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

Guy Fieri’s son Ryder loves this turkey chili made with dried pasilla chile peppers, red onions, garlic, ground cumin and cayenne pepper. Make dinner tonight a family event by letting the kids help chop and measure ingredients while you saute the veggies.

Get the recipe: Ryder’s Turkey Chili

Browse more of Food Network’s comfort food recipes.

We asked our Facebook fans to share photos of the Mexican dishes they cooked up for Cinco de Mayo yesterday and we were overwhelmed with the number of delicious-looking enchiladas, nachos, chili, guacamole and Mexican desserts our fans shared. All of the dishes looked to be fit for a proper fiesta and there’s no way we could pick one favorite, so here’s a selection of the amazing dishes our fans prepared — plus some Food Network recipes so you can make your own versions.

Lynn Dickson Ross made: Mexican Brownies with Dulche de Leche Ice Cream (pictured above)

You can make: Aaron Sanchez’s Mexican Brownies

Read more »

On Monday, May 9, Tom Colicchio, Emeril Lagasse, Gail Simmons, Andrew Zimmern, Anne Burrell and many others in the food industry will don their best as they join the James Beard Foundation at its annual Restaurant and Chef Awards Dinner.

In honor of the Rising Star Chef of the Year Award, we’re chatting with the 2011 nominees for this category. Yesterday we caught up with Aaron London, chef at Ubuntu in Napa, Calif. Today we’re talking with Sue Zemanick, chef of Gautreau’s in New Orleans. “As a chef it feels amazing to be appreciated and recognized for all of the hard work that my cooks and I do on a day-to-day basis,” Zemanick says. “I feel honored to be considered for such an important award and to be in the company of other such great chefs.”

FN Dish: The theme of this year’s awards is “The Ultimate Melting Pot,” so what is your favorite type of ethnic cuisine?
SZ: Vietnamese.

Paula Deen’s fried chicken or Bobby Flay’s burgers? »

You’ve seen him on Food Network, he’s authored numerous books, including his newest, Guy Fieri Food, but now Guy Fieri is tackling something more near and dear to his heart than anything he’s done before: Cooking With Kids. He’s created the Guy Fieri Cooking With Kids Foundation, where he’s produced videos, mentored kids of all ages and educated families on the importance of getting kids into the kitchen from the very beginning.

We caught up with Guy earlier this week and listened intently as he talked about why this movement struck his heart, what needs to be done next and how families at home can improve life in the kitchen. He gave us a glimpse into his life at home with his two sons, Hunter and Ryder, and talked about their food habits. He even answered several Food Network Facebook fans questions.

FN Dish:  Cooking With Kids — why is it a passion for you?
GF: First of all, I’m a dad, I have two sons. There’s something about people that have kids that make that connection — no matter whose kids they are, you want the best for them. I love talking to them — they call it like they see it.

When you look at kids being deprived, not deprived of food per se, but deprived of something they would like or they need, it bothers me. Knowing how to cook and knowing where food comes from is one of those things. It lays a foundation down in their lives that they will need in order to bridge other pieces together.

Find out what Guy’s two sons eat »

Need a quick and easy recipe for Mother’s Day? Try Giada’s frittata made with fresh asparagus, tomatoes and Fontina cheese, cooked with a buttery egg and cream mixture — it’ll be ready in less than 20 minutes.

Get the recipe: Frittata with Asparagus, Tomato, and Fontina

Browse more of Food Network’s Mother’s Day recipes.

The simplest way to thank mom this Sunday is with a homemade meal — it’s simple, but more importantly, it comes from the heart. With numerous recipes to choose from, Food Network has pulled together its favorite Mother’s Day recipes in one place — for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

1. Breakfast in bed made by the kids. Mom shouldn’t be anywhere near the stove or the sink this Sunday, so gather up the kids and let them try Giada’s recipes like Baked French Toast with Blueberries and Citrus Cream Smoothies. These recipes are easy for the little ones to make (with supervision) and delicious enough for the whole family to eat.
RECIPES: Mother’s Day Breakfast – Let the Kids Cook

