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

Happy Pi(e) Day, Happy Potato Chip Day

March 14th in this nation is a day to eat pie and potato chips. Pie, because March 14th is National Pi Day, as in π, or 3.14 (3/14, get it?) and since numbers are better for crunching than munching, pie is the logical gastronomical leap to make here.

So in the spirit of mathematics, get baking, and if it makes you feel better, go ahead and calculate the circumference of your quiche. Read more »

Cheap, fast and delicious

A few members of the Food Network team hightailed it to Austin, Texas this week for the South by Southwest media conference. I’m happy to report Austin is an excellent food town, so while we’re learning ways to make your experiences on our site even cooler, we’re also going to be reporting on what we eat.

It's screaming "eat me" isn't it?

Austin is a food truck and trailer town, and Downtown Burger was (wisely) dishing out burgers, french fries and beer across the street from the convention center. A line of hungry hipsters extended to the sidewalk.

What's better than wine and cheese? Nothing.

After attending a few panels, I headed over to Whole Foods corporate headquarters for a wine and cheese tasting with the Techmunch team. The tasting featured wines from the Bordeaux region, and all of the featured bottles were under $20 and selected by Doug Bell and Jeff Ryan, Whole Foods global wine buyers. If you are near a Whole Foods, I’d recommend the Chateau La Fleur Dallon Cotes de Bordeaux Rouge, a well-balanced medium-bodied red.

Still hungry, a few of us walked over to Sandra Bullock’s well-known restaurant, Bess Bistro. I’m a huge fan of her acting, but none of us where sure what to expect. It was a delight. We shared a dished of perfectly fried artichokes along with fried green tomatoes over fresh crab meat. My meal was two lamb sausage patties that had that perfect lamb richness. The restaurant is in the lower floor of an old house, and was cozy with brick-lined walls and charming waitstaff. We polished off our meal with beignets dipped in hot fudge, which is how I would like to finish all meals really.

Ted weighs in on Round Two's star-studded lineup.

Now that’s competitive cooking! There’s a reason Anne Burrell, Robert Irvine, Claire Robinson and Duff Goldman are long-standing Food Network stars— these chefs accomplished more in 20 minutes than most people could do with an entire day.

The competition between Worst Cooks in America co-hosts Anne Burrell and Robert Irvine was neck-and-neck throughout the three rounds, and Anne just barely nosed out ahead of Robert in a photo finish to win a spot in the April 3 finale, where she’ll continue her fight for $50,000 for the charity of her choice, the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation.

There’s no time for a warm-up on Chopped All-Stars, and right out of the gate, the contestants were presented with a basket that judge Alex Guarnaschelli aptly labeled “a total act of cruelty.” Notable culprit, of course: that canned haggis (collective shudder), which chefs and judges agreed had an aroma vaguely reminiscent of dog food. But somehow, all four All-Stars managed to use the stuff to create something that, judging from the empty plates on the judges’ table, was actually tasty. Unfortunately for all of us, who naturally wanted to see what pyrotechnics Duff might come up with in the dessert round, his flavors and technique weren’t enough to get him past round one.

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Ireland, Greece, even Romania – I’ve been there. Maine, Alaska, the islands of Hawaii? Yes, I’ve been to those spots, too. From Detroit to New Orleans – well look, you get the picture – I’ve traveled. But surprisingly (to myself anyway), up until last Thursday when my plane touched down here, I had never been to the biggest state the lower 48 has to offer. I’m talking about the home of J.R. and Sue Ellen – the state that Chuck Norris works for on that popular Ranger show. Yes, you know where I’m referring to. Where else? I’m talking about Texas, people. TEXAS.

Several of my Food Network coworkers and I have traveled to Austin to take part in the annual South by Southwest (SXSW) conference held in the capital city. We’re here attending panels, seeing what’s new in the world of social and digital media, and it’s great – we’re taking it all in and my hand is tired from feverishly taking notes. However, what am I most taken with since arriving in Austin, Texas? Austin, Texas, itself.

I love how the Texas star is on everything here. Everything. As I sit in my hotel room, I’m noticing that the star is on every piece of furniture. Let me step inside the bedroom and see – yes, it’s there. The star is even on the headboard of the bed. I’m pretty sure the “lone star” represents Texans’ solidarity in declaring independence from Mexico. They’re proud of the symbol here – I’m certain of that much.

On Friday, coworkers and I ate at Bess Bistro. I can never remember the name, so I have just been calling it “The Sandra Bullock Restaurant.” She owns it. I thoroughly enjoyed my Friday night special – the fish and chips dinner. I would have enjoyed it more had I seen Sandra. Other than the missing Ms. Bullock, the atmosphere was fantastic.

Today as I was leaving one of the tech conferences, I checked out the capitol building. I’m going to be honest. Until I saw his picture hanging in the beautiful corridor, I had completely forgotten that Former President George W. Bush is also Former Texas Governor George W. Bush. You know, now that I think about it, my hotel is very close to the governor’s mansion. I wonder if Governor Perry is there this weekend? Perhaps I’ll stop by and compliment him on his welcoming city (and state).

