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"Hopefully I'll get to a point where I can actually make a full meal without feeling like I just had a nervous breakdown," says Lina, one of the first recruits eliminated.

When you presented your final dish, Chef Anne’s Chicken Cacciatore, how did you feel about it?
When I presented my dish I felt that since it was incomplete there would be no way that I would make it through. Chef Anne wasn’t able to accurately critique me since one of the key ingredients of the dish was missing, which was the sauce. That’s half of the dish right there! I felt pretty upset that it was the timing and not the actual cooking, I feel, that got me eliminated.

If you could have a do-over of the challenge that sent you home, what would you do differently?
If I could do-over the challenge I would have been more aware of the time on the clock because at the end of the day I think that is what got me eliminated. I took too long trying to get things perfect and then it was too late when I found out my plating dish was missing. I would have grabbed everything I needed before I started cooking.

What was the most valuable tip/piece of advice that you learned from Chef Anne?
The most valuable tip that I think I received is to prep the kitchen and ingredients before you start the actual cooking. I also figured out which is the chicken’s front side versus back side. I don’t think I can ever forget now.

What did you take away from the experience?
I learned that cooking doesn’t have to be a stressful experience and that not everyone is the perfect cook. The goal is to improve each time and hopefully I’ll get to a point where I can actually make a full meal without feeling like I just had a nervous breakdown.

Will you continue to work on your culinary skills?
I’ll continue to try to learn a little at a time and I’m sure I’ll have a lot of practice in our house. We have to learn how to cook since my family expects us to host some holiday dinners.

What advice would you give to future Worst Cooks competitors?
I would say be alert of your surroundings and remember that even though this is a cooking show it is a competition as well. Be careful and watch what is happening around you or you might miss something.

What was the first dish or meal that you attempted to cook back at home after being eliminated? How did it go?
I cooked an easier chicken dish that required only soy sauce and sprite. Sprite soy sauce chicken! I am still all about simplicity. All you have to do if put some chicken drumsticks into a pot and pour a can of sprite and soy sauce on it and let it cook. It turned out pretty decent according to my husband. I’m happy with it.

What was your most memorable or funniest moment while shooting the show?
The most memorable part of shooting the show was just getting to know all the other contestants. Everyone was from different walks of life and no matter what you do for a living, cooking is something that everyone can relate to. For our group that was the frustration we all found with not being able to cook particularly well. We were all there for the same purpose which was to improve our ability to cook food which is so key to our everyday lives.

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

No words of advice could save Eric's botched chicken dish.

Why did you need or want to be on Worst Cooks in America?
I need to learn how to cook in order eat healthier and save money. Eating out 10 times a week in killing both my pocket and waistline.

What was the most valuable tip/piece of advice that you learned from Chef Robert?
Preparation and organization – it makes everything else easier.

What did you take away from the experience?
I am not only a bad cook, but apparently I’m also a bad cooking student.

Will you continue to work on your culinary skills?
I will continue to work on my cooking and using what I learned on the show should help.

If you could have a do-over of the challenge that sent you home, what would you do differently?
I wouldn’t have cut out the bone of a bone-in chicken breast.

When you presented your final dish, Chef Robert’s Pan-Seared Chicken Breast, how did you feel about it?
I knew I’d blown it when I cut the bone out.

What advice would you give to future Worst Cooks competitors?
Listen, remember and be patient.

What was the first dish or meal that you attempted to cook back at home after being eliminated? How did it go?
I tried to cook that bone-in chicken breast. I blew it again.

What was your most memorable or funniest moment while shooting the show?
Anytime Joshie and Priscilla had an argument.

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

Chefs Anne and Robert brace themselves for their first tasting on Season Two of Worst Cooks in America.

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. Up first, it’s Eric from Robert’s Team and Lina from Anne’s Team. These two barely survived day one. What went wrong?

Lina looks pretty proud of her plate, but the missing sauce was her downfall, says Chef Anne.

Anne on Lina: Lina never finished. She never got all the food on her plate. She butchered her chicken upside down—a couple of people started trying to take the breast off by going through the backbone. Erika did it too, but Lina didn’t finish and that’s why she had to go home. There was no choice. I think Lina was just smiley and happy and cheery, she was like “I just got back from my honeymoon.” She was super sweet—I don’t think she realized how intense it actually was. Everybody when we showed up was so excited. It wasn’t until the first set of people got sent home that people realized how serious this is and actually how hard it is. Everybody kicked into gear after that.

Eric just didn't want to be there, says Chef Robert. Plus, his chicken with maraschino cherries scared the judges.

Robert on Eric: Eric, he didn’t really want to be there. He was trying to save his bar business, but the attitude wasn’t there. When he was doing things, it was haphazard. He didn’t care about it. He didn’t want to do it period. He was touching the chicken, then didn’t wash his hands. He was like, “What do I care?” He’d already checked out before he checked in.

