They've been rumored for years, and they have finally hit stores nationwide: The Doritos Locos Tacos. A mashup of the goodness of one of the most popular snack foods of all time, with a late-night drive-thru staple, Taco Bell's new menu addition is expected to sell 60 million a week. That's a lotta runs to the border...

Not just a typical Taco Bell shell dusted with the familiar orange Doritos seasoning (that was actually tested at the beginning and failed miserably), this is a special, custom produced, shell that is 100% Doritos through and through, a process that was incredibly difficult to pull off. Steve Gomez, food scientist for Taco Bell, told me, "Taking something that was always made to be a flat triangle, and turning it into a curved shell that could withstand cracking and breaking was very challenging."

But they got it done. And with all this hype over the product development and launch, the really important question is: ...There's more

If you're a proud carnivore like I am, and need your regular serving of red meat (preferably seared to perfection over an open flame, the way the Grill Gods on Mount Meat decreed from on high), then all the propaganda about how bad it is for you is enough to make you consider tofu. (Sorry, even I couldn't keep a straight face while typing that...)

But according to research conducted by the beef experts at Beef Checkoff (remember the "Beef, It's What's For Dinner" campaign? Those guys), beef actually offers many health benefits, including heart health, muscle development and weight management.

Here are a few of their beefy facts:
- Today’s beef is lean. 67% of all beef muscle cuts sold at retail is lean, and 19 of the top 25 most popular beef whole muscle cuts are lean, like T-Bone, Sirloin and Tenderloin.
- On average, a 3-ounce serving of lean beef is only about 150 calories and provides 10 essential nutrients such as zinc, iron and protein.
- Several of the key nutrients in beef, specifically iron and choline, are known to be lacking in the diets of many Americans, especially women and children.
- A 3-ounce serving of lean beef contributes less than 10 percent of calories to a 2,000-calorie diet, yet it supplies more than 10 percent of the Daily Value for 10 essential nutrients.

Get that from a leafy green vegetable...

So to celebrate all things beefy, I am giving away a "Beef It Up" Red-Meat-Lover's I (Heart) Beef Prize Pack. It includes "The Healthy Beef Cookbook" so you can enjoy your steaks without guilt or dirty looks from those veggie-eating busy-bodies, and an I (heart) Beef apron, along with I (heart) Beef buttons, stickers and temporary tattoos for proclaiming your love of a sizzling slab of the red meaty goodness at your next barbecue or tailgate.

Want to win it? Just tweet me @thebachelorguy, proclaim your love for beef with the hashtag #I<3Beef and tell me your favorite way to enjoy your steaks. (Following our friends @BeefForDinner and mentioning them in your tweet is a good idea too.) And make sure to read the contest disclaimer after the jump.

The beef people and I will choose a winner this Friday, so watch your Twitter account for the good news. And for more beef knowledge, head over to BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com.
...There's more

The Samuel Adam’s Utopias MMXI has just been released, and beer aficionados across the country (except for the states in which it’s banned), are scrambling to get their hands on one of the rarest beers brewed in the United States (A bottle will set you back $150). Just in case you’ve forgotten click here for a Utopias refresher.

Utopias is one of those things in life that you either get or you don’t. I put it in the same category as scotch and cigars. When it comes to Utopias I get it. I think it’s one of the most creative and remarkable beer creations of the last 50 years, and a true testament to the skill and dedication to the art of craft brewing that Samuel Adams has become famous for.

Since it’s really meant to be enjoyed after dinner, why not pair Utopias with dessert? To make the perfect companion for something as over-the-top as Utopias Sam Adams partnered with New York City’s Butch Bakery to come up with a pair of cupcake recipes designed to hold their own against the 27% ABV behemoth.

Butch Bakery has taken the estrogen content of cupcakery to near ppm levels with their guy-friendly creations, and their two Utopias-inspired recipes are no different. Two words for ya, buttercream and bacon. A half-pound of bacon...

So put that apron on, pour yourself a snifter of Sam Adams Utopias and get to baking. And if you’re feeling extra inspired, try putting a tablespoon or so of Utopias into the frosting in place of the vanilla for a real treat.

The Cake: Maple
The Frosting: Milk Chocolate Buttercream
The Kicker: Caramelized Bacon Bit Topping

Maple Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda ...There's more

Every guy and his dad loves a big, meaty burger. But in today’s world of "The Biggest Loser," we are inundated with warnings of excess calories and all the health concerns that come along with it. It's almost enough to make a guy eat tofu. Almost.

