East Idaho Eats: The Flavor Factory is gourmet catering from a food truck - East Idaho News
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East Idaho Eats: The Flavor Factory is gourmet catering from a food truck

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Photo by Natalia Hepworth, EastIdahoNews.com

MENAN — A local food truck is ‘manufacturing deliciousness’ all over east Idaho through its gourmet catering service.

“I always thought that this would be the best way to start small,” Chef Tyler Nielson said.

Tyler Nielson, along with his wife Marilyn, are the cooks heading the mobile kitchen they call the “Flavor Factory.”

Nielson, the brains behind all of the recipes, said he was inspired be a chef after being asked to cook for a church function.

“It was for a couple hundred people. I really enjoyed it, enjoyed the rush,” Nielson.

That experience lead to many more, including culinary school, and cooking for a world-renowned chef at a French bistro called Bouchon.

“My specialties are French culinary cooking,” Nielson said.

After working for years in the heat of a prestigious restaurant, Nielson and his family came back to Idaho to pursue their own culinary dream. Nielson said his experience in French culinary has given him the foundation to cook just about anything.

“I cook all kinds of stuff. I have a basis for just about everything, but I love American down home country. A lot of that stems from a French culinary base,” Nielson said.

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A popular request off of Nielson’s menu is his buttermilk chicken, made with chicken breast tenders.

It takes Nielson 48 hours to prepare the chicken. He coats it with seasoned flour,and buttermilk, all before placing it in a deep fryer.

“We served it a couple of times at Bouchon, and (it would) sell out every time,” Nielson said.

The buttermilk chicken is served with fresh coleslaw, and ballpark French fries. The fries are twice fried to a perfect crisp and tossed with Parmesan cheese, garlic salt and parsley.

Nielson also makes a signature sauce called “Awesome Sauce,” that he serves with almost anything.

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For dessert, Nielson makes a New Orleans-style treat, beignets coated in cinnamon sugar, which are sometimes mistaken for scones.

“People who go to New Orleans just for beignets have told me that it’s not worth it to get on a flight anymore, they just come and get some from me,” Nielson said.

Nielson says he only cooks by request at special events, but one public event he never misses is Menan’s Fourth of July celebration.

“People stood in line for an hour waiting for my chicken,” Nielson said.

To learn more about the Flavor Factory find them on Facebook or call at (208) 270-3684.

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