Happy New Year — and welcome to the first episode of 2026.

In this episode of Cooking Your Way Through Life, I’m taking a moment to acknowledge something important: we made it another year. With that comes reflection, intention, and the opportunity to start fresh.

We talk about New Year’s resolutions — how to make them realistic, obtainable, and sustainable, and why consistency and effort matter more than big declarations. Resolutions only work if we’re willing to put the work in.

On the food side, I share practical tips around meal prep — ways to make it easier to stick to if you’re doing it yourself, and an honest look at using meal prep services or personal chefs when it makes sense. Realistically, it’s often not much more expensive than the drive-through these days.

This year is about consistency for me, and new episodes will be dropping every Thursday.

Thank you for being here, and here’s to showing up for ourselves in 2026.

In this week’s episode of Cooking Your Way Through Life, Chef Drake Robertson (aka Chef Hollywood) is joined by Jamal and Lexi for an honest and thoughtful conversation about impulse — the thoughts and actions we make in the moment, often without slowing down to examine why.

We dive into impulsive decision-making and ask the bigger questions: Are our impulses driven by gut instinct, emotion, or habit? And how do those split-second choices shape our lives, relationships, and routines?

On the food side, we connect impulse to something everyone can relate to — fast food. I share tips on how to make four easy “fast food–style” items at home, because sometimes the drive-through feels like the quick answer, when cooking at home can be just as fast and even more satisfying.

🎧 New episodes every week — where food meets life lessons, and every ingredient tells a story.

🌐 Website – chculinarycreations.com 🔗 All Links – linkinbio.com/chefhollywood

👥 Guests: Jamal & Lexi

Lexi and Jamal are a married couple based in Atlanta, GA. Lexi is a freelance graphic designer, and Jamal is a soccer coach. Together, they share a love for travel, creativity, and making meaningful memories.

📸 Instagram – @jbyeldell 📸 Instagram – @lexiwandesigns 📸 Instagram – @lexisrisuwanyeldell

In this week’s episode of Cooking Your Way Through Life, Chef Drake Robertson (aka Chef Hollywood) sits down with his friend Warren Mullins — a former cruise director turned tattoo artist — for a real and reflective conversation about growth, both personal and professional.

We talk about how growth doesn’t always look the way we expect, how sometimes we don’t even recognize our own progress, and how it often takes seeing growth in others to realize how far we’ve come ourselves. Throughout the conversation, Warren and I point out the ways we’ve each evolved over the years and how perspective plays a huge role in understanding growth.

In the kitchen, I break down Pickling 101, teaching you how to pickle just about anything and how to adjust the process to fit your own flavor profile. I also share a quick and easy kimchi-style recipe, offering my personal take while being mindful and respectful of kimchi’s cultural roots, and encouraging listeners to explore its history and significance further.

🎧 New episodes every week — where food meets life lessons, and every ingredient tells a story.

🍴 Stay Connected

🌐 Website – chculinarycreations.com 🔗 All Links – linkinbio.com/chefhollywood

👤 Guest: Warren Mullins

📸 Instagram – @ininkwetrust 🎵 TikTok – @ininkwetrust 🌐 Website – ininkwetrust.co.uk

💭 Join the Conversation

What’s one way you’ve grown recently — even if you didn’t notice it at first? Drop it in the comments and let’s talk.

Connection shows up in our lives in more ways than we realize — through the people we love, the friendships we build, the cultures we explore, and the food that brings us together. Today’s episode dives into what connection truly means and how it shapes who we are.

We start by exploring the difference between a deep personal connection — the kind where you feel vulnerable, valued, and fully seen — and the powerful connections we form with close friends and family through shared experiences and trust.

From there, we move into the culinary side of connection. I share two stories from my childhood: Sundays spent outside cooking with my grandfathers and uncles, and Sundays inside learning to bake with my grandmother. These early moments sparked my love for food and taught me how cooking naturally creates connection, long before I ever stepped foot in a professional kitchen.

I also touch on what connection looks like as a chef and traveler — how food allows us to communicate across cultures, and how gastronomy has shaped my view of the world. And in today’s digital age, we also look at online connection and whether it’s truly connection if we don’t nurture it the same way we do in person.

