1/30/12- Bacon-wrapped Hot Dogs, Dates, Jalapeños and Cheesy Mashed Potatoes with Bacon

I have a near intimate relationship with bacon and anything that has bacon in it and I am in charge on Brotherhood Dinners in my fraternity so I decided to make a bacon on bacon on bacon meal- it was a success. Everyone knows about bacon wrapped hot dogs and most know about bacon wrapped jalapeños but the hidden gem in this meal are the bacon wrapped dates (bottom left). Bacon wrapped dates are the perfect mix of salty and sweet if you haven't tried them don't live another day without them. There has been mashed potatoes in almost all my homemade meals because they are simple to make and delicious but these ones were a little more special with the bacon mixed in them. And lastly bacon wrap more things in your life and always remember if it's good, it's better with bacon.

1/29/12- Rubio's Steak Street Tacos and Fish Taco

Those four lovely tacos are from Rubio's Baja Grill, the three on the left were a part of the combo and the fish taco was an addition. I was really hungry and saw three taco combo not thinking that they would be this small so doing damage control I got an original fish taco as well. This is the first meal that I have posted on my blog that I was a little disappointed about but it's my fault, should of went with the original. On the contrary they have delicious fish tacos, in the fried category they are in my top five. So if you are looking for some good fish tacos or some fresh type mexican food check out Rubio's.

1/28/12- Panera Half Steak & White Cheddar Panini and A Cup of Tomato Soup

I have been the QSR (quick service restaurant) king lately because it's the most bang for the buck and blogging fast food is pretty tacky. If you didn't notice already this half and half combo that's the best of both worlds is from Panera Bread. I'm on a quest to find the best tomato soup and believe it or not Panera is the winner thus far, it is just simply delicious and it always a fixture in my Panera meal. The sandwich on the other hand was also very tasty and the newest addition to their paninis but I usually try something new every time I go; whatever sandwich I get dipping the first couple bites in the soup while it is still pipping hot is one of the finer things in life. They also have good ice tea if you like that kind of thing but stop by Panera if you haven't lately so it's delicious.

1/27/12- Lemon Pepper Chicken, Ratatouille and Mashed Potatoes

As I learn how to make different things in my professional cooking, my homemade meals improve. My friend Cori showed me how to butcher a chicken so the only thing is to cook with it after it, so we got a Lawry's lemon pepper marinade for the chicken, made a couple side dishes and it was a meal. We made ratatouille in class the other day in class and the best about it is it sounds so fancy but it is just a simple, delicious vegetable side dish. I often cook square meals with a protein, starch and vegetable because that's how my mom taught me to cook and as they say mamma knows best.  I posted two pictures this time in effort to improve my photography and move away from the flat boring pictures I have been taking. Being able to butcher a chicken is a good skill to have especially when whole chickens are cheaper than buying each part separately so here's a quick version How To Butcher a Chicken so if you didn't know now you know.

1/26/12- The Hat Pastrami Dip

This bread and meat apparatus of awesome called a pastrami dip is from The Hat. Is a bit of a hybrid being a quick service style restaurant but it also has a drive thru. They have a pretty concise menu of great sandwiches, burgers and hot dogs but what they are most famous for is their pastrami (above) and their chili fries that come in a portion enough to feed a small family of five. There are ten locations all round southern California which makes it really accessible for almost anyone in the area. It is a place I have been going to since I was a kid, they also have a killer turkey avocado sandwich, so the chili fries remind me of my childhood which makes it even more delicious so if you want a great meal stop by The Hat but remember the small fries are enough for two or three and the large is enough for a family.

