August Featured Bloggers

Food blogging might typically be considered a woman's world, but we're showing that guys can have what it takes too!

Matthew Ivan

Matthew Ivan

Plating Pixels

Matthew Ivan is the creator, recipe developer and food photographer of Plating Pixels who will teach you to be a better cook, one great recipe at a time. He's a professional graphic designer by day, and a food blogger at all other times. He creates delicious recipes that anyone can make, usually with 10 ingredients or less. This includes desserts, baked goods, snacks, entrées, and healthy recipes. He likes common ingredients that are easy to find, while still creating rich and flavorful dishes. 

The unique thing about Plating Pixels is it includes specific food science and cooking tips within each recipe. This helps you learn about cooking, and the reasons behind the process, as you make the recipe. Stop by for some fun and tasty recipes, and learn about cooking in the process!

Jonathan Melendez

Jonathan Melendez

The Candid Appetite

Jonathan Melendez was born and raised in sunny Los Angeles California. After working for several years in the culinary industry, decorating cakes, catering, cooking and baking in several bakeries, he has turned his passion and hobby for being in the kitchen and behind the camera into a career. He attended California State University Northridge where he graduated with a Bachelors of Art degree in Photography in 2011. He currently develops and photographs recipes for his food blog, The Candid Appetite which he started three years ago. One of his greatest passions in life is being in the kitchen cooking and baking on a daily basis, photographing the food he makes and sharing it with people who love food as much as he does. He spends most of his days eating nothing but doughnuts and potato (anything).

See what Jonathan has to say about his time in Idaho!

Art Rodriguez

Art Rodriguez

Latino Foodie

A graduate from Le Cordon Bleu, Hollywood campus, Art Rodriguez’ aptitude for cooking (and eating) has evolved into a flair for flavor, and a passion for pleasing the palate. Today, Art serves as the Culinary Expert for the popular food blog LatinoFoodie.com, which has been recognized and featured on NBC Latino, The New York Times, The Latin Kitchen, AOL Latino, KABC-TV, and others.

Prior to LatinoFoodie, Art spent five years honing his culinary skills working with a renowned food stylist and recipe tester, Rochelle Palermo. While with Palermo, he had the opportunity to conduct research, test, and refine recipes for Bon Appétit magazine and be part of the culinary team behind celebrity Chef Curtis Stone. In addition, Art assisted Executive Chef Nour Zitouni at Melrose Catering based in Brea, Calif., cooking for more than 300 guests at various events and weddings.

Besides working on his food blog, Art is a member of International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP), and manages social media platforms and online advertising for food and beverage clients.

See Art's guest spot in our 2015 Harvest Video.

Gary House

Gary House

Cooking Outdoors

Gary House has been cooking outdoors for many years and enjoys trying to learn new techniques, or what he likes to call, "adventures". He originally learned to cook outdoors by watching his dad when he was a teenager. "Pops" was a spit cooker – he would marinate meat, cut it into cubes and thread them on a spit to cook over the fire. Gary was hooked!

Gary is also an avid Dutch oven cook and the founder of Central California Dutch Oven Adventures (CCDOA). His collection of black pots seems to grow every year. 

An accomplished food judge, Gary has judged at the 2010, 2013, and 2014 World Championship Dutch oven cook-offs in Sandy, Utah, the 2013 and 2014 World Food Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada, as well as being a KCBS Certified BBQ judge. 

Cooking-Outdoors.com was established in 2008. Gary is also the host of the Cooking Everything Outdoors show featured on YouTube with over 16,000 subscribers and over 1,600,000 views and climbing.