'The Hungry Hussey'

Apr. 16—TRINITY — Back when Matthew Hussey was just blogging about cooking, and not yet making videos, his blogs had an admittedly boring title: "The Cook Next Door."

"Yeah, I didn't really like it," Hussey says with a chuckle. "It's so generic."

He needed something with a little more pizzazz. Or, to put it in cooking terms, he needed a name with some seasoning.

Thus was born "The Hungry Hussey," an alliterative title that not only plays on Hussey's somewhat unusual last name, but also appeals to our primal urge to eat. Who wouldn't want to learn cooking skills from a guy who calls himself "The Hungry Hussey"?

Fast-forward a few years, and "The Hungry Hussey" has evolved into so much more than a mere cooking blog. Today, the 42-year-old Trinity man has become somewhat of a YouTube sensation, known for his videos that show him cooking everything from cheesesteaks and cheeseburger sliders to fajitas, French toast rolls, and sausage and eggs on his beloved Blackstone griddle.

Hussey has amassed upwards of 127,000 subscribers and has posted more than 300 videos, a few of which have more than a million views. He even has his own line of "Hungry Hussey" apparel.

Not too shabby for a guy who's essentially cooking and videotaping on the backyard patio beneath his deck.

Hussey launched his "Hungry Hussey" YouTube channel in mid-2016, after landing an affiliate marketing opportunity with Blackstone, which is why so many of his videos incorporate his Blackstone griddle. But you'll also see him cooking with his Big Green Egg sometimes, with an Instapot or even in the oven.

In his videos, which usually last 10 minutes or so, Hussey portrays himself as a typical Southern good ol' boy who loves to cook and eat. He speaks with a Southern twang and tries to incorporate humor whenever possible. You might see a Diet Cheerwine show up every once in a while, and his dog, Maggie — a black Labrador mix — has become a popular fixture on the videos for regular subscribers.

But it's the cooking that brings people back week after week.

"I cook a lot of pretty typical stuff," Hussey says, "but I try to put a different spin on it to really amp it up. Sometimes it's things people wouldn't normally think of. Instead of pork chops, I'll make a parmesan-crusted pork chop with a thin lime-honey sauce. It's things like that."

Hussey, who does most of the cooking for his wife and two children, learned to cook when he was a boy, helping his mom in the kitchen. As a teenager, he got a job at Skipper's Seafood in Thomasville, where he learned a lot about cooking from the owner, the late Evans Feredinos.

"That experience probably is what encapsulated the whole thing for me," Hussey says. "Good-quality ingredients and make everything fresh — that was kind of his motto."

When Hussey began making his videos, the toughest part wasn't the actual cooking — it was being on camera.

"It was very awkward at first, and I still struggle with it sometimes," he says. "But it's kind of become second nature now. When the camera goes on, it's time to put the 'Hungry Hussey' face on and be that presence on camera."

Hussey uses high-tech filming and lighting equipment to record his videos, and he has someone do the editing for him. He typically films on Sunday and the video will be posted on YouTube the following Saturday morning at 9:30.

Hussey says his success has whetted his appetite to keep growing.

"I'd like to do more with this someday," Hussey says. "I'd really like to make this a full-time gig."

jtomlin@hpenews.com — 336-888-3579

jtomlin@hpenews.com — 336-888-3579