Impossible to Easy

February 8, 2010
The conceit of the Food Network show Dinner: Impossible
is that dinner is always possible, and in this quirky cookbook, host Irvine (Mission: Cook!
) brings his show-tested know-how (frogs leg’s over an open fire, anyone?) to home cooking. In his Mise-En Place chapter, for instance, he outlines an approach for getting organized, developing a personal arsenal of tools and ingredients and using the freezer as a strategic weapon, then includes a series of recipes that demonstrate the importance of setting up ahead of time, like dishes of flour, egg and breadcrumbs for a veal cutlet that needs breading or assembling different components in a logical order for duck confit with three-bean cassoulet. Irvine’s dishes range from the prosaic (chicken pot pie; scalloped potatoes) to the wild (venison potatoes brandade; sea scallops over leeks with mango curry chocolate sauce) but his can-do attitude, emphasis on technique and helpful timelines make them equally approachable. While readers may find that the order of the book is a bit unconventional, those willing to delve into it will find Irvine’s advice practical and illuminating and his recipes solid. Photos.

February 15, 2010
Irvine and O'Reilly, host and producer, respectively, of Food Network's "Dinner: Impossible", present plenty of recipes and tips for cooks of all skill levels. Irvine's rules for impossible dinners are get organized, create a time line, go with what you know, keep it simple, and "sign 'em up!" (ask for help). The simple and elegant Champagne Peach and Mint Soup is a treat for dinner parties. Recommended for ambitious cooks. Library marketing.

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