Diego Santos

Meet Diego Santos

Diego's cooking journey started when he moved into his first apartment for college and realized that ramen three times a day wasn't sustainable. With a tight budget and zero cooking experience, he started experimenting—first out of necessity, then out of genuine interest. What began as "how do I make eggs not taste terrible?" evolved into a full-blown passion for creating budget-friendly meals that didn't look or taste budget-friendly.

Now working his first job post-college, Diego brings that scrappy, resourceful energy to Go Kitchen Zone. He's the breakfast specialist and budget cooking expert—the guy who knows exactly how to make five meals out of a rotisserie chicken, turn pantry staples into something exciting, and create satisfying breakfasts in under ten minutes. His recipes are designed for people with limited time, limited money, and limited kitchen equipment—but unlimited hunger for good food.

His Cooking Philosophy

• Breakfast Sets the Tone: Start your day with real food, not sugar and regret. It doesn't have to be complicated.
• Budget Is Not an Excuse: Cheap ingredients can taste incredible if you know what to do with them.
• Speed Matters: If it takes longer than making instant oatmeal, it better be worth it. Most mornings, it needs to be fast.
• Leftovers Are Gold: Last night's dinner can become this morning's breakfast. Waste nothing.

Background & Expertise

Diego learned to cook by watching YouTube videos, calling his mom for tips, and making a lot of mistakes. He has no formal training, which makes him perfect for creating recipes that work in real-world conditions—small kitchens, basic equipment, grocery store ingredients. His specialty is breakfast hacks: overnight oats that don't taste like cardboard, scrambled eggs with actual flavor, and coffee pairings that make mornings bearable. He's also a master of stretching ingredients, batch cooking on a budget, and turning "I have nothing to eat" into "I just made something delicious."

When he's not cooking, Diego is playing pickup basketball, attempting to learn guitar (progress is slow), or exploring his city's taco scene in search of the perfect al pastor. He believes cooking should be fun, accessible, and never pretentious—good food is for everyone, not just people with fancy kitchens.

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