FN Dish – Food Network Blog: Go behind-the-scenes at Food Network featuring your favorite chefs, shows, recipes, events and more.

The chimichanga, or chimi as it’s affectionately termed in the Southwest, is a deep-fried burrito stuffed with meat, vegetables and spices. Once fried to perfection, chimichangas are often topped with cheese and served with a variety of condim...

Read more »

Each month, thousands of Food Network Magazine readers submit clever names for the back page’s Name This Dish contest. Previous dishes include a stuffed cupcake (winning name: “Heart of the Batter“), a cheese puff tower (“Mount Chevrest“) and even a stuffed popover (“Puddin’ Pops“). In the March 2013 issue, we asked readers to dream up names for these cheese fries (pictured above). Some of our favorites were:

Web of Fries
Amy Wojcik
Clearwater, Fla.

Starch Madness
Ashley Denton
Camden, S.C.

More favorites and the winner announced

In tonight’s new episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (9pm/8c), Guy’s favorites are completely homemade from coast to coast. In Manhattan, a real deal chef is crankin’ out homemade pretzels with a special beer cheese sauce. Heading north to Vancouver, Guy will visit a butcher shop turned bakery and diner that’s serving up standards like burgers and turkey pot pie. Back down to the West Coast in Santa Barbara, Calif., a family-run joint is making authentic Mexican food from scratch, like carnitas with red salsa and pozole with homemade tortillas.

But before Guy takes off, he’s heading out in a marathon of episodes that will having you craving Pancetta Bacon Pasta (yes, pancetta and bacon), Potato and Cheese Pan-Fried Pierogies, and BBQ Pulled Pork With Carolina Sauce.

Take the trip with him starting at 6pm/5c — follow along and bookmark the restaurants as he goes and try your hand at the recipes.

From north and south to east and west, Guy’s been everywhere. Next time you’re traveling, download the On the Road app or check out this map to find all of Guy’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives destinations.

Go behind the scenes with Guy

Chopped All-Stars brings together famous chefs, talent from Food Network and Cooking Channel, current Chopped judges and popular celebrities to compete for a chance at winning the title of All-Stars champion and $50,000 for charity. Though these competitors seem completely unrelated, the one thing that connects them is a shared love for food. But above all they want a chance at giving back to the charities they care about. See how well you know each all-star in this quiz.

Need some help answering the questions? Read the all-star bios and check out the all-star Q&As on FN Dish.

In Italian, primavera means spring, and this classic warm-weather dish is surely a favorite this time of year on account of its celebration of all things light and fresh. It takes little more than vibrant seasonal vegetables to make a meal primavera style, but most traditional interpretations pair it with pasta. Check out a few of Food Network’s favorite twists on this simple supper with recipes from Food Network Magazine and the Pioneer Woman below, then tell FN Dish in the comments, what’s your favorite spring dish?

Food Network Magazine showcases a weeknight-friendly take on this must-try pick of Pasta Primavera (pictured above). Putting spring’s bounty of produce to work, this can-do dinner combines bell peppers, carrots and broccoli with tricolor fusilli noodles to create a bright plate ready to enjoy in only 25 quick minutes. The beauty of this recipe is that the vegetables can be cooked in the same boiling water as the noodles. Just add them during the final few minutes of cooking to avoid using an extra pan and ensure an easy cleanup. A buttery sauce of garlic and vegetable broth rounds out this family-friendly supper, best finished with a shower of parmesan cheese and fresh lemon juice.

Read more »

A couple of years ago I posted about eight sneaky foods vegetarians should avoid because they contain surprising animal-based ingredients. Since that list was not entirely exhaustive, I’ve come up with a part-two post to help you avoid those f...

Read more »

Joe and Dena White, owners of Joe Willy’s Seafood House in Fishkill, N.Y., looked to Robert Irvine to save not only their restaurant but their family too, as the stress of their declining business had put a load of frustration and tension between them. It was up to Robert to hone in on the most-critical issues plaguing Joe Willy’s and work with his Restaurant: Impossible team to attempt to fix them in only two days and with just $10,000. He quickly learned that many of the restaurant’s problems stemmed from its poor-quality food, made by Joe, the head chef, so he focused his efforts on implementing an improved menu that Joe could execute with ease. After 48 hours of renovations, Joe Willy’s reopened to a dining room full of guests with Joe and Dena at the helm, now working harmoniously. We checked in with Dena a few months after the transformation to find out how Joe Willy’s is doing.

Since its Restaurant: Impossible experience, the restaurant has enjoyed a significant boost in business, Dena says, explaining that “sales have tripled to quadrupled at times.” Since they’re now making a profit, Dena notes that it’s “much easier to pay bills, rent and staff, and make improvements,” and says that they’ve begun to catch up on their debt.

Read more »

Earlier on FN Dish, we broke down the second round of Chopped All-Stars, including an interview with runner-up (spoiler alert).

If you missed the show and recorded it, don’t read any further — FN Dish is about to break down the episode and chat with the winner.

SPOILER ALERT: Find out who won

The Chopped Kitchen has seen many talented chefs, including its own Chopped judges, compete. Tonight contenders with considerable competitive prowess took each other on in the second round of the All-Star competition. With winning titles like Food & Wine Magazine‘s 10 Best New Chefs and hands-on experience in competitive cooking shows like Next Iron Chef, four mega-chefs, Chuck Hughes, Elizabeth Falkner, Gavin Kaysen and Richard Blais took on the dreaded mystery basket ingredients.

If you missed the show and recorded it, don’t read any further — FN Dish is about to break down the episode and chat with the runner-up.

SPOILER ALERT: The exclusive interview with the runner-up

Instead of ordering takeout, opt for this week’s Most Popular Pin of the Week, Food Network Magazine‘s Bacon and Broccoli Rice Bowl. This homemade version of an Asian-inspired favorite is flavored with soy sauce and sesame oil, then finished with a sunny-side-up egg.

For more everyday recipe inspiration, visit Food Network’s Let’s Cook: Recipe of the Day board on Pinterest.

Get the recipe: Food Network Magazine‘s Bacon and Broccoli Rice Bowl