Last night I had the opportunity to not just visit a fantastic new brewery but also meet with five of the best chefs in San Diego. We were assembled to help raise money for Feeding San Diego, while also celebrating the launch of Flesh & Blood - Bitter Brothers new Golden Sour that has a stunning color and flavor of tart cherries and raspberry. Each of the five courses was inspired by and paired with one of their beers, for a culinary experience that I wish could be shared better than just my words and pictures.

One of my all time favorite comfort foods is shepherd's pie. It's easy to make and relatively easy to clean up too, plus it's cheap and very filling. The folks at Birds Eye^® though asked me to check out their new Mashed Cauliflower product and see how I liked it as an alternative to mashed potatoes. Years ago when my wife suggested this I laughed - and then learned that it is super tasty, in some instances even better texture and taste than mashed potatoes themselves. So, with that in mind I decided to switch up my shepherd's pie recipe and use Birds Eye^® Veggie Made™ Mashed: Original Cauliflower instead.

Eastern Europeans drink a lot of vodka - that's no secret. However, if you've ever been to a party or had a long dinner with someone from Russia, Poland, or Ukraine then you've probably also noticed that they are generally able to hold their alcohol better than their American counterparts. While some of that comes from years of practice and a generally high level of consumption, there's another secret too. Salo! Salo is a salted pork fat that is sometimes referred to as the Ukrainian national dish and was served at nearly every meal that I had while touring the country.

Eating healthy never looked (or tasted) so good! This is a quick and easy alternative to a bowl of ice cream this summer, as well as being a great way to start your morning off right.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of BUBBA Burger. All opinions are 100% mine.

There's almost no wrong way to make a burger. However, for me a good Hawaiian burger is up there among my favorite types to make and ultimately eat. Today, I'm going to share with you a creation that I designed to bring visions of beautiful hula girls, brilliant sunsets, and cool waves crashing on the beach to your mind. Of course, it all starts with a good burger and today we're working with a BUBBA Burger patty.

A few weeks ago I experienced one of my new favorite foods. It was so simple, so delicious, and so easy to make that I'm shocked that this isn't a nation-wide treat on every breakfast table. Apparently though, the people in Arkansas like to keep the secret of Chocolate Gravy and Biscuits to themselves. No more though! The awesome folks at Edwardian Inn in Helena, Arkansas agreed to give me the recipe to share with you. Well, only half of it, because "LOL... Gotta keep some secrets" when I asked about the biscuit recipe.

One of my favorite parts of traveling to a new area is trying new foods and traditions around dining. What I found while visiting the state, sponsored by Arkansas Tourism, frankly was confusing and exciting at the same time. While I expected BBQ and soul food, what I found alongside those staples was completely unexpected such as cheese dip, fried tamales, and chocolate gravy!

Who loves peanut butter cookies? How do you make them even better than they normally are? How about adding some bacon! This is a gluten free recipe that even gluten lovers will ask for more of...

When I first shared with friends that I was heading to Arkansas, the first thing most people asked was, "Why? What's there?" Honestly I didn't really know what to expect aside from some music history and hopefully some good BBQ. After spending four days in the Delta region I can't wait to go back.

As you probably know by now, one of my absolutely favorite restaurants is Fogo de Chao. There is little out there that's better than the experience of enjoying great cocktails while enjoying an endless parade of meat served by friendly gauchos - well, except doing it in Brazil itself I suppose! Each season the folks at Fogo also update their harvest table with seasonal selections but they've now updated their bar menu too. They are so excited about their new offerings that they invited me back again to try some of their new cocktails and small plates before the full dinner that I already knew would be awesome.

Unlike some cultures, we don't really have a codified series of "right of passage" rituals, but instead we have a series of events that prove to others that we are ready as an adult to join society as a full member. Throwing your first dinner party is an example of this modern right of passage. In itself, the act of cooking a dinner and inviting some friends over isn't complicated. However, the individual parts need to come together just right to make your event one that is being talked about favorably the next day. After all, it isn't just about the food. You need to make sure EVERYTHING is right. No pressure right? Don't worry though, we've got some tips and tricks to help make sure you pass with ease!

