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In a special holiday episode of Restaurant: Impossible, Robert Irvine takes on one of his biggest missions to date. In the spirit of giving back, Robert travels to Joplin, Mo., to revitalize a Boys & Girls Club that served as a safe house after one of the deadliest tornadoes ever hit the town.

Robert’s challenge has two parts. First, he must transform the club into a space that’s inviting for kids and adults alike — all in only three days. Second, Robert must cook a thank-you dinner for 1,000 volunteers in just five hours — luckily he has help from Chef Michael Chiarello and the Dinner: Impossible crew. With a $30,000 budget, this mission will transform not only the club, but the lives of the people who were affected by the natural disaster.

Tune in: Sunday, December 9 at 10pm/9c

Click here to make a donation to the Boys & Girls Club of Southwest Missouri, then read how you can help the victims of Hurricane Sandy.

Here in Food Network Kitchens, we love simple, classic recipes. We are also paid to think about food all day. So we’ve taken classic foods and drinks and reimagined them in three, four or five different ways. No standard recipes here, just the occasional technique and pictures. Think of it as a picture recipe.

We’re adding the fun back into our latkes this Hanukkah. There’s nothing wrong with the classic version, but try adding these novel mix-ins and toppings to your family recipe. They’re so good, you might just find yourself making them year-round.

First, start with the classic version

In this bracket challenge, you voted for the secret ingredient you thought was the hardest to work with in the past four seasons of The Next Iron Chef. In Round 1, you had to narrow down eight ingredients to four. In Round 2, you had to choose the two finalists. In the Finals, you chose the winner.

Click to find out what secret ingredient won

Planning a holiday menu is stressful enough without having to worry about the special dietary needs of your guests. Choose from any of these holiday recipes and put any fears about gluten to rest*.

Appetizers
•    Edamame Hummus
•    Mini ...

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Hanukkah has always been one of my favorite holidays. Baked goodies, chocolate coins, and 8 days of gifts—what’s not to like during this festival of lights? As an RD and mom, I want to teach my kids healthy eating habits even on holidays (no nee...

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It’s time for 12 Days of Cookies, Food Network’s annual virtual cookie swap. Each day, visit us here on FN Dish for a peek at new holiday cookies, party-planning tips and top techniques for rolling, spooning, slicing, baking and decorating delicious sweet treats to give — or keep — from your favorite Food Network chefs.

Chocolate lovers, beware: these over-the-top treats are packed with a sinfully decadent combination of bittersweet chocolate, unsweetened chocolate and a duo of white and semisweet chocolate chips. For a crunchy bite amongst the smooth chocolate, Bobby adds a cup of chopped toasted pecans to the mixture before baking. Although this recipe calls for a few teaspoons of espresso powder, the cookies won’t take on a coffee taste; the espresso simply enhances the richness of the chocolate without adding flavor.

Get Bobby’s Triple Chocolate Cookies recipe and check out 12 Days of Cookies for dozens more recipes and holiday baking inspiration. Then, join the conversation: Tell us what you’re baking this season and what your all-time favorite cookie is.

Learn how to decorate cookies like the pros

Facing the imminent closure of their 11-year-old restaurant, Bronk’s Bar and Grill, husband and wife owners, Erik and Tracy Brunkow, turned to Robert Irvine for help in saving their business. This Lake City, Minn., eatery had been serving dishes made mostly from frozen food in an out-of-date, unadorned space, but thanks to Robert and his Restaurant: Impossible team, it reopened with a fresh menu and vibrant decor to match. We checked in with Erik a few months after the transformation to see how Bronk’s is doing now.

Immediately after the renovation, sales at Bronk’s grew significantly, doubling during weekdays and tripling on weekends. Erik says that customers have come from near and far to see and taste the changes, and everyone is wowed by the updated decor. “They say it’s brighter, fresher and more open,” he explains. “People are noticing our tin ceiling all of a sudden, which was there originally.”

Bronk’s is still serving the updated menu exclusively, and Erik notes that they’re using only fresh, never-frozen ingredients. He adds that the specialty sauces that Robert created have been extremely well-received by diners. “People want us to bottle them and sell them at the store.”

Keep reading

Get your sweet tooth on with new holiday episodes of Cupcake Wars and Sweet Genius, premiering this Thursday.

Cupcake Wars: Cupcakes on Parade

Four bakers compete for the opportunity to serve their cupcake creations at a VIP party for the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival Parade in Chicago.

Tune in: Thursday, December 6 at 8pm/7c

Get in the spirit with Sweet Genius, too

Is it possible to make something delicious from a can of food? Last week FN Dish editors challenged you to a pantry cook-off to find out what dish you would make out of ordinary canned foods. It was a challenge inspired by Episode 4 of The Next Iron Chef, where the chefs had to transform a chosen canned food into something worth plating for the judges. In the end, most of the chefs were successful in the challenge, even those who chose cans labeled with question marks. But what can the average person at home create with canned foods? You voted for the ingredient you would choose to cook with and then told us the dish you would make.

Find out which ingredient was your top choice and who won the challenge

The Food for the Southern Soul Pantry Gift Box is the perfect starter kit for all things Southern cooking. Featuring vegetable soup, pickled okra, stone ground grits and barbecue mustard sauce, this box will give you a true taste of the South Carolina Lowcountry.

You can buy your own box here, or enter in the comment field below for a chance to win one. To enter: Tell us your favorite Southern dish in the comments. We’re giving away pantry gift boxes to two lucky, randomly selected commenters.

Read official rules before entering