1/25/12- The Back Abbey Burger

Words cannot really describe the deliciousness of The Back Abbey Burger, it is just the perfect combination of flavors (bacon, gouda, caramelized onions and well cooked patty), very high in umami. To compliment that delicious burger is the belgian style fries that are fried in duck fat (making them so scrumptious), although they are served a la carte but at $5 for a half order and $8 for a full order they are definitely worth the extra couple dollars. The Back Abbey is a Belgian style pub and their selection is strictly beers imported directly from the Europe, which makes it a little hard to order but the servers are very knowledgeable of the beer list and can recommend something similar to your domestic favorite. Quite frankly, it is just a men's dream of a restaurant with delicious burgers and sandwiches, manly salads (they actually have a salad called the man salad) and an amazing selection of beer. So if you are trying to get a taste of Belgium or a fantastic burger go to the Back Abbey you will not regret it one bit. 

1/24/12- Flame Broiler Works Bowl

That bowl full of good stuff is from Flame Broiler, the quick service teriyaki bowl chain. They claim to be the rice bowl king and for a chain restaurant they are making some pretty good stuff. What I like about eating Flame Broiler is I feel like I am eating something that is healthy without sacrificing flavor- I NEVER sacrifice flavor for healthiness. If you get the works, chicken veggie or beef veggie you get the assortment of cabbage, broccoli and carrots which is a good addition to the chicken or beef and the rice. They have a really good teriyaki sauce that's called magic sauce that goes perfect with sriracha on top of the bowl. If you are ever wanting a quick, delicious and healthy option stop by flame broiler.

1/23/12- Split Pea Soup, Ratatouille, and Two Types of Green Beans

This nice little plate up is the final product of my professional cooking at Cal Poly Pomona. I find it to be pretty cool that when my friends are working on Physics and Calculus, I am studying the proper method to cook different types of produce. Last week we made a couple of the mother sauces and mayonaise so it wasn't anything blog worthy but this one had a little more substance. It was the vegetable cookery day so that is why there is only vegetables on this plate up. All of these recipes were very easy to follow and turned out pretty well, out of six groups we made the best ratatouille. The best part of it all is we back a full  portion, plate up a small taste and we get to eat the rest. I don't think very many people can say they learned how to make split pea soup in class but I can.

1/22/12- Tacos Jalisco Tacos and Horchata

Those three lovely tacos are from my local taco joint, Tacos Jalisco. It is one lengua, one carnitas and one carne asada taco and as you can see they all look the same so I don't know which one is which. Jaliscos is just your average taco joint that just makes really good tacos and burritos. I like other people find one taco joint and stick with it, Tacos Jalisco being mine. This meal was more of fourth meal but usually I get a variety of different types of tacos (five or six), squeeze a little lime on top and they are a little taste of mexico a couple minutes away. I often see buying beverages at restaurant to be a waste of money (it costs 10 cents for $3 drink) but I never pass up on some delicious horchata or orange bang. So go to your local taco joint in the near future, you won't regret it.

1/21/12-Union on Yale Butchers Pizza

That circle of cheesy love is from the newest restaurant in the Claremont village, Union on Yale. It's a very modern, hipster friendly restaurant that has a precisely eclectic menu ranging from pizzas to short ribs. It is from the owners of Back Abbey so the food is delicious just like its counterpart (Back Abbey has one of the best burgers in the area). They have a wood burning oven inside next to the indoor dining room with a bocce ball court outside next to tons of outdoor dining (so they live and die by the weather). The interior and decor is very feng shui looking with the servers wearing V-necks and long white aprons, it is just the definition of a modern and trendy restaurant. All in all it's good concept with delicious food so if you get a chance stop by and at least play some bocce ball.

1/20/12- 21 Choices Chunky Snickers Bar Frozen Yogurt

This frozen swirl of tastiness is from my local frozen yogurt spot, 21 Choices. I have been going to this place since I was a young lad so it has certain type of nostalgia for me. The way it works is there is always chocolate and vanilla then there is four additional new flavors everyday. The number 21 represents the number of topping available, I believe that was the original number it has increased since. The prices are very reasonable ranging from $2.50 for the smallest and going up from there. Their flavors are always really creative with all kinds of different combinations, the circus animal cookie and root beer float come back frequently and are very delicious. There is two locations in Claremont, one in Pasadena and one at USC so if you haven't been check it out, you can always check the flavors ahead on the website too!

