Hi there! I’m Jake Whitman, a 42-year-old self-taught chef living in Asheville, North Carolina. My kitchen journey didn’t begin in a culinary school or some five-star restaurant. It began in my grandma’s cozy kitchen, right in the heart of Indiana, where the smell of cinnamon rolls and chicken pot pie always meant love was in the air.
Cooking, for me, started as a way to feel closer to family. I remember being ten years old, standing on a stool so I could stir the gravy without tipping the pot. Those early days sparked something in me that never went away. Over the years, I traded fast food jobs for real cooking gigs, worked my way through diner kitchens and local cafés, and spent long nights experimenting in my own cramped apartment kitchen until the flavors felt just right.
I believe cooking should be joyful and forgiving. I’m not one for strict measurements or chasing perfection. If you’ve got a spoon, a decent knife, and a little curiosity, you’re already halfway there. My style leans heavily into Southern comfort food with a playful twist—think smoked brisket tacos, pimento mac and cheese, or bourbon peach cobbler with a splash more bourbon than most recipes recommend.
I started sharing recipes online a few years back, mostly to help friends stop ordering takeout every night. I didn’t expect it to grow into a community of fellow home cooks who just want to make tasty food without the stress. Mistakes happen—I’ve burned more garlic than I’d like to admit—but every flop is a step toward something delicious.
These days, I run small weekend cooking classes out of my home kitchen, where we laugh, learn, and eat way too much. And I still post new recipes weekly, always with tips that I wish someone had told me when I was just starting out. If you’re here, I hope you find something that inspires you to tie on an apron, turn up the music, and make a little magic in your kitchen.
Thanks for stopping by—and don’t be shy with the butter!
