The son of an avid gardener and professional baker, Ian McDowell grew up in western Massachusetts and the Sonoran Desert of Arizona, where he came to appreciate the wide variety of dishes that can come from simple ingredients prepared correctly. He is a vocal advocate of fresh local food, adapting traditional cuisine to suit locally available ingredients, and sharing both the cooking and eating of food with loved ones.
When he is not teaching communications courses at local colleges and universities, he is often cooking with friends and family, preserving seasonal produce, or walking local trails.