Because this is a Food Network blog post, I should talk a bit more about food. The previous food mention was really just to get in Sandra Bullock’s name. I’m a big fan of hers.

Tonight’s dinner was meatloaf, mashed potatoes, mushroom gravy and sauteed carrots. I’m usually more of a fan of the ketchup-based meatloaf, but I have to admit, this was pretty tasty. I wish I could thank the fellow SXSW attendee who pointed me in the direction of this restaurant. I didn’t catch his name, though. And, even more, I wish I could remember the name of the restaurant where I ate. In my defense, a full day of listening to geeks talk about technology will tire the brain a bit. Trust me on this.

These are my brief, matter-of-fact thoughts on Texas so far. I’ve just been here a few days, but I really like it here. Who knows what else I’ll discover tomorrow about Austin and Texas. A friend emailed that Willie Nelson lives in Austin. Is that true? And if so, does he own a restaurant? I’ll investigate.

Claire is cool, calm and collected. Of course, this was before the battle began!

The premiere of Chopped All-Stars scorched TV screens Sunday night, posting the highest-rated, most-watched episode in series history and the highest-rated March night in network history. Keep watching, because it only gets better…

As the host of Food Network Challenge and 5 Ingredient Fix, Claire Robinson knows a thing or two about intense competition shows and is used to cooking on camera. But Chopped All-Stars is Claire’s first foray into cooking as a competitor. Before she goes up against fellow FN rockstars Anne Burrell, Duff Goldman and Robert Irvine this Sunday night at 9pm/8c, Claire gave us an insider’s look at the Chopped experience. In short: It’s no joke, even for these All-Stars.

What motivated you to sign on for Chopped All-Stars?
I’m a competitive person. I did competitive slalom water skiing and am an athlete at heart, so that comes with a competitive spirit. I live for that stuff — win or lose, I love every second. It’s the adrenaline that I love. I chose St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital as my charity. I’m from Memphis, so I’ve seen what amazing things that hospital does for so many.

Did you prepare at all for Chopped?
Ha, actually when we filmed Chopped I was kind of in a crazy shooting period. I was in Denver shooting FN Challenge, so I flew in the night before and I landed at almost 2 am the morning of the show. Of course, my flight was delayed. So I slept for a few hours, got up and went straight to the Chopped set for 5:30 am. We had no idea what to expect, we didn’t know anything in advance about the baskets, but I watch and love the show so I knew it could be anything. I told everyone on the Challenge set that I was going to be doing Chopped and their suggestion was a really smart one. I went to eat at this one place in Denver that’s known for avant-garde pairings. They put pop rocks on sashimi, things like that. It opens your mind to think about the possibilities of how delicious some unusual ingredients can be. If you think really out of the box, it’s not that it’s really weird for weird’s sake, it’s actually really delicious, pop rocks on sashimi! It got me thinking about how can I actually play with an ingredient rather than just sneak it in. So I didn’t do much to prepare, but that one dinner I had, I was glad I did that because it really helped.

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Thanks, Slow-Cooker! - Image Courtesy Food Network Magazine

Break out your favorite green sweater and pick up some stout because St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner. Here are a few favorite Irish recipes we’re cooking up for March 17th.

In Ireland cabbage was eaten with ham or bacon, not corned beef. The Irish began choosing beef in the mid-19th Century after they immigrated to the States and were unable to find suitable pork products. Foodnetwork.com’s recipe for Slow-Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage is an ultimate American fave.

For a classic dish, try cookingchanneltv.com’s recipe for Irish Stew. It’s made with lamb, barley, potatoes and onions, and one bite will send your taste buds straight back to the old country.

While Irish Soda Bread was first made with just flour, baking soda, buttermilk and salt, contemporary recipes, like this one from food2.com, features currants or raisins as well. Dunk a piece of this dense bread into that heavenly Irish Stew or serve with a generous layer of butter.

Celebrate good times with Food.com’s recipes for Guinness-Ginger Cupcakes and a Dancing Leprechaun cocktail. The cupcakes are made with molasses and stout beer, while the cocktail is shaken with Irish whiskey, lemon juice and Drambuie, a Scottish liqueur that has been around for hundreds of years.

Guy is one of many chefs giving back.

Many Food Network stars contribute to local causes as well as national charities close to their hearts. A few recent sightings…

This past weekend, Guy Fieri cooked with students from more than a dozen Chicago area schools to benefit the Careers Through Culinary Arts Program. The students worked with Guy preparing appetizers to be served at a reception. CCAP works with students across the country interested in pursuing a culinary career and offers scholarships, job training and internships.

Chef Giada DeLaurentiis is visiting schools in South Carolina to film an effort that’s bringing food to hungry children. Every Friday the Back the Pack program adds non perishable items to the backpacks of children who need food for their weekend at home. Educators in the area realized the need when many children would ask for seconds and wrap part of their meal to take home. Meetings with counselors and other school workers led to the discovery that one in 17 students leave school on Fridays without another full meal until they return on Monday. During her visit, Giada will tour a local school where children receive the packs and meet with high school students who participate in a warehouse distribution course where they pack and then ship the items to elementary and middle school students in the area.

