Hey everyone, my name is Chris, and welcome to my little corner of the internet.
My Background
So, a little about myself: I was born in Louisiana and have lived throughout the Mid-West and the East Coast. My dad’s family are full-blooded Italians from Pittsburgh and my mom’s family are a mix of Irish/Scottish/Welsh from Virginia. This background has given me a deep appreciation of food from French Cajun/Creole to American Southern comfort food to classical Italian dishes.
My real love of cooking and baking came from my Italian grandparents. A lot of that side of the family had grown up in the restaurant industry whether working in it or owning their own places. I still have fond memories of watching and learning from their cooking when I spent a month every summer at their home. I even have a lot of my grandmother’s recipes she wrote on index cards, which also raised a lot of pertinent questions such as, “What the hell is Oleo?” (an old name for margarine) and, “Why in the world does your recipe for Lady Locks make two HUNDRED?” I still remember how whenever family came over to visit, they would pull out like a dozen or more varieties of home-made cookies from their freezer that they always had readily available.
Beyond the geography and ancestry, I’ve also worked in the restaurant industry for 25+ years myself. Starting in the late ‘90s, I’ve worked every position both front and back of house. Even with two college degrees, I kept going back to restaurant work and I’ve been bartending around 20yrs now. College is where I got really into cooking though, because I had limited money and limited space, so I taught myself how to make delicious food on a budget in a small apartment kitchen. Basically, I figured there was more to college culinary options besides ramen noodles and fast food.
My Passion
What really pushed me to learn about food and cook for myself was two-fold: saving money and eating healthier. I watched a lot of my friends always complain about being broke, yet they were eating out for almost every meal. Whether that was at a restaurant, grabbing some fast food before or after work, or even running by a convenience store for a snack, they almost never had groceries at home and would spend $20+ a day on getting food. As for the health aspect, I truly believe that a lot of the modern health issues we have in our society stem from the overly processed foods we eat and the chemicals we use to preserve and create longer shelf-stable items.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve worked in the restaurant industry for more than half of my life now, so I’m not advocating for people to never eat out again. I just think people need to learn some moderation and that cooking doesn’t have to be scary and time consuming. I still enjoy going out to dinner occasionally with friends or family. Once or twice a year I even get an overwhelming desire for some chicken McNuggets. I’m not even 100% convinced they’re fully chicken, but they always bring me back to my childhood and taste awesome because of that nostalgia.
My Goals
I created this website because I’d love to share my cooking and baking with you and show you that it’s not difficult to cook at home and even enjoy doing it. I think you’ll save money and eat healthier by getting fresh food and making more meals at home. I’m not the type of person to advocate that everyone should go vegan, or only eat paleo or keto meals. I’m also not going to say you should only buy all organic produce and proteins. Everyone’s dietary goals and desires are up to their own individual needs and tastes, but I do think cooking more often at home can have tremendous health benefits just from replacing a lot of the fast food and meals of convenience people rely on too often these days.
I would love to teach you not only some basic recipes that you can play with and make your own, but also show more in-depth cooking from scratch. My recipes range from simple 30min meals for a quick dinner to from-scratch, showstopping creations to really impress your family and friends when you have company.
In addition to just sweet and savory recipes, I would also love to show you some techniques to help speed up your prep times, and the science behind a lot of the food you’ll make.
Why "the Night Owl Chef"?
I named my site the Night Owl Chef because I’ve always been one to eat later at night. Working as a bartender for so long, I’m used to working long hours without a break but still desiring a decent meal when I get home. I hope that this site shows fellow industry workers and college students that you don’t have to settle for ramen or cereal every night just because you work late. Sometimes I don’t have the energy to cook when I get home either, but that’s where some of the longer, more time-consuming dishes come into play on my days off. They tend to make plenty of leftovers that can be reheated for those late and rough nights at work. Basically, like meal prepping for my fellow night owls out there.
I also spent most of my adult life living in apartments with limited space in which to cook, so I learned to make great food with limited space and resources. I try to keep those things in mind for a lot of my recipes, so even people without an outdoor smoker can make some awesome ribs in the oven.
Thanks for getting to know me, and I look forward to hearing how much you enjoy my recipes~