The Black Food Bloggers Club is full of talented and inspiring bloggers. We are thrilled to introduce you to some of them through our Featured Blogger column.
This week our featured bloggers is the talented Aaron Hutcherson of The Hungry Hutch. Aaron brings a fun, approachable vibe to everything he does – and we love him for it!
Blog name: The Hungry Hutch
Instagram: @thehungryhutch
Location: New York City
Tell us about your blog.
The food I love to cook fills your mouth with flavor and your soul with warmth. I would describe my recipes as a combination of accessible staples (that we all know and love) mixed with a few dishes that might push your boundaries while still being approachable. It features a variety of savory and sweet recipes that reflect a mix of my soul food upbringing, professional culinary expertise, and gastronomic curiosity.
How did you get started as a blogger?
It started as a hobby in 2009. I had recently graduated from college and was looking for something productive to do outside of my first job. I always had a love of food and thought I should try my hand at this new thing on the internet—at the time—called a food blog.
What roadblocks did you face in your blogging career?
I’ve gone through a number of design changes, a bunch of technical glitches that I spent hours (days?) trying to figure out, periods of stagnant growth, episodes of defeat from feeling like my blogging is going nowhere, and the list goes on . . . But through it all I kept chugging along because my blog is like my child—I can’t just abandon it on the side of the road.
What is the highlight of your career so far?
The first major breakthrough is when I was contacted by Pillsbury to contribute recipes to the blog portion of their site. I’ve since gone on to contribute to a number of other places, but Pillsbury was my first big win.
What did you think you were going to be when you grew up?
Like everyone else, I’m sure, I wanted to be a marine biologist so I could play with dolphins. That was a fleeting dream, though, and then I wanted to be a banker, which is more or less what happened in the beginning of my career.
What is your morning routine?
I don’t really have a set routine. It involves all of the standard hygienic rituals to get ready for work, but outside of that it varies based on when I stop hitting the snooze button and how much time I have. I always check emails, frequently scan through social media, occasionally have breakfast at home, and more rarely will go to the gym. I’ve also been known to write a blog post if I happen to have a bunch of time.
What are your 5 favorite blogs or websites?
Guide.michelin.com – This is my full-time job that pays the bills, so I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention it.
Very Smart Brothas – I love the commentary that they provide on society and culture, and the voice they use to express it.
Chicano Eats – I love the colorful, graphic nature of Esteban’s photos. Plus, his food is different from what I cook on a regular basis and helps me learn about a new cuisine.
A Brown Table – Similar to Esteban, Nik has a photographic style that I admire. His food incorporates a lot of the flavors from his childhood and combines them in ways that make my mouth water.
Does Twitter count? There are so many greater writers out there whose work I love and admire—Mayukh Sen, Korsha Wilson, Nicole Taylor, John Birdsall, Helen Rosner, Soleil Ho, and the list goes on and on—and Twitter is the place where I can keep up with all of the great things they do.
What do you consider your signature dish?
This question is always so hard! One of my go-to dishes, especially when I want something quick and easy, is roast chicken. Sometimes it’s just pieces, while other times it’s the whole bird, and I always like to play around with the spices and flavors. But one of my recipes that I’ve made multiple times is Skillet-Roasted Lemon Chicken. It’s my take on an Ina Garten recipe that uses dried herbs from my pantry in lieu of fresh ones. The result is so juicy and flavorful! I think I actually made it back-to-back weekends after I first developed the recipe.
What advice do you have for aspiring bloggers?
In the words of Ice T, “Pimpin’ at easy.” Blogging takes a lot of hard work and dedication, and sometimes for little to no payoff. Only do it if you love it, because otherwise you could find yourself frustrated and defeated.
What does your future hold?
I’d like to do more video, but it takes a lot more time that I don’t necessarily have at the moment. However, I’m all about making sacrifices for the hustle, so you never know when it could happen.
Skillet Roasted Lemon Chicken – Get the Recipe Here!
