Steven Meese wanted to cook on TV, and didn’t quit until he finally appeared on the air.
After years of studying cooking and working in culinary institutes, Meese’s dream of preparing food on TV came true.
Meese recently appeared on Fox Toledo, WTOL CBS Your Morning Saturday and ABC Channel 9, teaching the audience how to prepare his signature dishes.
“My element is cooking on TV. I love doing it because I’m sharing my cooking techniques and styles with a mass audience,” Meese said. “You can’t do that other than on television.”
The owner and head chef of Edgy Eats, located in Northwest Ohio, Meese said he faced many obstacles to get to his status of chef and TV personality.
“I got hundreds of no’s already,” Meese said. “I’ve been told, ‘You’re never going to be a great chef,’ but I never listen to them.”
Meese said his mission is not only to one day host his own cooking show, but also to educate people through his healthy cooking and help fight America’s obesity epidemic.
“Food is all interpretation. I choose to cook healthier because why would I want to make people sick?” Meese said.
Sheryl Umulis shares Meese’s desire to create healthier products. Umulis, the owner of the wine store and manufacturer Six Lugs in Michigan, said Meese partners her cherry vinaigrette with his food to create a meal that is delicious and healthy.
“He used his chef skills with my products and found them really unique,” Umulis said. “His foods are very refreshing, light, earthy and good.”
As for Meese’s future in TV, Umulis said she could see the chef having success.
“He has a dream of getting himself out there so people can see his talent,” Umulis said. “He’s an absolute ball of energy. He enjoys using fresh products to make a meal and has a strong desire to be heart healthy.”
Sarah Lahey helped Meese do a cooking demonstration at the Dillard’s at Westfield Franklin Park Mall Feb. 18 and said she could also see Meese’s TV career expand.
“He needs an audience,” Lahey said. “I see him front and center. It’s not like he’s cooking for you. He’s having a conversation with you.”
Although his unique cooking style and health-first platforms earned Meese media attention, he said he won’t let it go to his head.
“You have to walk in humility,” Meese said. “I will use my stature to make a difference with the youth of America.”
Among television shows, Meese said he plans on releasing cookbooks, expanding his company Edgy Eats, opening culinary schools and teaching people about working to achieve their dreams.
“I’ve failed so many times and I’ve got the word ‘no’ so many times,” Meese said. “Failure will eat you up. You have a choice to eat failure, or failure will eat you.”