I’m a home cook and love to read about food, but I’m not trained as a chef. I’m just really into cooking and passionate about it.

In this remark, Ted Allen distinguishes between professional credentialing and genuine expertise rooted in curiosity and sustained practice. By identifying as a “home cook” who reads widely about food, he frames cooking as an accessible, lifelong craft rather than an exclusive domain reserved for formally trained chefs. The statement also functions as a credibility move: he presents himself as an enthusiastic guide and communicator—someone whose authority comes from passion, learning, and experience in everyday kitchens. Implicitly, it affirms that serious engagement with food culture can be driven by love and commitment, not only by institutional training.