1/19/12- Bj's Balsamic Glazed Chicken

Let me start off by saying that this was a lot more tasty then it was visually appealing. I so often order quintessential bar food (burgers, fish tacos, and the like) or pizza at Bj's so this time I tried to switch it up something a little more on the fine dining side. What you see from left to right the balsamic glazed chicken, underneath is the cheddar mashed potatoes, onion straws, balsamic dressed salad and sautéed onions; which all made for delicious combination with just the right amount of acidity. That is the best part about Bj's is the variety on their menu, beer selection included. So next time you go to Bj's, branch out and order something different.   

1/18/12- Dolce Cafe & Bakery Steak Fritte

That perfect combo is from Dolce Cafe & Bakery, a place that really does it all. Dolce Cafe is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, they do catering, they have an awesome salad bar at lunch time and they have a wide selection of baked goods all day long; there isn't much they don't do. Those kind of places usually make me skeptical but I was impressed here. I got the steak frite, which as you can see is just steak and fries (pomme frites is the french way of saying french fries) and it was delicious especially the horseradish sauce that came with it. Ever since I went to France steak & pomme frites has always had a place in my heart and although it wasn't as good as the original it was pretty damn good. So if you want anything from an omelete to eclair to chicken marsala check out Dolce Cafe and Bakery.

1/17/12- Ginza Bowl Medium Chicken Teriyaki Bowl

That bowl full of tasty goodness is from my favorite teriyaki place, Ginza Bowl . There is no other way to describe it, it is just really good teriyaki bowl. This one is the medium which is more than enough food for under $5 dollars but the large is a little more for a couple extra dollars. Ginza Bowl is your average Pomona take out place that has different teriyaki dishes, burgers and other random things on their menu (they have four chicken nuggets for $1, which are delicious). If you look on Yelp you find that other people share the same opinion with me- Ginza Bowl is the best teriyaki around, so if you haven't been there GO! NOW!

1/16/12- The Habit Cheeseburger and Sweet Potato Fries

This duo is from The Habit Burger, which is a quick service burger restaurant that started in Santa Barbara but has grown to over 50 locations all across California. Their slogan is no substitute for quality and I must say it is a quality burger, definitely top three QSR burger. I went with sweet potato fries just to give them a shot and they were good, nothing too special. Their money maker is what they call char burger (either double or single) and you can add cheese, bacon and avacado for a $1 each if I remember correctly. Those three are what I call the flavor enhancers, they just make everything better especially burgers. So if you are looking for a quality burger combo for a reasonable price check out the Habit. 

1/15/11- Sirloin Steak, Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Mashed Potatoes

This is my last homemade creation which stemmed from me practicing cuts for my cooking class and making mashed potatoes out of the potatoes I had to julienne and bruniose. I am a meat and potatoes type whenever possible so I just grilled top sirloin steak that I seared in a pan then finished off in the oven to desired doneness. Then there's oven roasted brussel sprouts that were tossed in a little olive oil seasoned with a little salt and pepper. Lastly mashed potatoes made from scratch with butter, sour cream, salt, pepper and garlic powder added to taste. It is as simple as it gets for a great dinner.

1/14/12- Donut Man

Those fried servings of happiness are from the Cooking Channel acclaimed Donut Man and it definitely lives up to every single bit of hype that it is given. They are famous for their fruit filled donuts like the apple filled one above, they also have strawberry and peach when they are in season. They hands down make fantastic donuts but to make it even better they are open 24 hours, which makes it a great meal or snack any time of day. I got those two donuts above and that's the best maple bar I have ever had, so if you love donuts (I have no idea why you wouldn't) stop by Donut Man.

