About

Forrest Mason
Hi there! I’d like to welcome you into my kitchen in the cloud. Grab a seat, make yourself comfortable. We’re big on that here. My name is Forrest Mason and this is The Saucy Spork. I launched this site in the fall of 2014 as an outlet to explore a belief I’ve always suspected was true: all anyone needs in order to live a happy and fulfilling life is good food and good stories.

Many miles and many plates of food later, I’ve only had this belief reinforced more and more. It’s the one thing we all have in common across the globe. That’s right, all 7 or 8 billion of us. As food nourishes the body, stories nourish the soul. And it’s my goal to keep you well fed across the board.

We got an “A!” This picture was taken just after we successfully passed the health inspection at Atlantic Grill during a heated dinner rush. That’s me on the right.

I was born and raised in the woods outside of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. My family had a garden an acre wide. We raised chickens and regularly ate full meals from what the land and livestock provided. Hurricanes of late summer would bring fallen trees, and their trunks would provide firewood to heat our home in the winter. My upbringing was a DIY wonderland and being self-sufficient was the tune we whistled while we worked.

My love for cooking was first born through a young man’s desire for independence. I knew if I could feed myself it would go a long way in allowing me to fend for myself (and maybe impress some ladies along the way, too). Once I cracked open Pandora’s pantry, though, I began to realize how rich and vibrant the world of food is, and can be.

Food is kind of everything, isn’t it?

Food can define family traditions. Food can help us discover new cultures. Food can be an expression of love. Food can help us heal emotionally. And physically, too. Heck, food can even help us begin to wrap our heads around our finances. I could go on ad nauseam, but I have a feeling I’ve taken this point far enough.

Forrest MasonAs the world of food has grabbed a hold of my insatiable curiosity, it also has dominated the majority of my career as well. From my first jobs working on farms in the country, to dishwashing and serving gigs in middle school and high school, to cooking professionally in kitchens in Manhattan and Asheville, to curating recipe collections at Martha Stewart Living, my life has been enriched by the warm embrace of the kitchen and the culinary arts. Now living in New York City with my wife in our own little corner of Brooklyn, I have access to all of the ingredients and cuisines my small-town heart, and stomach, could desire. And I think to myself, “what a wonderful world,” indeed!

Thanks for spending some time with me in my cyber kitchen today. I hope you’ll come back often to visit. Until the clang of the dinner bell beckons you once more, may your days begin with the smell of bacon frying on the stove, and may your nights be filled with great conversations and meals shared with those you hold dear.

Eat well, be merry, and drink deeply, my friends. Life is meant to be shared and savored.

Forrest