Noodling Around

It's good to see Chef Robert Irvine back with new episodes of Dinner: Impossible. Each week he's put in a situation where something is limited--food choice, equpment, help, whatever--and he's given a short period of time to produce a fair amount of gourmet fare to feed a large group of people. There are invariably problems along the way, and, indeed, a couple times, Irvine has failed, either by not making every dish required or finishing late.

The most recent episode had him cooking dinner for a hundred students at UNC-Chapel Hill using only food found in student housing. As soon as I heard that, I thought only one thing--Ramen Noodles. And sure enough, along with bread and cereal, that was the one item they found everywhere.

He succeeded in his mission, improvising a menu along the way. It's amazing what you can do with a little imagination. And one of the big hits was the pork Ramen noodle alfredo.