 One of my favorite items to order for Chinese takeout is Orange Chicken. Unfortunately, like anyone with dietary restrictions and those simply trying to eat more healthfully, that's usually not a good choice. However, with a bit of inspiration and some tweaking I've come up with a solution that is super quick and easy to make as well as relatively healthy  for you. Plus, it's gluten free so my wife can enjoy it too!

Like most guys, I LOVE chili. I don't just love one style, I pretty much love them all. But no matter what I'm making, it tends to be a pretty labor and time intensive endeavor. However, with some help from Stubb's Cooking Sauce and my Instant Pot, the process is a lot faster. So, today I'm going to make one of my favorite meals - Frito Chili Pie!

Summer is almost here and we've got a few months of outdoor grilling, tailgating and homegating in front of us. As men we are expected to be masters of the grill and while an important part of that is understanding how to "cook" the meat... it's equally important to know how to prepare that meat before cooking it.

When getting ready to grill, there's really three main ways to go - Rub, Marinade, or Sauce. Do you understand the difference though? This is a subject that deserves to be explored a bit, so let's look at how the preparation affects the way the meat tastes and looks on the other side.

Baseball is back and now that tax time is almost over, it's time to celebrate with an awesome party to celebrate. This is my favorite time of year since baseball for me is more than just a game - it's a chance to hang out with friends, enjoy ballpark treats, and cheer for my favorite teams. I'm clearly not alone since there are hundreds of baseball movies and scenes in TV shows as well and that's the inspiration for our ultimate Baseball Movie Party!

There seems to be two main types of seafood restaurants that I'm invited to visit. There are fancy ones with waiters in suits and white linen table cloths and others are casual shacks where the only thing that matters is the food. Thankfully, Grand Isle is the later of those two options and is inspired by the classic coastal Louisiana fish camps from Grand Isle. However, along side extremely fresh seafood served steamed or raw, guests will find creative dishes that wouldn't be out of place in the fanciest restaurants in New Orleans.

New Orleans is a fascinating city with an incredibly unique blend of cultures and that makes it an amazing city for anyone looking to try something new. Like cities such as LA, New York, Chicago, and San Francisco, people think differently here and normal rules don't always apply. However, what New Orleans has that those other "foodie cities" don't is hundreds of years of deeply rooted traditions to help guide the influences of those different cultures. This results in not just "great restaurants" in different silos, but almost a bouquet of foodie options that generally traces it's way back to either Cajun or Creole roots. For me, this makes it infinitely more fascinating and enjoyable to explore.

Breakfast Republic seems to be on the list of every foodie I know in San Diego right now. With lines on weekends that might you second guess stopping by, I know plenty of my friends have simply just passed it by but still wondered what it was like to dine there. Luckily, they continue to expand and now have locations in North Park, Liberty Station, Encinitas and recently opened in East Village San Diego. The menu here is exactly what you'd expect from a California brunch place and in particular one that's growing up in San Diego's modern food scene and we were thrilled to be invited to check it out.

Every so often, something new comes along and knocks the order of things a bit off its existing axis. That's sort of how I felt when I first experienced Kam's Chili Sauce. The brand offered to send me a few jars and so I said yes... not really knowing what or why I agreed to test it out but they just got lucky that day I guess. Honestly, it sat on my counter for a while as I tried to think of what I would do with it... they said it goes great on seafood, that it can be used as a sauce for cooking or even as a condiment. Last night though I decided to try it on my wings for a different taste than my normal classic Frank's wing sauce and I was impressed.

It's almost gameday and you need something manly that is easy to make, easy to cleanup and easy to eat on the couch. Here's a recipe for Cheesy Sausage Cups that you are sure to love and it features ingredients sourced entirely at Smart & Final.