Fear not my fellow carnivores. Chef Kyle Reynolds of Le Cordon Bleu Atlanta -- the prestigious culinary institute -- have designed a burger that delivers flavor, is packed with nutrients, and is lower in fat and calories.

Billed "The Ultimate Burger," it'll allow you and dad to enjoy some juicy flame-grilled goodness, without worrying you're gonna get your inheritance sooner than later. Here's Chef Reynolds' recipe, so you can make some next weekend.

The Ultimate Burger
Servings: 4

12 ounces White Oak Pastures grassfed ground beef (2.6% fat)
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 ounces Sweet Grass Dairy – Green Hill cheese
4 hamburger buns
2 ounces fat-free mayonnaise
2 ounces wholegrain mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon lemon peel, finely grated
1 tablespoon Italian parsley, finely chopped fresh ...There's more

It's officially time for for barbeques, beaches, backyard parties, and poolside cocktails. And Maker's Mark wants in on the action.

So they are ringing in the season with their Maker’s Mark Fancy Bourbon Punch. It’s easy to make, is enough for the whole crowd, and pairs well with their Kobe Beef Burgers. These delicious burgers were created by Frites n’ Meats, the acclaimed New York-based food truck, and have a generous amount of Maker's Mark cooked right in, putting a gourmet twist on our favorite Memorial Day meal. And of course, the recipes are below.

Fancy Bourbon Punch
Recipe by Matt Wallace, Mixologist, Seven Grand, Los Angeles, CA
1 liter Maker's Mark
1 cup granulated sugar
Peels of 3 lemons and 1 orange
Juice of peeled fruit
1 liter of strong tea (preferably green tea)
250 ml champagne (club soda can be used for a less fancy version)
Freshly grated nutmeg

1. Combine sugar and citrus peels in the bottom of a punch bowl. Muddle together until sugar starts to clump together. Let sit for about 2 hours. (While not necessary, this does add a little complexity).
2. Brew the tea for about 30 minutes, remove loose tea or tea bags, and allow to cool.
3. Add the juice of the peeled fruit, tea, and Bourbon. Stir.
4. Top with Champagne just before serving and stir gently. Top with freshly grated nutmeg and serve.

Maker’s Mark Kobe Beef Burger
Recipe by Owners and Chefs, Frites N’ Meats, Hiassam and Ali Beydoun
Serves 4
Prep Time: 4 hours. Cook Time: 3 hours. Level: Easy.
4 six-ounce Kobe beef hamburger patties (regular ground beef can be substituted)
1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons Maker’s Mark
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
4 pieces plum tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise ...There's more

It's a long standing tradition that late at night, after the bar hopping has ended, the call of the taco truck is undeniable. Die-hards flock (read: tumble), to the best taco trucks across the country to satisfy their after-hours cravings, and indulge in real Mexican street food.

Inspired by the nightly ritual of "Drinks First, Tacos Later," Espolón Tequila asked three top mixologists from New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, to craft what could be the country's first Taco Truck Cocktail Pairing -- just in time for Cinco de Mayo.

So here are their specially mixed cocktails, along with recipes from three top taco trucks across the country so you can easily recreate these pairings for your own Cinco de Mayo celebrations. Sombreros required.

THE PAIRINGS

Bebida de Puebla
Created by Eric Alperin
The Varnish, Los Angeles
2 oz Espolón Tequila Reposado
1/4 oz Benedictine Liqueur
1/4 oz Coffee Liqueur
1/2 oz Lustau Dry Amontillado Sherry - Los Arcos Lemon Peel

Stir all ingredients with ice in a chilled mixing glass. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Spray and garnish with a lemon peel.

Pairs With:
Slow-Cooked Pulled Pork Tacos
Los Angeles, CA
Makes 6 servings

2 1/2 lbs. boneless pork tenderloin
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. black pepper ...There's more

Looking to give some chocolate this Mother's Day or Easter? Leave the bon bons and the bunnies to the guys with no imagination. This year you're going unique, unusual and custom. This year you're going with Chocri.

Imagine a site where you can select one of four delicious gourmet chocolate bases (milk, dark, white, and a milk and white combo), then add on your choice of up to five toppings, from a list of dozens that includes such taste bud pleasing favorites as raisins, roasted almonds, caramel pieces and rice crispies.

But before you think Chocri has stopped at the doorstep of The Expected Usual, they cross over into the exotic, unusual, and downright insane, with a bevy of additional topping choices that'll blow your chocolate-loving mind. Think Bourbon Vanilla, ground chili, basil, cayenne pepper, wasabi peanuts, real gold flakes, candied rose petals, corn flakes, or my personal favorite: Bacon.

