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

Food fight! Wisconsin Skins vs. Steel City Skins.

No great Super Bowl party is complete without guacamole, Buffalo wings, nachos, onion dip and spinach-artichoke dip, but in addition to the classics, die-hard fans will want the authentic foods representing their favorite team. Sure, football is a game of skill, but imagine for a moment if the champion were decided based on the merits of menu, alone?

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Kristen Stewart, lover of vampires, werewolves and Food Network. Image from celebritymania.com.

In a recent interview with Vogue, Kristen Stewart shared some interesting tidbits: The Twilight star enjoys playing golf and guitar, she’s reading Anna Karenina and her new hobby is cooking. The latter so much so that she’s known for watching Food Network with her signature “frown of concentration” on her face. “I’m such a dork,” she tells Vogue. Stewart did more than talk about her hobby, she prepared lunch for the interview: Tortilla Soup with assorted fixin’s, and pulled pork sandwiches. You can make Kristen Stewart’s Tortilla Soup — she shared her recipe with Vogue — though you might want to leave out the garlic if you’re making it for your, you know, undead friends.

But don’t stop at the soup; whip up an entire Twilight-inspired menu (to serve after dark, of course). Some suggestions:

Vampire Blood Tomato Soup With Muenster Sammies

Stuffed Baby Bellas

Vampire Dip in a Fried Tortilla Bowl

Blood and Guts Potatoes

Vampire Kiss Martini

What would you serve to a Twilight star, or at a Twilight-viewing party?

Anna had a little not-so-secret crush on Chef Robert.

Why did you need or want to be on Worst Cooks in America?
I didn’t even know that my friend Theresa had nominated me until I got the call and email. Then she said, “Oh, yes…didn’t I tell you?”

What was the most valuable tip or piece of advice that you received from Chef Robert?
Chef Robert was so awesome. He taught me how to use a knife properly… but we fought about olive oil vs. grapeseed oil.

What did you take away from the experience?
It was fun to get to know everyone on the show. I realized I could cook if I just had the time and someone to show me how.

Will you continue to work on your culinary skills?
I would like to, but my work keeps me so busy and my mom continues to cook for me. Maybe if I find a nice boyfriend, I would have someone to cook for.

If you could have a do-over of the challenge that sent you home, what would you do differently?
I would follow my gut instinct and start cooking the duck first, then chop things up as I was cooking. The chopping got me behind.

When you presented your final dish, how did you feel about it?
My dish looked good; the only thing that didn’t make it on the dish was the sauce. I knew though from the end of the challenge it would be me to go home. I was tearful the whole night even past elimination. The cast was like family and I was leaving.

What advice would you give to future Worst Cooks competitors?
Be prepared to live with strangers that will become your friends and enjoy the experience. It’s hard at the time but afterwards, you’ll have lots of fun stories.

What was the first dish or meal that you attempted to cook back at home after being eliminated? How did it go?
I made an omelet and it came out great! My mom was gone so I had control over the kitchen.

What was your most memorable or funniest moment while shooting the show?
Every day was memorable. I have never laughed so much. We had a great cast.

Read Erika’s Exit Interview, find out more about Worst Cooks in America and catch the show on Sundays at 9pm/8c.

After a lighthearted burger challenge, the recruits had to prepare elegant meals for Chefs Anne and Robert. Erika and Anna ran into major problems.

After each elimination on Worst Cooks in America this season, chefs Anne Burrell and Robert Irvine share their candid impressions of the booted recruits with the FN Dish. This week, at the season’s halfway mark, they bid farewell to Anna from Robert’s Team and Erika from Anne’s Team.

Erika surprised Chef Anne by coming a long, long way during her stint in boot camp.

Anne on Erika: At first, I wasn’t taking her seriously. She started out making the bologna quesadilla and drawing hearts and flowers with spray cheese on Saltines. And then she actually got a lot better. She buckled down but would revert back sometimes.Erika actually did transform herself a lot. She’d been on Beauty and the Geek, so at first I thought, this girl is just about being on TV. And then I started to take her a little bit seriously. I gave her the benefit of the doubt, and she actually won a challenge or two. She made it halfway through.

Anna's first dish, a frittata cooked in inches of olive oil, earned her a nickname from Chef Robert.

Robert on Anna: Olive Oil Anna. She’d put a gallon of olive oil in everything. She’s Italian and her mother told her she’s not married because she doesn’t know how to cook. Her mother, a great Italian cook, wouldn’t let her in the kitchen. Anna got her act together and was pretty good by the end. She did very well; she got her station clear and she would work well, but then she’d mess it up, overcooking and over-seasoning. We had the one-on-one meal together. Oh, it was awful. She works long hours at the hospital; she still lives at home with her mother. It would be interesting to see if she’s done any cooking since the show.

See what Anna and Erika are up to in their exit interviews. And don’t forget to vote for your favorite Worst Cooks recruit in our Fan Vote, up to 10 times per day.

This challenge was not Erika's finest moment: She served crackers decorated with squeeze cheese.

Why did you need or want to be on Worst Cooks in America?
I have always loved the idea of cooking, but could never really figure it out. I live on processed foods. Some of my favorites include hot dogs and macaroni and cheese! I once microwaved a cookie to get it warm. I realized that two minutes was way too long when the microwave caught on fire.

