This is first class teaching at it's best. Michael Smith is a relaxed host and guide to building your own culinary skills using a few simple, tried and true ideas to provide nutritious and delicious meals for your family or to offer suggestions for creating excellent,easy and very flavorful dishes for your favorite dinner guests.It's based on his Chef At Home TV series on Food Network Canada, or, for those of us south of the border, Discovery Channel's series, in which he cooks, instructs, encourages and offers endless hints, tips and advice for creating your own wonderful family dinners.The book succeeds on all levels in translating his warmth, enthusiasm and respect for home chefs and encourages us to take a chance and have fun in our kitchens.I've enjoyed this so much that I've ordered two more copies as gifts to friend and family home chefs.