Saturday, April 23^rd Chef Duff Goldman will be in Richmond Kentucky for an event to benefit the Grace Now Food Pantry. The organization was started by a local church and provided 90,000 food items to about 1,100 families last year. The event will include a cake decorating competition for amateurs and professionals. Amateurs can compete in different categories, one for adults and two for youngsters, ages 17-13 and 12-6. Professionals may enter in three classes: tiered, holiday/special occasion and sculpted.  For more information on the rules and cost of the event, or to purchase tickets you can visit the organization’s website, www.gracenowky.com.

The Food Network Fans are constantly looking for info and sharing links on where we can find your favorite stars, discuss your favorite show, visit a book signing, or see an appearance in other venues. We invite you to stop by and visit at FoodNetworkFans.com

Doron's winning cupcakes, like her "cracked-up strawberry" (center), were delicious AND funny.

Cupcake Wars judge Candace Nelson is the founder and pastry chef of Sprinkles Cupcakes, the world’s first cupcake bakery. She joins us on the FN Dish each week to recap all the sweet details of the competition from her seat at the judges’ table. Here’s what she had to say about Season Two’s final episode, Ice House.

I can’t imagine anything harder than being asked to make a cupcake funny! But, our cupcake bakers this week were up to the challenge and I was absolutely tickled by the results. Starting with Round One, Doron used seltzer water in her chocolate cupcake, which led to a fabulously fluffy texture. Mona brought in an entirely new flavor, saffron, which, in Persian culture, is said to make you laugh. Alina created a fun take on a jello shot in cupcake form. And Kim made us a yummy coconut and kiwi cupcake, but the kiwi tripped her up—beware of the kiwi, bakers!—and she was asked to go.

In Round Two, our bakers threw themselves into the task. Doron was gutsy by working with kiwi after it had just sent Kim home. But she pulled it off beautifully and her decorations, which included a word bloop and a “cracking up” strawberry were funny! Most importantly, I couldn’t even tell her cupcakes were vegan! Mona worked with rich, European flavors and the overall theme “they’re all a little nuts” was lots of fun. Alina also did a good job, but her decorations were not on par with the competition.

Read more »

Make easy Shrimp and Chicken Etouffee for dinner tonight.

Just because it’s Tuesday doesn’t mean there isn’t time to celebrate Mardi Gras. Cook up a sweet or spicy Big Easy-inspired dish tonight for a taste of New Orleans at home. With a little bit of chopping and simmering, you could mix up a hearty, traditional Shrimp and Chicken Etouffee served with rice. For super quick fixes, try Rachael’s 30-Minute Jambalaya or the Neelys’ easy Dirty Rice with Smoked Sausage.

Pancakes (along with donuts and other fatty foods) are traditional Mardi Gras fare. It's a good night to make breakfast for dinner.

Or, indulge in another quick and easy traditional Mardi Gras food: Pancakes! Serve one of the Neelys’ dueling pancake recipes for dinner, or browse 50 pancake ideas from Food Network Magazine. Prefer the classics? Go for Buttermilk Pancakes topped with maple syrup and butter.

More Mardi Gras Feasting Ideas:

• Food Network’s Best Mari Gras Recipes
• New Orleans Favorites from Cooking Channel
• Fat Tuesday Foods from Food.com
• Cajun Spices 10 Ways from Healthy Eats
• A Taste of New Orleans from Food2

What are you serving for Fat Tuesday?

What music did this bottle listen to?

The Audio Files of One Oenophile: An Austrian winemaker has invented a sound system that plays classical, jazz or electronic music to grapes as they ferment. “The sound waves, he claims, positively influence the maturing process and produce a better tasting wine.” [thehour.com via grubstreet.com] [Food Network Wine]

NYC Restaurants: ‘The Customer Is Not Always Right’ The New York Times takes a look at a few persnickety restaurants whose chefs refuse to make certain adjustments to orders. Want ketchup for your fries? Too bad. Your bagel toasted? Good luck! “Instead of trying to make a menu that’s for everyone, let’s make a menu that works best for what we want to do,” chef David Chang told the Times. [nytimes.com]

Morimoto on the Status of Japanese Cuisine: Speaking of chefs who won’t serve certain popular items in their restaurants, you won’t find over-stuffed maki rolls at a Morimoto establishment. The Chicago Tribune checks in with the Iron Chef, asking him about the progression of Japanese food here in the states. [chicagotribune.com via eater.com]

Color-Correcting Foods at the Store: Grocers are enlisting a new kind of light bulb to show off their foods in the best, well, light. Using digital LED lighting technology, stores can “nearly replicate the true color of the sun’s illumination,” which means berries seem brighter and veggies appear greener. [news.discovery.com via eatocracy.com]

Here’s our round-up of food news, trends and happenings across the web. Check back for more, and tell us what else you’re loving in the comments.