What was the most valuable tip or piece of advice that you received from Chef Anne?
Be organized! Mice en place (or whatever that was).

What did you take away from the experience?
I overcame my fear of the kitchen. I’m not afraid to at least TRY and cook.

Will you continue to work on your culinary skills?
Now that I have learned some helpful tips, I can’t wait to continue cooking at home!

If you could have a do-over of the challenge that sent you home, what would you do differently?
I wish I would have been more relaxed. My nerves got the best of me.

When you presented your final dish, how did you feel about it?
I felt so proud. I knew Chef would probably hate it but I couldn’t believe I actually made that!

What advice would you give to future Worst Cooks competitors?
Pay attention, be relaxed, and FOCUS!

What was the first dish or meal that you attempted to cook back at home after being eliminated? How did it go?
I bought a mandolin and attempted to make the potato cake. The potatoes were way too thick and it took forever. It was not good at all, but I did use a non-stick pan!

What was your most memorable or funniest moment while shooting the show?
Starting a fire on the first day and almost crying when I had to tear apart a chicken.

Read Anna’s Exit Interview, find out more about Worst Cooks in America and catch the show on Sundays at 9pm/8c.

Testing live photo gallery

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Every Saturday morning in January, Sandra Lee teams up with the FN Dish to bring you budget-friendly tips for creating delicious dishes and meals for your family. From the supermarket to the stove, she’ll help you stretch every dollar and minute.

This week, Sandra shares ideas for cutting costs that will help you save all year long.

1. Bring your lunch; it’s generally one-third the cost of buying your lunch from an inexpensive restaurant.

2. 5% of the average American’s income goes to fast food; that comes to an average of $1,820 per year! Avoid the urge to get fast food and cook at home.

3. The average American consumes over 50 gallons of soft drinks per year. Switching to water will save over $280 per person each year!

4. The average American throws away 14% of their food, which equals close to $600 per year. So heat up those leftovers and save!

5. The average monthly cost of food for a family of four is $1,126. If your family is way over that number, you might want to rethink your food spending.

Want more tips? Sandra’s shows are full of ‘em. Catch Money Saving Meals on Saturdays at 9am/8c and Semi-Homemade Cooking on Sundays at 11:30am/10:30c.

This Sunday, munch on Food Network Magazine's NFL-inspired riffs on the classic potato skin.

Four teams are just one win away from the Super Bowl. Sunday’s matchups will determine who’s going to the big dance in Dallas on February 6, and here on the FN Dish, we’re cooking up a potato skin showdown in their honor.

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After sampling Hollis Wilder's cupcake trio, "I felt like I was at a five-star restaurant dessert tasting!" says Candace.

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 last night’s episode, Rose Parade.

Let me just start by saying, this was my favorite Cupcake Wars episode ever…and also the most gut-wrenching! These four contestants are incredibly talented bakers and every step of the way Florian and I were devastated to have to choose one to go home.

In round one, Florian and I were literally amazed. It was the best flavor round we’ve ever experienced. It was such a tough round that one simple mistake sent a former winner home: Jessica and her sister are heavy-handed with the orange zest in their frosting and it overpowered the flavor of their vegan carrot cake. Florian and I were sad to see Jessica and her sister go. They have great spirit and are full of surprises. We wonder what we missed.

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Three weeks in, Robert and Anne are still scared to watch some of their recruits in the kitchen.

After each elimination on Worst Cooks in America this season, chefs Anne Burrell and Robert Irvine share their candid impressions of the booted recruits with the FN Dish. This week, they bid farewell to Matt from Robert’s Team and Priscilla from Anne’s Team.

"Priscilla was her own worst enemy," says Chef Anne. "She'd psych herself out."

Anne on Priscilla: Oh, Priscilla. Running around with the knife, she was just a whirling dervish. She’d psych herself out; she would get so wound up. She was a teacher who’s used to being in charge and not used to being the student. So she would kind of talk back to us, and I said, “You know Priscilla, what would you feel like if one of your students said this to you?” She said, “I would not accept it.” She would spin out of control. She really scared me a few times, running around with her knife pointed in the air, and she cut her finger one time and continued to cook with it, blood everywhere. But you know what, I really liked her. She’s a nice lady. I felt terrible about sending her home. She actually really wanted to learn. I think if she were to get in a one-on-one setting, not with all the challenges and the time and all that, she probably could learn. She was her own worst enemy.

"Matt never relaxed," says Chef Robert. "It was like somebody gave him 20 shots of espresso in the morning."

Robert on Matt: Matt was scared of his own shadow. But a super guy, a nice guy. As far as cooking skills, if you looked at him the wrong way he would probably pee his pants. He was that scared. We were outside and he was cutting with a knife; I thought he was going to take his fingers off. Matt never relaxed. It was like somebody gave him 20 shots of espresso in the morning and he didn’t stop. No expression. I didn’t know if he was going to cry, laugh, or hit me!

Don’t forget to vote for your favorite Worst Cooks recruit in our Fan Vote, up to 10 times per day.