Roberts, born in 1979, started The Amateur Gourmet while a frustrated law student in Atlanta in 2004.
[1] The blog depends largely on Roberts' own public persona: the Boston Globe describes him as "skinny and nebbishy, with a nasally musical theater voice that would fit perfectly on NPR's This American Life",[1] and combines irreverent accounts of Roberts' own cooking attempts with foodie essays and restaurant reviews.
There are also short videos intended to be humorous, such as "Great Moments in Musical Theater Featuring Eggs".
[2] Roberts' roommates, friends, and romantic interests were regular characters from early on, but his eccentric family has been featured most prominently, including his celebrity-photographing parents from Boca Raton, Florida.
[3] Openly gay, Roberts is the husband of screenwriter and film director Craig Johnson.