BFF with the Chef

Today, I'm interviewing Matt Lokay, the self-taught grill master behind a successful Instagram account, California Grillin. Matt aspires to help others make their best barbecue by teaching in person workshops on both grilling and barbecue, and by displaying his grilling techniques on his Instagram account. . In this episode, Matt shares grilling techniques for various meats that you can put into practice right away, and the magic of reverse searing

Today, I'm interviewing K80 Jones, the creator of the Food Heroes Podcast. Before entering the food industry, K80 worked in wetland restorations. Seeing the change that she could make in the world and working in align with her values served as the catalyst for her own food journey. On the Food Heroes Podcast, she asks guests from all corners of the culinary community to talk about the ways they are using food to solve problems to make the world a better, clearer, safer and tastier place.

Today I'm interviewing Traci Houston from The Gestational Diabetic, a blog that focuses on helping women navigate their pregnancies in a healthy and nutritious way. Traci is an Air Force veteran who realized nine years into her career that her true passion was in food. She left the military and enrolled in culinary school with the goal of opening a food truck. However, it was her experience with gestational diabetes during her pregnancy that truly shaped her culinary career.

Today I'm interviewing YouTube phenom Jen Phanomrat, the co-Founder of Just Eat Life and star of Just Jen on Tastemade TV. Together with her partner, Leo Samanamud, they create food, travel, and lifestyle videos to inspire their audience's hunger for life in and out of the kitchen. Jen is a self-taught cook, host, producer, editor, photographer, and food stylist who believes food and experiences should be approachable, enjoyable, and inspiring.

Today I'm interviewing Lisa Hatfield, the creator of Delicious Table, a food blog that is dedicated to helping home cooks by giving them every day, fresh, seasonal ingredient recipes along with holiday and party food ideas. With 25 years of professional culinary experience, Lisa is a pro at creating fun, festive recipes for busy people so, as she puts it, you look like a star chef in your own kitchen.

Today, I'm interviewing Rebecca Blackwell, the blogger, recipe developer, and photographer behind Of Batter and Dough, a blog that focuses on making everyday baking simple, fun, and delicious. Of Batter and Dough contains hundreds of tested recipes all designed to best suit your needs, whether you're having a fancy party or an afternoon treat. Her second food blog, A Little and A Lot, is devoted to meal plans and dinner recipes for every night of the week.

Today I'm interviewing Tanya Harris, the creator of My Forking Life, a food blog that specializes in quick, easy and flavorful recipes. Tanya started her blog in March 2016, while working as an assistant public defender. Her passion for cooking started when she fell in love with the cookbook. She strives to learn new methods and techniques to make her favorite recipes. In just three years, My Forking Life has become so popular that Tanya has been able to quit her job in order to blog full-time.

Today, I'm interviewing Aneesha Gupta, the blogger behind Spice Cravings. Aneesha originally started her blog as an online recipe book for her twin teenagers, so that they could be empowered to cook for themselves. Aneesha's blog now serves as a peek inside her California kitchen where she creates quick, easy, and healthy global recipes that are low in effort and big on taste. With step by step instructions, pictures, and videos, these recipes are weeknight friendly and perfect for busy families

Today I'm interviewing Chef Marlee Brady, the blogger behind I Just Make Sandwiches. Marlee's blog focuses on helping home cooks elevate their meals to restaurant quality by teaching them chefy secrets. Marlee was classically trained in culinary school and spent nearly 10 years working in restaurants. Marlee's goal is for home cooks to seek inspiration on what to make for dinner, gain knowledge on how to cook from scratch and become confident in the kitchen.

Today I'm interviewing Cassie Heilbron of Cook it Real Good. Cassie’s blog focuses on quick, easy, and healthy recipes with some indulgence sprinkled in between. Cassie is a self-taught cook who focuses on food that is fresh, fast, and flavorful. She cooks with every day ingredients and uses as little dishes as possible because she hates washing dishes.

This week I get the awesome opportunity to interview Jess Madsen, the incredible talent behind the blog, Wild Bloom Creative. Jess is currently a food stylist and photographer from Tacoma, Washington. When Jess isn't working on developing recipes for local brands or consulting on menus, she's using her free time to pursue her love of photographing mostly plant-based recipes for her blog. Jess is also a passionate folk medicine enthusiast and herbal apprentice.

Today I’m interviewing a special guest – my friend and cookbook author ChihYu Smith, who's also the creator of the popular food blog I Heart Umami. ChihYu’s blog is dedicated to helping busy folks like you and I make every day Asian-inspired Paleo Cuisine. A Whole 30 certified coach, ChihYu shares Asian-inspired Paleo, Whole 30, and Keto recipes on her blog. ChihYu’s cookbook Asian Paleo has already hit number one in Chinese cooking, Korean cooking, high protein, and gluten-free diet cookbooks on A

Today I'm interviewing Nguyen Tran, one half of the duo behind Starry Kitchen, a restaurant & brand that was started in Nguyen's small North Hollywood apartment. After realizing they had an underground hit on their hands, the two operated from their apartment for eight months before finally moving to a legit restaurant site. Nguyen and Thi have become part of L.A.'s food culture scene. Just a few years ago, they started Button Mash, and Nguyen has also been a frequent guest to shows on the Cooking Channel.

Aloha friends and foodies, and welcome back. Today I'm interviewing Lesli Schwartz, the creator of Asian Caucasian, a food blog dedicated to helping the average cook create Asian inspired cuisine in their home kitchens. Lesli began her interest in Asian food in Sweden where she met a fellow expat - a talented gourmet Asian cook; they worked as a team hosting dinner parties and catering. Lesli's blog has been up and running now for at least 3 years, and she's grown her Instagram to over 6,000 followers.

Aloha friends and foodies, and welcome back. Today I'm interviewing Nick Anderson, the food photographer behind the immensely popular Instagram account forkinpancakes, started in summer 2016 as a way to grow his portfolio, share food photography tips, and also share his love of all things breakfast. Since then, his account has grown to more than 33,000 followers. Nick also has a YouTube channel where he shows you how he creates the incredible images on his accounts.