With his cell phone camera propped up on a tall stack of kitchen containers, Kevin Ashton starts his workday filming himself as he cooks tasty meals for a UNR sorority – and millions of TikTok viewers.
“I had no idea it would become as successful as it has. I always do it just because it’s fun,” Ashton told 2 News Nevada, with French toast pull-aparts sizzling on the griddle behind him.
He starts this video slapping down five loaves of bread, then pushing them off his counter.
“Guys, I want to show you a really cool way to do your French toast,” his voiceover says, as he whisks eggs with cream, vanilla bean paste, maple syrup, and a healthy serving of cinnamon. He adds cubed bread to the mixture, then spoons dollops of the concoction on his stovetop like a pancake.
The video has over 300,000 likes. Today, his page, ‘oldscoolkevmo,’ has 3.6 million Tik Tok followers and 97.1 million likes.
Ashton says he’s always dreamed of becoming a celebrity chef. He’s been posting videos of his cooking online for years, previously branding himself as a gourmet restaurant chef. But he says his page really took off when he started cooking everyday meals for the Pi Beta Phi Sorority.
“Nobody’s cooking wagyu beef and lobster tails, but people will make French toast pull-aparts, so they’ll watch that video,” he said.
But it’s clear from the video comments that people aren’t just watching for Ashton’s recipes. They’re also following his life story, including his 3.5 years of sobriety, and his battle with cancer.
Ashton is fighting stage 4 melanoma.
“I’ve been doing like radiation and immune therapy, and all my tumors are shrinking,” he said. “They’re going in the right direction, so it’s like fingers crossed, we’re moving forward with that.”
He says posting daily videos on TikTok, and hearing from followers who are fighting similar battles or want to offer their support, keeps his spirits high.
Ashton says he has just one message for everyone watching: “There’s no rules in cooking. That’s what I always tell people.”
