From Jiffy Cornbread to MasterChef
I’ve liked food for as long as I can remember--no, scratch that--I’ve really liked food. In third grade, I took Jiffy cornbread to school for show-and-tell. Who does that? Yep… me. By middle school, I was cooking dinner for the whole family, and lasagna was (and still is) my signature. So when I left for college, I could hold my own in the kitchen better than most 18-year-old guys.
I stayed a bachelor until 35, which meant years of cooking for myself. Along the way, I worked in some incredible restaurants with chefs who opened my eyes to new ingredients and cuisines. I’d learn something at work, then head home and try to recreate it. I also went through my fair share of diet phases--vegan, low-carb, you name it--which kept me experimenting in the kitchen. And when I wasn’t cooking, I was watching cooking shows. Gordon Ramsay, Vivian Howard… I soaked it all in.
Then came 2016 and a curveball: the chance to audition for Season 8 of MasterChef. I had no idea what to expect, but cut after cut, they kept calling my name. One day I was just showing up for an audition, and before I knew it, I was on my way to Los Angeles.
During that time, I cooked constantly. Anything I’d ever seen them make on the show--poached eggs, Gordon Ramsay’s Beef Wellington--I gave it a shot. And somewhere in the middle of all that, I realized two things: I was actually a pretty good cook… and I loved it. Cooking felt like music to me: you create, refine, and share it with people. Only instead of a song, it’s a recipe. And I’ve been hooked ever since.
Today, I’m the voice behind The Foodie Eats--a recipe developer, dinner party chef, and home cook sharing dishes that are tested, real-life approved, and packed with flavor. From Instant Pot wins to gluten-free comfort food, my goal is simple: help you cook food worth making again.
[Read more about my MasterChef journey here.]
[Browse my latest recipes here.]