As the latest hot young chef on the Food Network’s The Main, Vancouver chef Anthony Sedlak has built an audience in Canada with his enthusiasm for fresh, accessible ingredients and his camera-friendly, boyish good looks. Still in his 20s, Sedlak has an impressive resumé, beginning with his first job as a dishwasher at Lupins Café on Grouse Mountain (encouraged by his mother so he could buy a snowboarding pass for the season), and working his way up to chef de partie at the mountain’s main dining room, The Observatory. Along the way he competed in various culinary competitions and won the Food Network’s Superstar Chef Challenge II, leading to his current gig.

The Main is also the title of Sedlak’s first cookbook, following the premise of his show. He bases his meals around one main ingredient, building a complete meal by using it in a variety of ways. The individual recipes can stand on their own, but Sedlak layers flavours and creates entrees and side dishes to complement one another, creating a complete main event.

The book is fully illustrated with gorgeous photos. Sedlack lovingly describes ingredients, from duck to capers, with the same gusto he brings to his cooking show. Sedlak’s zeal for his ingredients is apparent in recipes like “Indian-spiced yogurt-marinated chicken accompanied with black lentils, tomato chutney and spicy citrus yogurt.”

A chef friend of mine made the red wine marinated flank steak. A perfect dish for a snowy night, we tucked in with a bottle of red wine and rated the recipe. The marinade was flavourful and the steak tender and juicy. With each recipe, Sendak provides explanations for the ingredients he uses, making the book accessible for novice cooks and seasoned chefs alike.

The Main is a beautiful book, as fun to browse through as it to cook from. With recipes such as “a truly classic cassoulet, straight from old-world France,” and “prosciutto-wrapped halibut with puttanesca sauce,” cooks can definitely create great meal memories.