When Michael Symon professed his love for the Large Format Feast at Resto in New York City, a lightbulb went off in my head: “That’s how I’m celebrating my birthday this year!” At the feast Michael described, the restaurant would procure a whole animal of your choosing and prepare it every which way for a three-course feast.

We called Resto, a cozy little Belgian-influenced restaurant, and they were happy to set up a Large Format Feast for me and my friends with a week’s notice. The manager then sent over a list of animals from which to pick our protein. I ultimately settled upon the spring lamb, although goat (Michael’s choice) and Berkshire pig were also tempting.

Michael didn’t let us down—the LFF was a huge hit with our group of eight. The meal kicked off with lamb kidney skewers strewn with lamb bacon, yogurt and beets (pictured above). Then we moved on to a kale salad with crispy lamb (below) and a platter of lamb sausage and porcini-crusted loin.

The main course featured family-style Thanksgiving-size platters of (you guessed it!) lamb, from ribs to chops to shoulder to loin. Sides of brussels sprouts, mashed spicy sweet potatoes and cauliflower gratin were excellent complements to all that meat.

Some at the table were freaked out by the head, but the adventurous among us dug in to taste the brain (kind of chalky, if you ask me).

It was a wonderful birthday celebration, and I have Iron Chef Michael Symon to thank for the tip. Next up, Butter Lane for cupcakes, per Ted Allen’s suggestion!

Have you checked out a FN star-recommended spot in your town? How was it?

For more restaurant tips, check out a new episode of The Best Thing I Ever Ate tonight at 10 pm. You’ll hear where Ted, Ina, the Neelys and others go for a “Hot & Spicy” fix.

Hey, Sarah Copeland here from Food Network Kitchens. Last weekend, we spent 48 hours in a little land of green. Our latest Good Food Garden was a part of the South Beach Wine and Food Festival in Miami. It was an absolute pleasure to bring another garden to South Florida since the one we built there last year is now a thriving force that has inspired the kids of the South Beach Boys & Girls Club and their family food co-op that the community has come to depend on.

For two days, our garden sat smack in the sunny center of Jungle Island Fun Park, greeting kids and parents with lush patches of strawberries, tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, squash and fruiting temple orange trees among a dozen other varieties of fresh foods. As always, wherever our gardens go, they invite the little ones to taste, touch, smell and learn.

Whenever I talk with someone who has not experienced the Good Food Gardens through the eyes of a child, I talk about the magic that happens there—the lure of the plants that are a world of wonderment to a child who may or may not know that the food they see on their plate started as a tiny seed. The magic was at work full force this weekend as kids tucked their noses into the orange blossoms, felt the furry sage leaves and tasted spicy, vibrant arugula.

But the real magic happens in the homes and lives of the families the garden will touch now that it has been relocated to its permanent home, the Naoma Donnelley Haggin Boys & Girls Club in Delray Beach. We hope the things they will grow, taste and cook because of their exposure to fresh fruits and vegetables in their own backyard will inspire generations of healthy eating. It’s the magic of a movement that believes Good Food is for everyone.

- Sarah Copeland

Spokesperson, Good Food Gardens

Check out our favorite video highlights from the festivities as recorded by FN ClipChick.

Check out Brian’s Vlog from Vancouver and try some of the fun Olympic-themed recipes he prepared for the Today Show, where Meredith Vieira helped whip up his super-easy bean dip. If you’ve got five minutes and a food processor, you can too! It would be excellent to snack on with some pita chips or raw veggies while watching the Women’s Free Skate tonight.

And for more Brian, catch the new season of What Would Brian Boitano Make, premiering March 7 at 1 pm.

Garlicky White Bean Dip
Crab and Avocado Crostini
Mini Pastrami Sandwiches
The Gold Medal Cocktail
Baked Vancouvers

-Sara Levine

But who knew it would be next to impossible to find real red food dye in New York City? After searching in below-freezing temperatures I finally found red natural food dye. I seriously thought if Mr. Ace of Cakes Duff could find vibrant colors for Charm City Cakes in Baltimore, my NYC search would be a breeze. Whole Foods to the rescue. Not exactly the bright red I was hoping for, but perhaps a more romantic crimson? I started combining the ingredients for the batter, which surprisingly include cocoa, white vinegar and buttermilk. How appropriate for Paula: buttermilk. She’d have it no other way.

