[EDIT: If you are looking for information on Chef Robert falsifying his resume, please see this post instead!]

There are a lot of shows that I dislike on Food Network, there’s no secret there. Of the few I do truly enjoy watching, at least two are reality shows rather than actual cooking segments. One of these is Dinner: Impossible. That show begins its new season tonight, and next week the show taped last September right here at Sheppard Air Force Base, Wichita Falls TX is airing for the very first time. In honor of that, This Thirteen is on Chef Robert.

I know that I usually ramble on a bit in these introductions, but that is generally because I truly have more than thirteen snippy things to say about the bobblehead in question. In honor of the fact that this guy is like, my HERO, I’m just going to dive right in.

So without further hesitation or ado, I present to you with great satisfaction and a habit of yammering too much:

Thirteen Things I love about Chef Robert Irvine and Dinner: Impossible:

1. The premise of the show may be kind of campy take on Mission: Impossible (Right down to the really sweet sports car.), but the chef is dead serious about his objectives. This is a guy who refuses to fail, and I admire that.
2. Chef Irvine himself. This is an imposing fellow who could easily be more frightening than inspiring, but after watching an episode or two it’s pretty easy to see that his sense of humor is just as large in stature as the chef is himself. He’s quick to smile or crack a joke, even among his repeated calls of “You gotta step it up a bit!”, or “Nothings Done!”
3. Even though Dinner: Impossible is a reality show, not an instructional cooking show, Chef Robert always manages to give more than a few cooking tips and tricks along the way. He speaks to the camera and the viewer as though you’re standing right there with him and gives running commentary on the more difficult or interesting parts of each meal, which just makes the show that much more interesting.
4. Robert Irvine has cooked for Queens, Presidents and royalty from around the world, but it genuinely seemed that he had the most fun in his last season cooking in a competition against Guy Fieri at a summer camp. His sous chefs were the campers themselves, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bigger kid at heart. (Except maybe Guy)
5. It’s simple to tell you’re dealing with a classically trained chef. There is a marked difference in his demeanor when he puts on a chef’s jacket. There is pride in the uniform for him, and that’s an impressive sight to see.
6. The challenges this chef faces on Dinner: Impossible are insane! How would you feel if you were dropped off in the morning and told you’d be cooking a gourmet meal for 850 Marines who were preparing to fly out to Iraq, with only the provisions available in the base kitchen and the commissary? (Not so difficult from our commissary, but 29 Palms is a Marine Base, not an Air Force Base!) How about cooking a chuck wagon dinner for 85 cowhands? Let’s not forget cooking a gourmet meal for the staff of an ice castle. Refrigerators were used to keep food warm, and anything that was set on a counter froze instantly!
7. Watching Chef Irvine create his menus is kind of like Iron Chef Meets MacGyver. He’s not working out five dishes with an unlimited budget, he’s coming up with 15 to 20 at the beginning of most shows, and serving from 8 to 2,000. The man’s creative process is staggering. Half the time he invents equipment as he needs it, and has gone as far as to use wheelbarrows as mixing tubs. (The wheelbarrows were new, and thoroughly washed.)
8. The man’s energy just makes you want to dive in and help him out. (Especially if you got to eat any of what he’s made, it all looks fantastic!)
9. I know I already mentioned that the guy was imposing, but you really can’t get past the fact that this is a man of Herculean proportion. If his sheer size wasn’t enough, his signature black slacks and black T only set off the size of the man. Even in episodes where he’s working with some very fit individuals (Like marines), he simply dwarfs everyone else in the room.
10. I just want his Titanium chef’s knives.
11. Chef Robert makes mistakes. Unlike many on-air personalities who seem to execute every dish flawlessly, In Dnner: Impossible you get to see the fact that chefs, just like us more mundane cooks, can screw everything up at times. Watching him come back from those mistakes is one of the most entertaining parts of the show in my opinion.
12. I’ve said before that i would never trust a skinny chef. I suppose that doctrine doesn’t apply to the Ultra-Buff Chef. When not doing the impossible, Chef Irvine is touting the benefits of eating healthier. Substituting sea salt for regular or kosher salt, using less oil and more flavor, with recipes any family can make at home. You just gotta love that.
13. And finally, I’m a foodie, I watch for the food. If that wasn’t good, I wouldn’t be there, but I am every week for the run of the show. The stuff this guy whips up frankly amazes me. It also lets me know there is still a lot for me to learn. How he comes up with some of these combinations i will never know, but they always look like they work well together.

In conclusion: This Guy Rocks! I can’t wait until tonight so I can catch the new season of Dinner Impossible and see what madness they throw at Chef Robert this time. Whether he wins or loses, it’ll be worth watching.

And please remember to catch next weeks episode. A few people I know personally are assisting the chef. They’re good guys and gals and I’d like Y’All to have a chance to see them. Dinner: Impossible airs at 10:00 (9:00 central) on the Food Network

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