Whether it’s around a holiday table, a Sunday dinner, or a simple shared meal, food connects us all. Let’s explore what that means, and how we can reconnect with ourselves and others through presence, intention, and flavor.

New episodes every Thursday — subscribe so you never miss a moment.

Change can be scary, exciting, uncomfortable, or transformational — sometimes all at once. In today’s episode of Cooking Your Way Through Life, I sit down with Spencer Jason, who grew up on the waters of Long Island and never expected that the ocean would become his workplace. Spencer began his journey as a Chef at Sea, but his curiosity and love for the salty air, breathtaking views, and constant exploration led him to make a bold career shift into the deck department.

Together, we dive into the real meaning of change: • When do you embrace it? • When do you push back? • And how do you know which one you truly need?

We also break down a versatile seasonal soup base that you can adapt all year long — just like life, your cooking changes with the seasons.

Follow Spencer: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theschmerz Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSchmerz/

Tune in and cook your way through change with us.

In this week’s episode of Cooking Your Way Through Life, Chef Hollywood slows things down for the holiday and dives into the art of being present. Thanksgiving often gets overshadowed by the rush of Christmas, social expectations, and constant comparison — but this episode is all about grounding yourself in what’s right in front of you.

We talk about how reflection during the holidays helps us appreciate what we already have, instead of focusing on what we think we’re missing. In life, in love, in careers — sometimes we’re chasing so much that we overlook the blessings and people sitting right in front of us.

For the food portion of this episode, Chef Hollywood shares the two dishes he genuinely looks forward to every Thanksgiving and asks the big question: Are you still making the same traditional holiday foods, or do you experiment each year?

This episode is warm, real, and all about slowing down, showing up, and savoring the moment — in and out of the kitchen.

📘 Grab my cookbook: https://a.co/d/0iVMs4H4 🌐 chculinarycreations.com 🔗 bio.chculinarycreations.com

In this week’s episode of Cooking Your Way Through Life, Chef Hollywood sits down with Grant Martin — a comedian, creator, and close friend who calls himself the Mindful Comedian for the way he blends growth, humor, and reflection. 🌱😂

Together, we unpack the idea of failure — the personal missteps, career setbacks, and unexpected moments that taught us more than our successes ever did. From lessons learned on cruise ships to the wild story of how we ended up at a pajama party with Oprah, this episode is all about growing through what didn’t go as planned.

This week’s culinary theme dives into the top four things home cooks and chefs fail at the most: scrambled eggs, pasta, breads, and chicken. Chef Hollywood breaks down why these mistakes happen and how to fix them so your kitchen failures can turn into flavor-filled wins. 👨🏽‍🍳🔥

🎙️ Guest: Grant Martin — The Mindful Comedian 📸 Instagram: @itsgrantmartin 📘 Facebook: @itsgrantmartin 🎵 TikTok: @itsgrantmartin ▶️ YouTube: @itsgrantmartin

📘 Grab my cookbook: https://a.co/d/0iVMs4H4 🎥 Watch the full video on YouTube: Cooking Your Way Through Life 🌐 chculinarycreations.com 🔗 bio.chculinarycreations.com

In this week’s episode of Cooking Your Way Through Life, Chef Hollywood sits down with Brittany, owner and pastry chef of the Lowcountry’s first mobile bakery — Declan’s Delights Co., a Best of Bluffton nominee. 🍰

Together, we dive into the idea of risk — the big leaps and small daily decisions that shape both our careers and our lives. From following passion projects to walking away from comfort zones, we share what it really means to bet on yourself and grow through uncertainty.

This episode also explores the art of cooking without a recipe — learning to trust your instincts, rely on core techniques, and let creativity take the lead in the kitchen. 👨🏽‍🍳

🎙️ Guest: Brittany, Owner & Pastry Chef of Declan’s Delights Co. 📸 Instagram: @declansdelightsco 📘 Facebook: Declans Delights Co. 🌐 Website: www.declansdelights.com

📘 Grab my cookbook: https://a.co/d/0iVMs4H4 🎥 Watch the full video on YouTube: Cooking Your Way Through Life 🌐 chculinarycreations.com 🔗 bio.chculinarycreations.com