James Alba: Food Blogger & Recipe Creator

James Alba has been sharing recipes and food stories online since 2009. After working for several years as a high school chemistry teacher, James started a food blog as a weekend hobby to document the meals he cooked for friends and family.

His approach to cooking is straightforward – he focuses on practical recipes that use ingredients most people can find at their local grocery store. James didn’t attend culinary school, but instead learned to cook through trial and error, cookbooks, and occasionally taking local cooking classes.

The blog grew steadily as James posted weekly recipes and cooking tips. He particularly enjoys creating pasta dishes and experimenting with different bread recipes. His most popular content includes his detailed guide to homemade pizza and a collection of quick weeknight dinner ideas.

In 2018, James reduced his teaching hours to part-time to dedicate more time to his growing blog, which he renamed “TestMyRecipe” He works from his modest home kitchen in Milwaukee, where he tests each recipe multiple times before publishing it.

James values the community aspect of food blogging and makes an effort to respond to reader questions. While his site generates some income through advertisements and occasional sponsored content, it remains a passion project rather than his primary source of income.

When he’s not cooking or teaching, James enjoys gardening and growing some of the herbs and vegetables he uses in his recipes. He lives with his wife Lisa and their two cats.