One of the fun things about cruising is the food – not just the quantity, but the specialness of having treats that you generally don’t find at home. Over the years, as American tastes have gotten more sophisticated, cooking shows have become one of the most popular forms of entertainment. While many cruise ships do have a cooking demo a couple times on each voyage, Holland America has taken this to the next level with actual theaters to showcase their chefs as well as periodically invite celebrity chefs to make an appearance as well.

Slow cooker soup recipes are among my favorite since there is minimal cleanup, you can make a big batch and they are easy to re-heat later. In fact, they often taste better on the second or third day since it gives the flavors a chance to come together. While I could make up a fancy story about why or how I created this recipe the simple truth is I got tired of cooking my fish in a pan and needed a way to use up the bag of frozen tilapia I had left in the freezer without wasting it or making too much of a mess.

When you think about camping, you probably think about fresh air, campfires, and music but my guess is that you also are thinking about those tasty treats that you only get every so often. That's right, I'm talking about camping recipes and fire-cooked canned foods like Dinty Moore Beef Stew and Hormel Chili. On our recent trip to Joshua Tree National Park, we expanded on our favorites by adding a couple new ones...

Things can sometimes get stale after being in a relationship for a number of years. It's easy to fall into those patterns where you know what your partner likes and so you end up going to the same places and doing the same things. Now think back to when you were just getting started. Back then, you worked hard to impress each other and cherished every moment. That can happen again but it isn't just "going to happen", so here's some tips to help you plan the ultimate date night.

It's National Grilled Cheese Day on April 12, so naturally I had to create a fabulous creation to celebrate. There's something absolutely amazing about the a grilled cheese sandwich with the molten cheese ooozing out from two nicely toasted pieces of bread. While there's nothing wrong with stopping there, I like to take things to the next level and that's why I decided to create the Southwestern Chili Grilled Cheese!

There's something magical about lobster, just the mention if it brings visions of wealth, status, and a lifestyle of luxury. As someone who once lived in a lobster town in Massachusetts, lobster was always an affordable luxury - similar in cost to a great pork chop or a nice steak. Even though the cost was equivalent, the mention of lobster meant we were having a special dinner. Years later and on a different coast, that's pretty much how I feel each time I walk into Red Lobster today too.

Every place that I visit has a special food item that they are known for and while Texas is synonymous with BBQ I discovered a diverse world of awesome flavors last month as we explored San Antonio. From washing tamales down with an ice cold bottle of Big Red to candied pecan covered bowls of kettle corn, I simply wasn't expecting even half of what we enjoyed!

I was introduced to avocado oil by Chosen Foods who sent me a sample of their spray and cooking oil. While I am an avocado fiend, I was honestly a Little reluctant to switch from olive oil initially. However, after trying it on a few different recipes I am completely hooked! While there are other advantages, the biggest single one is the higher smoke point, which means that my pans are cleaner and stuff is less likely to turn brown / black in the pan.

You may think you've got time since Valentine's Day is still a couple months away but Christmas can be romantic occasion too, as can New Years Eve! One thing that I'm always a fan of us doing a plate with assorted cheeses and other items along with a favorite bottle of wine. The folks over at Whole Foods Market agreed to share some of their knowledge and hooked us up with three amazing cheese and three bottles of wine.

There's two things that all guys love - whisky and beef. Chef Perry Lang showed Jimmy Kimmel Live! how to make these things even better... by combining them :) 

Old Vegas may have slipped behind the curtain over the past decade to make way for hipsters and people looking for upscale luxury experiences but below the surface there are still a few Vegas treasures that will transport you back to the golden age of Vegas when being a "celebrity" meant something more than just how many Instagram followers you have. 

I LOVE fajitas - unfortunately they are typically really time consuming to cook at home because you have to cut pieces of raw chicken, marinate them and then cook them. That's time consuming but also messy and frankly it's just easier and more enjoyable to go to a restaurant so you get the pomp and circumstance of the sizzling skillet and fresh, steaming hot tortillas. While it doesn't quite bring it to your table, the new Foster Farms Sauté Ready chicken makes things SUPER easy to cook up awesome fajitas at home. All you need to do is add onions, peppers, toppings, and tortillas and you have a great family dinner in just about 30 minutes!

Whether tailgating or homegating it's a difficult balance between creating something awesome and spending way too much time in the kitchen preparing and then cleaning up. As a man, creating ultimate recipes is something I revel in because it's an opportunity to take the gloves off and innovate with no boundaries. So today I'm going to introduce you to my latest creation - Smithfield Pulled Pork Totchos and hopefully inspire you to try something new next time you have the guys over to watch football. 

Some people swear by holistic medicine and folk remedies and while I am typically skeptical, you have to admit that the knowledge of hundreds (or thousands) of generations must have some basis in fact. That's the case for chicken soup with regards to treating colds anyhow. With temperatures starting to drop and kids as well as the rest of us crammed inside we all need something to help our immune system get a boost. Besides even without any potential health it simply tastes great as a snack, part of the main meal, or even as the meal itself.

Las Vegas has some of the best food in the entire country and whether or not you are here for a convention, a bachelor party, or simply just to partake in the thrills of "Sin City", you are sure to work up a heck of an appetite. Don't let your hunger ruin the moment though! Fortunately, Las Vegas is filled to bursting with excellent eateries ready to satisfy whatever urges you might have.

It's fall and that means that it's apple season and there is no shortage of amazing recipes to celebrate the harvest. Two of my favorites are Caramel Apples and Pecan Pie, so why not combine the two great flavors into one amazing dessert!

As you've probably figured out, I love my margaritas - simply put, the touch of sweetness from agave nectar and the citrus bite of is one of the most refreshing flavors you can find. Unfortunately, you can't always take margaritas with you since traditionally it involves tequila and that means it isn't available in all the same places as your favorite beer. With Cayman Jack though, since it is a "malt beverage" it's available nationwide in select grocery, convenience, and liquor stores in areas where hard alcohol is prohibited.

Come on guys, raise your hand if you're the guy who stops at the gas station to pick up some last minute supplies before heading to the party! It's ok, while our wives and girlfriends may bemoan our procrastination, now is the time to celebrate your ingenuity for crafting delicious solutions that everyone will love. Luckily, the Game Day Chef Challenge is back and this is your chance to shine and maybe even win $25,000 in Chevron gift cards! Plus, we're doing a giveaway to help kick things off, so make sure to enter that for your chance at winning $50, $30, or $20 in Chevron gift cards.

Despite the political back and forth, Americans and Mexicans have a lot in common when it comes to what we love to eat. Sure, we might prepare things a little differently by trading one ingredient for another but at our core we share a lot of similar traditions. One of these that I'm exploring today is carnitas - or pulled pork as it would be called in the Southeastern United States.

Visitors to Coronado Island are typically familiar with the famous Hotel Del - afterall, it's one of the earliest buildings in the area and set the tone for the next 100+ years as a mecca for beachgoers. What I learned this week, was that just across the road is an even older building that was built a year earlier in 1887. Originally serving as the boathouse for the resort, it now houses a fantastic seafood restaurant that is part of the Bluewater Grill group.