Looking Back At 2011 With Ty-Lör Boring

While the ferocious competition and mysterious appeal of Tom Colicchio are usually reason enough for us to tune into Top Chef, there has been something else keeping us enraptured this season: Ty-Lor Boring.

The super cute and openly gay chef, who toils in a West Village kitchen but has done some side work, including modeling for Butt magazine (and these Greg Endries photos here), has been such an enjoyable part of our TV watching this year, we asked him to share his own Top 10 list from 2011.

Favorite Vacation: Culebra, Puerto Rico .
I hadn't been on a proper vacation in 5 years and before filming Top Chef I took a week off on the beach. It's completely off the grid which is nothing short of amazing.

Favorite Celebrity Crush: Brian Wilson.
Maybe it was his roommate dressed up as a gimp during a sports interview. Maybe it's the tights. Maybe it's the beard. In any case, I am a fan.

Favorite Cocktail: Caipirinha.
Lime, sugarcane, cachaca. In the middle of winter nothing reminds me of the middle of summer like this cocktail.

Favorite Music: "Internet Friends" by Knife Party.
DJ Vito Fun remixed this track for release next summer on Fire Island and I can't stop dancing to it.

Favorite Book: The Final Testament of the Holy Bible by James Frey.
Jesus as a hunky construction worker in the modern day Bronx. I couldn't put this book down for 2 days.

Favorite Secret Weapon: Worcestershire Sauce.
I came across a recipe for making your own a while back and have some batches in my wine
cellar approaching 4 years old. It makes the cheapest steak taste like 90-day dry-aged waygu.

Favorite Ingredient: Fresh Kaffir Lime Leaf.
The ultimate secret flavor of a certain classic breakfast cereal makes Thai food taste like you're actually in Thailand.

Cookbook: Mission Street Food.
Half cookbook [and] half journal of the DIY chefs at Mission Chinese Food in San Francisco. An amazing story and great menu ideas from one of the most interesting restaurants in the country.

Favorite Sports Drink: Raw Coconut Water.
Harmless Harvest in NYC is the only bottler of fresh Raw Coconut Water and no other sports drink hydrates you like this after a two-hour work out.

Favorite Kitchen Tool: Kuntz Spoons.
You can only get these at JB Prince in NYC but there is nothing better for plating and saucing like a pro. I'm never without these.