About Me

This is the part I hate the most…

I’ve been putting this part of the website off for months because I hate trying to make myself sound interesting. I’m not. I’m just some guy who’s spent far too much of his life in kitchens and bars and this is my way of sharing some of what I’ve learned, for whatever it’s worth.

I’m Matt. I spent over 10 years of my life working in hospitality. I have a degree in Linguistics and a Masters in Teaching (yes, that’s a thing). I teach English and have a bonkers little human boy that names robotic snakes things like “toilet bowl.” I’m a Red Sox fan, a firm believer in the power of humility, and I always smell my coffee beans before I make coffee. I’m originally from Iowa, but currently live in Los Angeles.

Why did I do this?

I can give you a simple answer, but I do fear that the less simple answer will rear its ugly head. The simple answer is that I just want to be helpful. I’ve always wanted to write some sort of food-related product, aimed a little more at novices, to show people that making food is something you’re supposed to know how to do. It’s something that should be enjoyable; a skill that you brag about being able to do in your 20’s because everyone else is eating fast food because they don’t know what saute means.

Now for the not-so-simple answer…

Take a look at most of the recipe blogs that come up in your Google search. Dollars to donuts, they’re run by a suburban, white woman with (almost always) three kids. They’re going to tell you how they always eat organic vegetables (or “veggies”), pastured meats, and “whole” foods. And they’re always taking you on some journey. In all seriousness, three kids seems to be the threshold for saying “I should start a food blog!” Some one should do research into this.

Now before I continue, let me make one thing perfectly clear before you start to think this is some “I’m a man, so women can’t have nice things” sort of rant. It’s not. I applaud these women for monetizing something that they do on a daily basis out of love and, frankly, the necessity of keeping their families alive. I think it’s amazing that there is this community of women on the internet sharing recipes and household tips that, in the end, make everyone’s lives a little more enjoyable. And I do understand that maintaining a profitable blog is just as much work as a “real” job. Whatever that’s supposed to mean.

That being said, I do take issue with a lot of these popular blogs all having the same voice, the same voice that brags to me about how well they eat. I take issue with the image that people put forth that you have to have matching silverware, or stark white plates, or an incredible budget to eat like a human person, like somehow these people never just say “fuck it” and scarf down a package of mac and cheese because that’s what’s easy right now and it’s raining like hell and there’s no way I’m going to the store. I take real issue with the fact that a lot of these sites use professional-looking photos that seem to show off how well they have it (and probably waste food in the process). Fuck that. Food is for eating.

That being said, I also take issue with the idea that opening a bunch of cans and packaged food and mixing them together is thought of as “cooking.” You know, the kind of people that complain on food blogs that their Instant Pot isn’t fast enough, like good food just pulls itself out of thin air like replicators on Star Trek. That’s great that you can make all of that stuff taste good, but it’s not really cooking.

At the end of the day, cooking should be something you enjoy; find ways to make it less of a chore. It shouldn’t be strange or overwhelming or something that makes you feel inferior. Hopefully this website helps to demystify the processes behind making food.

Thank you. I hope you find this place helpful.