1/13/12- San Biago's Half White, Half Pepperoni Pizza

This circle shaped plate of happiness is a classical half and half large pizza from San Biago's that pleases them all. San Biago's is a local small family owned by a nice Italian family and they make great pizza. Mario Batali always say there is two types of people- Italians and people who want to be Italian, I am the latter. This place in my opinion is as close I can get to delicious sicilian style pizza at an affordable price. There is two upland locations but I always go to the original. It's just simply good pizza at a good price, check it out.

1/12/12- Brandon's Diner Patty Melt

This classic combo is from one of my favorite diners, Brandon's. They are your local small town diner that serving the diner classics, breakfast all day and all kinds of different mexican combos. My go to pick at diners is always the patty melt, it's just a classical and a slit alternative to always ordering a burger (like I so often do). Like I always say this dish isn't the only good thing on the menu, they have a trifold eclectic menu full of the classics. There is seven different locations all across the inland empire so if you ever want to go back to the basics check out Brandon's.

1/11/12- Camarones Casa Moreno

This dish is from the Claremont village restaurant Casa Moreno, which is a mix of traditional and contemporary Mexican cuisine (camarones meaning shrimp in Spanish). It is shrimp wrapped in bacon with cheese melted on top served and also tortillas served on the side as well. Whenever I see the words bacon wrapped it always has me at hello, so when I saw this on the menu I couldn't help but order it. You really can't go wrong with shrimp, bacon and cheese mix like this and it lived up to bacon wrapped hype. Every time I go to Casa Moreno I order something new and I haven't found a dish I didn't like yet. So if you are ever looking for a little more elevated mexican cuisine than average taco and enchilada combo check out Casa Moreno it's one of my favorites. 

1/10/12- Subway Chipotle Chicken Footlong

The chipotle chicken is the Subway featured footlong for the month of January and I must say its worth the five dollars by far. Sometimes the five dollar footlong is a sorry excuse for a sandwich but this one is worth all five dollars. I really like Subway because I feel a little more healthy whenever I eat there; that feeling soon goes away by the next meal but it's alright. I get all the vegetables accept pickles as you can see above to make the sandwich even more worth while but everyone has their own way of making a subway sandwich. I will be posting the Subway five dollar footlong every month so stay tuned.

1/9/12- Chick-Fil-A Deluxe Buffalo Chicken Sandwich Combo

When it comes to drive-thru fast food Chick-Fil-A is about as good as it gets (at the very least second). They claim to be the inventor of the chicken sandwich and quite frankly in the fast food segment they do it the best. My favorite is the buffalo chicken sandwich (above) because I can't get enough spicy food but their grilled chicken sandwich is killer as well. But to top that all of they have six or seven awesome sauces including polynesian, buffalo and honey mustard, the best part is they don't charge you extra if you want more than one like other places.  Although it's a bit pricey compared to the other big fast food chains ($8-9 for a combo) it is definitely worth it so eat more chicken, its good for you and tasty.

1/8/12- Cheesecake Factory's Cajun Chicken "Littles"

The dish is called Cajun chicken "littles" but there is nothing little about it. I went to Cheesecake Factory looking for a light lunch and not knowing what I got myself with this entree (ten Cajun chicken tenders, a mound of mashed potatoes and a healthy helping of corn succotash). Cheesecake Factory has a gigantic menu from everything from orange chicken to fish tacos to pasta carbona not to mention dozens of delectable cheesecakes. They always have great food and quick service, I always try to find a fault in Cheesecake Factory but I can't. They are one of the best chain casual dining restaurants out there so if you haven't been there in a while, go and try something new.

1/7/12- Eureka Burger's Fish Tacos and Fries

I hate to eat at the same place twice in the first three week of my blog but when my parents are picking up the tab they kind of get to pick the location. I figured I would try something different on the menu besides a burger; I am on a quest to find the best fish taco in California so I gave them a try. For grilled fish tacos they are definitely in my top ten, the mango salsa gives them a nice sweetness. Nice to know that a burger place has other good entrees when you aren't feeling burgers (I don't know why that would be the case). So if I haven't convinced you already you should check out Eureka Burger.

