David was born in Central California, where he still resides in Visalia to this day. He and his sister were raised by a single mother that worked two jobs to keep the bills paid. While his mother was extremely strict, David found solace in the kitchen, trying to make the recipes she left for him to make after school. He realized quickly that what he wanted to make and what he had to make were very different because they didn't have the money to afford the cuts of meat or accoutrements he would have liked to utilize.

David currently lives with his partner on a ranch where they have a menagerie of animals they take care of. A lot of the animals they raise are meant for their own consumption so they don't have to buy an exceptional amount of meat from the grocery store. 

Since they have so many animals to feed, David has to budget their money out for food for everyone at the ranch. Their motto is that the animals get fed first so a huge chunk of the food budget goes straight to them. 

David has had to cook on a budget for most of his life because he grew up without a lot of money. He has used those skills to do the same at the ranch because of limited funds. David loves to make his own condiments and swap out meat for vegetables, even using potatoes as a surprisingly convincing substitute for scallops.