Lastly, I added the 2 full tablespoons of dye the recipe called for, which made the batter not red but…FUCHSIA! I was mystified, and when my husband entered the kitchen he wondered aloud what inspired me to make hot-pink food for him on Valentine’s Day. He knows I am absurdly girly but this was taking things to the next level. I still decided to pop them in the oven, hoping for a 20-minute miracle of luscious red deliciousness.

The cupcakes came out more maroonish than red (think Jersey Shore tan, a la Snookie). Once they cooled, amid a few bumps in the otherwise creamy cream cheese icing, I smoothed on the frosting and voila! Next time maybe I’ll use regular food coloring. Paula Deen’s Red Velvet cupcakes had gone slightly south but my loving husband ate them with his eyes closed, promising they tasted not only delicious but red.

—Reena Mehta

I may not be that much of a sports fan, but I do love any excuse to cook something special. This year I’ve been invited to a Super Bowl party at the home of my Indiana-raised friend Katie, who is beside herself with excitement that her beloved Colts have made it to the big game. Since I love to bake, I’m usually the person tasked with bringing a dessert to a gathering. But since another party attendee has already signed up to bring brownies, I had to think of another snack to contribute. Because our party hostess is a vegetarian, the Indiana-themed Fried Pork Potato Skins from Food Network Magazine are unfortunately out of the question. And she’s already making chili and corn bread and will have pretzels and chips and dip, so what could I bring that wouldn’t be redundant? Luckily I found some delicious inspiration on FoodNetwork.com’s “Big Game Menus” section. Browsing through there I found the perfect snack: Alton Brown’s recipe for Slacker Jacks, his version of the classic stadium treat with a name that happens to rhyme. It’s a little bit sweet, a little bit salty, and a lot crunchy. This should perfectly fill the void between potato chips and dessert.

—Emily

Indiana’s Fried Pork Potato Skins: Pork cutlets are an Indiana favorite. Topped with a little mayo, mustard and hot sauce, they’ll make amazing game-day noshes.

Buffalo Wings: If you (like me) make hot wings once a year, this is the easiest, most straight-forward recipe you can find. It’s a sure crowd-pleaser!

Slow-Cooker Chili: Warm up with steaming bowls of beefy chili. You can throw all the ingredients into the slow cooker mid-morning and forget about them until game time.

Sweet-and-Spicy Kettle Corn: A nod to never-ending fields of corn, this popcorn gets dressed up for the big game with sugar and spice, an irresistible flavor combo.

Chocolate Malt Cupcakes: A classic, down-home dessert, you really can’t go wrong with chocolate cupcakes. Set a plate out and watch them disappear.

Saints Fans: Check out our New Orleans-inspired menu from earlier this week.

For more menu ideas, from Quick and Easy to Budget Friendly, browse all of our Super Bowl menus.

- Kirsten, Web Editor

The January/February issue has dozens of great game day recipes, plus a Mardi Gras-themed feast. No matter where your football loyalties lie, it’s hard to deny that New Orleans has the culinary advantage! Here’s my plan for a delicious Super Bowl spread:

Muffuletta Potato Skins: The next best thing to the original sandwich from the French Quarter’s Central Grocery.

Emeril’s wings: These may not be very Cajun, but a version of Emeril’s Vietnamese-flavored wings is on the menu at his excellent restaurant NOLA.

Pimiento Cheese Dip (#9 of 50 Dips): It’s popular throughout the South, but always reminds me of my visits to Louisiana.

New Orleans Cocktails: Sazeracs will class up our football party (yes, there will also be beer!)

Bourbon Praline Cake: A festive dessert to break out after the Saints win!

Colts fans: Check back in with the FN Dish later this week for our Indy-themed menu picks.

Impartial? For a taste of the tropics, try our Miami-inspired menu.

