Foodies, meet Aaron McCargo Jr., The Food Network's new star!!!

He beat out thousands of culinary hopefuls on season four of 'The Next Food Network Star,' for the ultimate dream job – his own Food Network show. Dubbed "Big Daddy" on the reality show, Aaron brings an easygoing presence to the kitchen with his warm smile and passion for down-to-earth cooking. His new show, 'Big Daddy's House,' features simple, fun, and mouth-watering recipes that illustrate Aaron's love for big, bold flavors.

Recently, Blackvoices' own Denver Louis had the opportunity to speak to the Food Network's latest star and the newest African American chef on the block about his success and his new show.



How does it feel that out of a pool of very talented chefs that you came out on top?

I feel joy in this ride, it's awesome that I've been selected for the network as a star and also for the viewers as someone they want to watch and learn somethings from.

Why 'Big Daddy's House' of all names?

'Big Daddy's House' was pretty much the name given to me throughout the challenge by some of the other finalists and when I shot the last show which was actually for the pilot, Gordon the producer thought that it would be something that would ring a bell and be catchy to people who were going to watch me. Me being a big snorer and a big eater, a guy about big bold flavors; Big Daddy happened to be something to sit very well with me and we've been running with it.

What were the alternatives to the name?

We thought 'Big Daddy's House', Big Daddy kitchen. We didn't want to go with my name Aaron, we wanted something that would be very catchy that would fit. Everything about me is big, of course I could lose a couple of pounds but we'll keep the name 'Big Daddy's House' for now, it's good.

What made you join the competition? Was it planned or was it spur of the moment?

It was definitely spur of the moment. It was something that actually my wife happened to catch on TV and she said 'you know that you like to cook in front of people, you've been cooking all your life, you got a great personality' and when you get all those compliments from your wife, you better listen to her. So she said, you down? I told her if you fill out the application I'll do the rest. She did her part and I did mine. We're a match made in heaven.

Five years ago, did you ever think that you would be on Food Network with your own show?

Definitely not. You know I could tell you one thing. Five years ago I had a lot of people saying could see me in something like this but I didn't see that myself. It was really a spur of the moment thing and I'm glad about the spur of the moment results.

What's with the story about your sister's Easy Bake Oven?

I have a large family of six siblings and my sister had an easy bake oven and often times when we did something wrong we would serve our punishment in the room and all four of us would get together before the other two came in to figure out what we were going to do. Me being a chef at an early age, maybe 7 or 8 years old I decided to start baking things inside the Easy Bake Oven. The more we got into trouble the more times we started to take things up to the room with us and I would create a dish. Punishment became the place to be after awhile. It was my little café.

And you sold it to kids?

No that was something I just did with my sister and brothers in the room locked up. We were just on punishment and I would just bake things in the Easy Bake Oven because that was the only thing I could cook in. Now baking a cake for teenagers became an actual business for me when I was in high school. I was a hard worker and I always wanted a job. I had two jobs at the time and I took a baking class to learn how to make birthday cakes and decorate cakes. I went to school and I started the business. I started selling cakes to everybody at school for the holidays, Valentine's Day, birthdays and things of that nature.

What got you interested in cooking?

I always loved to eat and I always loved to cook. I can look back to when I was four years old when I said this was what I wanted to do. I always wanted to eat big. I was thrilled to watch my mom cook and my dad was always in the kitchen so I got to see it. I wasn't able to get recipes from my grandparents or anything but it was in me. I always say that God planted a seed in me before I even knew it was something that was going to blow up like this.

What continues to inspire you to cook?

Just the nature of love and food. Being a kid who had a lot of sisters and brothers. It wasn't that we were poor but we ate our portions according to our age size and at four years old I was always extra hungry. I was always a big eater and my dad and mom use to say I was a big eater as a baby. Food just always made me happy. To this day, if you want to put a smile on my face, make me a meal or let me cook.

Out of all the foods you love, which food can you not live without?

I definitely can't live without buffalo wings. That's my number one snack and food. Meat is something I have to have on every plate. I was never made to be a vegetarian or someone on a diet. I'm a meat man by far and I love buffalo wings.

You're really into your spices too?

I'm into creating different spices and seasonings because I really want to make it simple for everybody to really do what I'm trying to do on Big Daddy's show. To really have big bold flavors and just doing simple things. You can blend three different seasonings and make to make your tilapia taste different or make your chicken taste different. I want people to feel like it's not all about salt and pepper, just take a little extra time, learn the spices, taste them and do a little something different. So I'd rather take it upon myself and do it on 'Big Daddy's House' and teach people about big bold flavors.

What type of show should people expect when they tune in?

I'm looking for people to tune into a piece of reality. Someone who is actually going to be coming to you as a viewer cooking in his home. I'm with my kids, having friends over, having my brothers over, I'm really just having fun in the kitchen and keeping it simple. It's about having fun cooking and cooking with love. I try to have five ingredients or less in each component of the dish, so everybody is going to want to go home and make this dish or if they're watching at home they jot it down or go and get it off the web. I just want people to really enjoy the happiness that I want to bring to the viewers. 'Big Daddy's House' is going to be full of big bold flavors, a lot of big love and a lot of big fun.


Is there a cook out there that may inspire you?

I'm inspired by God. I really don't have anyone I look at as a role model because I hate to put that pressure on anyone. I like Bobby Flay. We do have a lot in common in that we aim to please the pallet, not that other chefs don't do the same. I like Paula Deen's style of personality. She's loving and she's cooking what she knows. She's not trying to go out of her arena and be something she's not. And that's all I'm trying to do. I'm Aaron Cargo Jr.?? and be something that people enjoy watching for years.

What advice would you give to aspiring chefs who would like to be in your position?

The best advice I could give to any aspiring chefs is to really know that this is something you've got to love and it has to be something you would do if you weren't getting paid for and just believe that you've got it and just don't give up. There's a lot of ups and downs in this industry and sometimes you don't feel that you've got it and it seems tough. Just hang in there and trust God.

Several years from now, where do you hope to be in your cooking career?

In a couple of years as far as my cooking career is concerned I just wish to see a lot more people want to get into cooking seriously and know that I've touched people's lives. As far as self gratification, that'll be enough for me. To know that someone watching my show and they're family's coming together and I'm creating a significant amount of peace in homes and throughout the world just by having Big Daddy on the TV screen for people to watch. Someone who's trying to keep it real.