1/6/12- Los Jarritos Tacos and Enchilladas

This lovely plate is from Los Jarritos II, two beef tacos and two beef enchilladas no need to mess around with beans and rice. Los Jarritos is no frills inexpensive Mexican food restaurant, most combos are under $7 dollars (expect the combination, one of everything, is $12). There is a plethora of great Mexican restaurants in Pomona but this one is still one of my favorites. There almost always an open table and the service is quick, you can be in and out in around 25 minutes. So if you are looking for a good, cheap and quick meal I would recommend checking it out and order the enchiladas.

1/5/12- Homemade Taco Salad

This is actually the first home-cooked meal that I have posted on my blog since the remake which is kind of ironic because my previous blog theme was cooking. This a ground beef taco salad and it is the impiety of fresh and simple. Its a salad with ground beef, jack cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, avocado and a little Tapatio mixed in ranch for the dressing. I didn't cost it out because my mom made not me but if I had to guess probably around $4 dollars a person which is dirt cheap for a delicious meal like this. I am taking professional cooking this quarter at Cal Poly Pomona so there should be more meals cooked by yours truly so stay tuned hungry people.

1/4/12- CPK's Habanero Carnitas Pizza

California Pizza Kitchen is a casual dining restaurant that serves pizza and other American menu items, but whenever I go to CPK I always order pizza (it's in the name so I order it). I usually order the works pizza because all toppings are the best topping, but this new pizza caught my eye like a beautiful blonde girl at the beach. It doesn't look spic(e)y at all, but it comes with a habanero salsa on the side that packs a punch and of course I put it all over my pizza. If you didn't know already, eating spic(e)y food releases endorphins in your brain (endorphins are the feel good hormone). This pizza sure did bring the heat and release endorphins, but if spic(e)y isn't your thing they have tons of good pizzas, pastas, salads and other menu items that I am sure you will like.

1/3/12- Chipotle Tacos, Chips and Guacamole

The thing that makes Chipotle so delicious is the simplicity of the menu, it is all about choices at Chipotle and there is so many options to make delicious burritos, tacos, burrito bols or salads. The ingredients they use are so fresh, it is like the Subway for Mexican food. Chipotle is a little on the expensive but just around the ten dollars threshold even with the delectable addition of chips and guacamole. I use to be a burrito guy but lately I have been making the choice of steak tacos but whatever you get you have to have the corn salsa is the just right mix of corn's natural sweetness and spiciness. So do yourself a favor and go to Chipotle in the near future, you will not regret it (if you do I will gladly finish whatever you don't eat).

1/2/12- Five Guys Bacon Cheeseburger

Let me start off by saying the Five Guys and In-N-Out comparison is not correct because they are two different types of places which cannot be equally compared (Five Guys being quick service and In-N-Out being premium fast food). With that being said Five Guys is the best quick service burger that I have had, the list of topping available at no extra charge is enough to make a foodie drool. But a great burger isn't all they offer, they also have fantastic fries that come with an extra scoop of fries on top of the cup making equal parts bag fries equal fries in the cup. Also can't forget about the free peanuts that they have all around the restaurant that is just icing on the cake to the great burgers and fries they offer. They started in DC but there is new locations popping up everywhere so go find one that enjoy a great burger.

1/1/12- New Years Gumbo

That paper bowl full of culinary goodness is made from scratch gumbo filled with sausage, chicken, shrimp, crab, various vegetables, and deliciousness that was made by fellow culinarian Brandon Fisher. It doesn't get anymore authentic then that, this close to the pacific ocean. The gumbo tasted like New Orleans in a bowl and the house was freshly dirtied from the night before giving it a similar fragrance to Bourbon St. If you didn't know already gumbo takes multiple hours to make from the chopping of the vegetables, making of the roux and to love you must give to the end product. This is a recipe that takes some skill and expertise that not anyone can do, in knowing that make friends with chefs and people that can cook well it will pay off. I am always open to new friends and people to cook for.