–Sara Levine

If you’re a reality show addict like I am, you’re sure to love Food Network’s newest, high-drama competition show, Worst Cooks in America (Sundays at 10pm/9c). Chefs Anne Burrell and Beau MacMillan lead two teams of aspiring cooks through culinary boot camp and into competition. For the best of the worst: a grand prize of $25,000. I caught up with Anne and Beau recently to chat about what Beau calls “one of the most drama-filled, suspense-filled, exciting shows in the history of Food Network.”

Kirsten: What advice do you have for people who think they’re bad cooks?

Anne: Get a cookbook, get a good one and then use it. Don’t just wing it because if you’re not a good cook and you know you’re not a good cook, writing recipes – you’re not going to be good at it. Use it, love it, learn it.

Beau: You’ve gotta have desire. People fail once and all of a sudden they’re a bad cook. We’ve been in this business our whole lives, and you’re a student every day you walk into the kitchen. You can be humbled very quickly, so don’t give up on yourself. It’s not going to happen overnight.

Kirsten: What three ingredients would you give a new cook?

Anne: I’d give them my holy trinity, which is salt, olive oil and bacon. Those are the flavor basics to any good dish.

Beau: Swine is devine; it’s where it’s at. Anne says bacon makes everything better, and I totally agree.

Anne: That’s where I live, in bacon land.

Kirsten: Tell me a little bit about the competition between the two of you in this show.

Anne: I was unprepared for the reality of reality. So, when contestants started to cry or get so nervous, I was unprepared for that. But I was also unprepared for my own feelings of super competitiveness between me and Beau. It was really real and serious, and there was no way I was letting things slide.

Beau: You see these competitors come in and they have to compete, but the same type of [competitive] feelings build between us as well. As a chef you’re a control freak and you’re in control at all times, but in this situation you have to rely on your team. It was hard on Anne and me because you can only instruct, you cannot help. It became very stressful for us.

Anne: There was definitely very real competition and there were times when we had some smack talking. People might have thought that was staged, but no, that was very real. There was some smack going on and I think the contestants definitely noticed.

Kirsten: Why do you think this show is a must-watch? What’s the best part about the show?

Anne: There’s a crazy cast of characters, between the chef-testants and the chef chefs, but also, it really shows the inner strength that people have and the will and want to succeed. You really want to root for the underdog.

Beau: Yeah, I remember day one, Anne and I were sitting there critiquing the food and we though “Wow, Food Network did an awesome job of picking these people, but it’s got to get better than this,” but it just kind of crashed. But it’s funny, whenever I talk about the show, the biggest reaction I get from people is “I should be on that show. I should be a worst cook.” And I’m like, I didn’t know there were so many of you guys out there? I think it can relate to a lot of people.

Anne: It’s interesting because so many people know that they’re bad and they put themselves in a situation where they know they can learn. People really want to learn.

For me, the train-wreck qualities of this show make it a can’t miss. The first episode premiered last weekend, but you can see it again Sunday at 6pm/5c. New episodes air on Sundays, 10pm/9c. Check out our Worst Cooks in America show page for recipes, sneak peeks, contestant bios and more about Anne and Beau.

- Kirsten, Web Editor

Well, I didn’t need to worry about that. It’s true that Duff’s songs are moody, atmospheric, and all-instrumental (listen to one of his songs here); it’s not the hyper pop music you might expect from someone who spends his entire day swimming in sugar. But hanging out with him and his bandmates was fun and upbeat. Once they finished their sound check, we piled into to a private room in the House of Blues bar, which was decorated with red velvet booths and gold Buddha statues. After ordering a round of Yuenglings, Duff kicked up his neon-yellow sneakers and the goofing around began. The guys gave each other noogies (luckily, visiting journalists were exempt) and Duff teased the youngest member of the group: “Remember when we messed with you by painting your guitar pedal hot pink?”

Download a free copy of one of the band’s songs (to download as an MP3, right click on the link and select “Save Link As. . .”). Plus, enter for a chance to win a free CD of Duff’s album, signed by Duff himself. See the full story about Duff’s band from Food Network Magazine.

—Sarah Z. Wexler