Hi there, and welcome to Keep It Sambal! I’m Matt—a foodie, explorer, waterman, and conservationist with a deep love for travel, cooking, and connecting with people through food and culture.

I currently live in South Florida, where I spend as much time as I can outdoors—fishing, surfing, paddleboarding, and soaking up the coastal lifestyle. Being close to the ocean fuels my passion for sustainability and reminds me daily why I care so much about protecting our natural world.

Originally from Maryland, I spent several years living in Washington D.C., but my journey has taken me far beyond the East Coast. Before that, I lived overseas in Guam for three years, traveling extensively through Southeast Asia. That time left a lasting impression on me and sparked a deep curiosity about Asian cuisine and the role food plays in culture and community.

Just before the 2020 pandemic, I returned to D.C., only to realize that city life no longer felt like home. In 2021, I embraced a more nomadic lifestyle, moving to Puerto Rico to explore sustainable living and scout locations for a future dream project: building an ecolodge. Eventually, I found my way to South Florida in 2022—a place where I can balance travel, food, and ocean life all at once.

I’ve always been fascinated by the stories behind traditional dishes, how food ties us to our roots, and how it brings people together across cultures. While I love to eat (who doesn’t?), I especially enjoy connecting with others through food—hearing their stories, learning the history of their cuisine, and understanding how it all fits into the bigger picture of sustainability and culture.

To me, food is more than flavor—it’s about connection. Sharing a meal is one of the most universal and meaningful ways to bond with others. As the saying goes, to eat is to live—and I believe food experiences are even richer when shared.

I started this blog to share my travels, recipes, and the incredible food I’ve discovered around the globe. My hope is that Keep It Sambal inspires you to step out of your culinary comfort zone, explore new cultures, and maybe even plan your next trip. You’ll also find some handy travel tips and global recipes that you can try at home.

Because I lived in Asia for several years, you’ll notice a lot of Asian culinary influence in my cooking—but I also explore dishes from across the Mediterranean, Latin America, the Caribbean, and beyond.

Here are just a few of the places I’ve explored

Update Jan 2022:  It may seem crazy, but over the last 9 months I’ve become a pescatarian, meaning I am not eating meat anymore.  Pescatarian = vegetarian + seafood.  I try to stick to a mostly whole-food plant based diet but I do still eat a fair amount of seafood.  I’m a waterman at my core so giving up fish and seafood is really hard.  This year I might go completely vegetarian as I have some issues with the loads of chemicals/contaminants and the sustainability of our seafood.  

I made the switch to no meat and a vegetarian diet mainly for health reasons, and I do feel a lot better with no meat.  Getting protein has been a little difficult but not impossible.   I also haven’t eaten beef in a long, long time due to the environmental impacts.  

So going forward in my posts, I’m going to be sharing a lot more seafood and vegetarian dishes! 

Update July 2023: I’m still going strong as a pescatarian and I think have adapted pretty well to the fish + plant based diet. I feel good without meat and have got a pretty good routine and list of what I will eat going out to restaurants, traveling, and cooking at home. I don’t think I’ll be going back to eating meat anytime soon as I definitely feel a lot better without it and I really like the whole food, plant based diet with some seafood mixed in.

Update May 2024: Big news! We’ve added a new addition to the Sambal family – meet Danielle, my beautiful girlfriend partner in crime. She loves to travel, go on adventures, and enjoy delicious food (and wine) as much as I do. We’ve been all over the world the last 2 years and she’s a big supporter of the alternative vegetarian & pescatarian based diet, and will be helping out with some of the new content coming out with great recipes and travel guides. I’m still based in South Florida and loving it – working in renewable energy, fishing, surfing, and travelling quite a bit for work and pleasure. I’m also still continuing my pescatarian / mediterranean lifestyle with no plans to change course anytime soon; it’s now been 4 plus years since I’ve eaten meat and I feel great!

Shoot me an email or message with anything you’d like to know! I’d love to hear from you.

Thanks and hope you enjoy the blog!