Who do you think should have been the first Worst Cooks recruit sent packing?

Rachel Coleman was crowned “Best of the Worst” on Season 1 of Worst Cooks in America. A year later, she’s rocking it out in her home kitchen in Brooklyn.

Since winning Worst Cooks in America a year ago, how much do you cook at home?
RC: I now cook at home all the time! At this point it’s hard for me to even remember what I DID eat before, since now I cook at least five nights a week. I even cooked dinner for my roommate and 10 of her friends for her 30th birthday party; my roommates love having me around.

What’s your favorite dish to make?
RC: I love making chicken parmigiana. Another favorite of mine is pasticcio (a Greek lasagna). Lately I’ve been on a health kick and have been experimenting with making healthier foods; I made a really great dish a few weeks ago with Brussels sprouts.

Have you re-created any of your favorite dishes from the show (Chef Anne‘s recipes) at home?
RC: I’ve made the mac and cheese Chef Anne taught me many times since the show. I’ve also made my winning pork milanese. Lately I’ve been dreaming of the cacciucco we made during episode 1; I want to try that again.

Read more »

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’s tips are all about smart shopping strategies. Read on, then hit the grocery store!

1. Grocery stores put higher priced pre-packaged meat on top for hasty consumers. Look underneath and save.

2. Don’t forget your reusable grocery bags. Many stores will give you a $0.05 credit per bag used. 

3. Avoid convenience items like pre-chopped fruits and vegetables and the pre-package deli meats and cheeses. You pay extra for the convenience.

4. Buy generic! Store brands are typically 20-30% less expensive than name brand items.

5. Make menu-planning a routine and save money on spontaneous spending and too many trips to the grocery store.

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.

The Food Network Kitchens compiled a list of trends to look for in the coming year — some flavor-focused (Southeast Asian Black Kale Tacos, anyone? How about an extra helping of comfort, or veggies in a starring role?) — and some a continuation of the food-meets-technology-craze (digital cookbooks and your favorite cooking sites on your mobile device). Devour listed the first five predictions earlier this week, and we gave you more here on The FN Dish here and here. Before you begin your NYE reveling, check out our final two predictions below — eating well and doing good.

Local Sourcing Surges – Time was, if you wanted to eat locally you went to your nearest farmers market and bought directly from the producer. Well, times are changing. Some of the biggest fish in the food industry—Walmart, Bon Appétit Management, and Sysco, among others—are getting into the game. As a result, in 2011 we’ll be seeing local foods cropping up more frequently in supermarkets as well as in some surprising places—schools, hospitals, ballparks, and chain restaurants.

Read more »

Artist Daniela Garreton from Santiago, Chile, extends the holidays with a beautiful illustration, winning They Draw and Cook's holiday-recipe drawing contest.

The Dish is teaming up with Nate Padavick and Salli Swindell, founders of They Draw and Cook, all December to share holiday recipes rendered by artists and inspiring all sorts of seasonal cooking with Food Network chefs. Each day, stop by the Dish for a new drawing and Nate and Salli’s liner notes about the illustrations and the artists. Tell us which you like and why. A dollop of this, a dash of that and some talent add up to interesting ideas in the kitchen. Visit theydrawandcook.com for more info.

As we come to the final days of our month-long celebration of artistically illustrated holiday recipes, it’s time to recognize (and reward!) four artists whose recipes represent all the good things we love about drawing and cooking at holiday time. We at They Draw and Cook have rewarded four artists with cash prizes totaling $2,000, with the grand prize winner being announced here today. Because Salli and I love all the recipes you’ve seen this month we could never in a million years pick favorites! So, we asked our friends at Weldon Owen Publishing (they will publish the upcoming They Draw and Cook book, available next fall) and here at the FoodNetwork.com to be the judges. From a batch of 250 holiday recipes, they picked four top favorites.

Today, we’d like to congratulate Daniela Garreton, an artist from Santiago, Chile, for being our first-place winner! Daniela will receive $1,000 from They Draw and Cook for her wonderfully sweet Pan de Pascua illustration. The judges thought Daniela’s recipe was beautiful: the warmth of her colors, her watercolored typography, her perfectly simple linework and the sweetness of her little family of birds were all just too irresistible. They also loved the fact that while this may be a popular and traditional holiday recipe in Chile, it’s a new and fresh idea for many of us. Congratulations Daniela and thanks for sharing this little piece of holiday goodness with everyone.