Yep. Bacon. And trust me, the bacon chocolate bar I ordered did not last long. The folks at Chocri let me create a few bars to try, and Bacon with Fleur de Sel (sea salt) on dark chocolate was the first one I created on their ridiculously easy-to-use shopping cart. And once you create them, you can name your new chocolate inventions whatever you want. The others I tried, in case you want some excellent recipe suggestions, were:

Suggested by Carmen from Chocri:
My Chocri: Milk Chocolate with Strawberry Bits, Roasted Almonds, Hazelnut Brittle, Cinnamon and Real Gold Flakes. (Perfect for mom or your girl. Great combo of sweet and salty.)

Bacon: Dark Chocolate with Bacon and Fleur de Sel. (The perfect meat candy for any occasion.)

Anti-Hangover Chocolate Bar: Milk Chocolate with Ginger, Banana Chips, Coffee and Fleur de Sel (The ginger really pushes the flavor over the edge. I'm now addicted. Didn't have it after a hangover, so can't attest to it's powers there.)

Created and named by me:
Beer Nuts Bar: Milk Chocolate with Peanuts, Roasted Almonds, Organic Salt Pretzels, Raisins and Roasted Cashews. (Carmen was skeptical of my ode to bar food, but it delivers a great mix of sweet and salty.)

The Tropical Bachelor: Milk Chocolate with Mango Cubes, Coconut Flakes, Pineapple Bits, Caramel Pieces and Bourbon Vanilla. (What I imagine enjoying with a couple of hula dancers on a tropical island somewhere...)

Dark Morning: Dark Chocolate with ...There's more

Beer is definitely a versatile substance. You can, of course, drink it, I’ve also read that women have used it as a hair treatment (hop-scented hair? Not sure if I should be thirsty or turned on), and I’d probably eat my own foot if it were cooked in a craft-brewed pale ale reduction. But up until now no one had made the connection between beer and the world of confections.

Yeah, I’m talking beer in your candy. It’s about time that all those rum balls and Bailey's-filled bonbons got knocked off their pretty pedestal. Enter Beercandy, the beer world’s answer to the raised nose of spirited sweets.

Beercandy was started back in late 2010 by fellow homebrewer, beer nerd and all around craft brew-fueled culinarian Steve Casselman. According to the story (bound to become the stuff of legend), Steve was enjoying a Belgian beer fest with fellow members of his homebrew club, The Maltose Falcons, and it came time to ...There's more

Ever had a SoyJoy nutrition bar? They're different than most, baked with real fruit and ground whole soybean. Their motto is "Dare to be Different." So they want you to dare to be different too.

If you accept one of the dares on their Facebook page, and they'll send you a free SoyJoy bar as a reward. You get to push a personal boundary, and get something healthy in return. Everyone wins. Plus you're entered in a weekly drawing for a fitness pack full of gear.

But I'm going to give you another shot at winning that prize pack. I dare you to go here, and enter your email address. Then on Friday, April 1, I'll pick two of you to take home the "Do You Dare?" pack with a Camelback, and a SoyJoy water bottle, dri-fit shirt, and towel. For when you're sweating through those dares.

St. Patrick’s Day isn’t just about beer, tiny plastic green hats and surly leprechauns. It’s about some of the greatest ethnic food ever to grace a nearly pseudo-holiday event. I’m talking about corned beef and cabbage and pototato-esque dishes chock full of Irish goodness.

If you’re into filling your belly with more than just liquid libations, Sam Adams has just the thing. They’ve taken some well-known Irish classics and put their own unique spin on them. Oh yeah, and just like any good craft brewery spouting out recipes, they’ve put their beer where it belongs, in the food. So run out and get yourself a case or two of Sam Adam’s Irish Red this St. Patrick’s Day and get to cookin’. And it never hurts to crack open a bottle or two for yourself while you’re working the pots and pans.

Samuel Adams Irish Red Ale Reuben Ravioli
Recipe created by Samuel Adams Chef Partner David Burke

Fresh pasta sheets, cut into 3”x3” squares
1 egg, beaten

Filling:
1/4 lb corned beef
1/4 lb Swiss cheese, finely shredded
4 Tbsp Samuel Adams Irish Red Ale
4 Tbsp chopped sauerkraut
4 Tbsp Russian dressing
1/2 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp mustard
salt/pepper to taste

Combine all filling ingredients. Place ...There's more