2. Schedule tea time. If you’ve planned a large breakfast, opt for a lighter lunch. Ask mom to dress up (make sure she wears a hat) and have a cup of tea with her. Tea sandwiches are an old-fashioned favorite, but these recipes transform the classics. Be sure to try the Ham, Brie and Apple, Olive-Focaccia and Pesto Chicken varieties.
RECIPES: 50 Tea Sandwiches

Get more Mother’s Day menu ideas after the jump »

On Monday, May 9th, Tom Colicchio, Emeril Lagasse, Gail Simmons, Andrew Zimmern, Anne Burrell and many others in the food industry will don their best as they join the James Beard Foundation at its annual Restaurant and Chef Awards Dinner.

In honor of their Rising Star Chef of the Year Award, we’re chatting with the 2011 nominees in this category. Yesterday, we caught up with Gabriel Rucker of Le Pigeon in Portland, Ore. Today, we’ll get to know Aaron London, chef at Ubuntu in Napa, Calif. London says, “I keep hearing things like ‘this is the Oscars for chefs.’ It’s really hard for me to say until I have experienced it for myself.”

FN Dish: How does it feel to be a James Beard Foundation Award nominee for Rising Star Chef?
AL: It feels awesome and kind of unreal. What a huge honor! I’m just excited to have the chance to go to NYC and hang out with some of the great chefs who are responsible for cooking today in America

Find out which two ladies Aaron would like to cook for »

Want to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, but you’re short on time to prepare a full fiesta? Marcela Valladolid of Food Network’s Mexican Made Easy is sharing her five simple tips to throw a quick Cinco de Mayo party at home with your family and friends.

1. Instead of making a sit-down dinner, try serving a cocktail spread with just two or three small bites.

Try these recipes, which can all be cooked in under 30 minutes:
Mexican Squash with Yogurt Dip, Sweet and Spicy Drumettes, Mexico City-Style Tacos and Shrimp-Stuffed Chiles

2. Come up with one signature cocktail, that way you don’t have to stock a full bar.

Try one of these recipes:
Watermelon and Mint “Agua Fresca” (non-alcoholic), Baja-Style Limeade (non-alcoholic), Mexican Cucumber Martinis or Chocolate Margaritas

More tips on music and home decor after the jump »

Pay no attention to the many shelves of faux salsas (Blueberry-pineapple? Really?) and shove aside all those cans of low-fat, low-sodium, no-flavor refried beans.

For this week’s underappreciated ingredient, you will need to dig a bit deeper into your grocer’s Hispanic section. Your goal? Mexico’s gift to high-flavor cooking: chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.

Typically sold in 7-ounce cans, these not entirely attractive (truth is, they look a bit prune-like) peppers pack gobs of smoky, chocolatey, slightly sweet piquancy.

First, the basics. Chipotles are really just jalapeno peppers that have been dried and smoked. In the U.S., they most often are sold canned in adobo sauce, a smooth tomato-vinegar blend spiked with garlic, onion and various spices.

The result is that you essentially get two ingredients in each can: peppers and sauce. The peppers marinate in the adobo, taking on its sweet tang. Meanwhile, the sauce absorbs some of the peppers’ heat.

Find out what to do with chipotle peppers in adobo sauce »

Are you a hoagie hound? Do you crave crusty bread rolls stuffed with juicy steak and cheese, or do you go crazy for cold cuts and fresh vegetables? Either way, if you have ever eaten and reveled in a particularly sensational submarine sandwich, today is your day. Celebrate this heroic holiday by crafting a few hoagies of your own. Our recipes below are easy, fast and classically delicious.

Food2.com’s recipe for Cheesy Meatball Subs is classically delicious and packed with traditional Italian tastes. Your favorite meatballs are lined on hefty sandwich buns, drenched in tomato sauce and topped with creamy mozzarella cheese.

Everyone always says that what’s inside is most important. Well, with hoagies, nothing has ever been truer — Mary Alice’s Hoagie Dip from FoodNetwork.com features your favorite ingredients from a classic lunch meat-and-vegetable hoagie but rather than served sandwich-style, it is an appetizer dip.

Continue reading for more delicious hoagie recipes »