This wraps up our month-long feast of illustrated foodie fabulousness. We hope you enjoyed seeing this batch of 31 illustrated recipes here on The FN Dish. To see all 250 illustrated holiday recipes (plus hundreds and hundreds more) please visit us at They Draw and Cook for daily postings of illustrated recipes by artists from around the world. Thanks so much to our friends here at The FN Dish for allowing us to showcase the work of so many talented artists. And an extra-special thank you goes out to all the artists who contributed to this awesome series of holiday recipe illustrations–you are all amazing.

Cheers and Happy New Year! Check out FoodNetwork.com for great New Year’s recipes.

—Nate Padavick & Salli Swindell from They Draw and Cook.

Rachel Coleman was stunned at the announcement that she'd won the first season of Worst Cooks in America.

Rachel Coleman, a former website editor from Brooklyn, was crowned “Best of the Worst” on Season One of Worst Cooks in America. Before the new season kicks off this Sunday night at 9pm/8c, we asked Rachel to take a look back on her win and share how she’s doing in the kitchen a year later. Plus, this boot camp survivor lends some advice to the Worst Cooks of Season Two.

Listen up, new recruits!  Here are a few bits of inspiration from Rachel:

“I now cook at home all the time! At this point it’s hard for me to even remember what I DID eat before, since now I cook at least 5 nights a week. I even cooked dinner for my roommate and 10 of her friends for her 30th birthday party; my roommates love having me around.”

“The best advice Chef Anne gave me was to READ THE ENTIRE RECIPE before cooking. I honestly think that (and being disorganized) was my biggest mistake pre-show, I wouldn’t know where I was going so I’d get lost on the way there. Now I make sure I understand the entire recipe before starting.”

“Just focus on every step and don’t get overwhelmed. It’s easy to think ‘This is impossible!’ and get flustered and mess up, but to succeed they need to just keep moving forward and working with purpose.”

Read the rest of the interview here. Rachel’s victory also made her red team leader Chef Anne Burrell a winner…can Chef Anne do it again on Season Two? Don’t miss the premiere of Worst Cooks in America this Sunday night at 9pm/8c.

The Food Network Kitchens has compiled their list of delicious predictions, and we’re serving it to you in bite-sized nuggets.  Read yesterday’s trend predictions here, and check back tomorrow for the final installment. Then, visit Cooking Channel’s Devour for the even more new-year prophecies. Now, for today’s tech-savvy trends:

Food Goes Mobile
In 2011, smartphone apps will take over the tasks of restaurant search, reservation booking, and on-line food ordering. (Don’t wait till 2011 — check out our Food Network mobile offerings for iPhone, iPad and Android.) Food trucks will proliferate like never before. Pop up eateries will spread, while restaurants become increasingly ephemeral, conceptual, chef-centered less and less defined by brick and mortar spaces. And spaces will, as with the recent wave of food courts/gastro-malls, become more versatile, more multifarious, more designed to be moved through, grazed. The unvarnished good news is that it will never be so possible to eat well on the move.

Read more »

Ohio artist Eliza DeVogel extends the holidays, coming in second place for They Draw and Cook's contest.

The Dish is teaming up with Nate Padavick and Salli Swindell, founders of They Draw and Cook, all December to share holiday recipes rendered by artists and inspiring all sorts of seasonal cooking with Food Network chefs. Each day, stop by the Dish for a new drawing and Nate and Salli’s liner notes about the illustrations and the artists. Tell us which you like and why. A dollop of this, a dash of that and some talent add up to interesting ideas in the kitchen. Visit theydrawandcook.com for more info.

As we come to the final days of our month-long celebration of artistically illustrated holiday recipes, it’s time to recognize (and reward!) four artists whose recipes represent all the good things we love about drawing and cooking at holiday time. We at They Draw and Cook will reward four artists with cash prizes totaling $2,000, to be announced here today through the 31st. Because Salli and I love all the recipes you’ve seen this month we could never in a million years pick favorites! So, we asked our friends at Weldon Owen Publishing (they will publish the upcoming They Draw and Cook book, available next fall) and here at the FoodNetwork.com to be the judges. From a batch of 250 holiday recipes, they picked four top favorites.

Today, we’d like to congratulate Eliza DeVogel, an illustrator from Cleveland, Ohio, for being our second-place winner. Eliza will receive $500 from They Draw and Cook for her super-cute illustration of a Christmas Hot Russian cocktail. The judges thought that Eliza’s illustration was fun, hip and pretty and that her combination of pattern, color, linework and texture made it really unique. And, of course, the matryoshka dolls were a very smart and whimsical choice. Congratulations Eliza and thanks for sharing this deliciousness with us.

Be sure to visit the FN Dish tomorrow to see who the first-place winner will be. Meantime, check out FoodNetwork.com for great New Year’s recipes.

—Nate Padavick & Salli Swindell from They Draw and Cook.