About SelfMadeCook

Hey — Curtis here. Curtis Shaw. If you've ever watched one of my videos, you already know how this works: I walk you through it, one step at a time, and if it ever feels like a lot — don't worry, I got you. That's not just the name on the cover. That's the whole deal.

How this started

Three years ago I posted a short video of smothered chicken and rice. It's now been watched over half a million times on YouTube — and the same comment kept showing up under it, and under the lasagna, and under the gumbo: where's the written recipe? So I wrote them all down. This site is that answer: the dishes that built this kitchen, all in one place.

Where these recipes come from

Every recipe on this site is one I've cooked on camera — three years of videos, a hundred-plus uploads, and a channel that's closing in on ten thousand subscribers. The photos on these pages are frames from my own footage, the quantities are what actually went in the pot, and the tips are the things I said out loud while cooking it. Nothing here is theoretical.

How I cook

One pot whenever we can get away with it, because nobody's here for the dishes. Prep everything before the heat comes on — chop it, measure it, keep it within arm's reach. And taste as you go. Every time. The seasonings here are a starting point, not the law. If you like more garlic, add more garlic.

How the recipes are written

Ingredients in the order you'll use them. Every step is one action — no paragraph-long steps where you lose your place with raw chicken on your hands. At the end of each recipe you'll find my tips from the video, and a link back to watch it happen before you cook it.

Got a question about a recipe, or something didn't come out right? Get in touch — I read everything.

Pick a recipe, get everything in arm's reach, and be the cook that you want to be. Let's eat.
— Curtis