had prepared a
white chocolate mousse. It was rich,
cream y and delicious. A d ie te r’ s
nightmare.
Perhaps the biggest discovery we
made is that the real secret o f good
cooking is as much a matter o f the
attitude o f the cook as o f food, re
cipes, time and temperature. A good
cook enjoys the process as much as
the result. He is careful never to let
his craft become routine.
I