benne on eagle

We are delighted to share our first-ever guest-hosted and curated episodes of the pod. In a 2-episode special report, educator and former chef Scott Alves Barton moderates 4 conversations among Black professionals in food. Two of the panels comprise Black chefs, one features four writers and editors, and one features two chef-farmers. Our hope is that taken together, this report helps foster a greater understanding of, in Scott's words, "what it means to be Black and professional in food." For our Black listeners, we hope these conversations resonate with you and reflect and amplify your own experiences and perspectives. 

Scott's guests today are (in alphabetical order) Aneesha Hargrave, Adrian Lipscombe, Joe Randall, Jonny Rhodes, Ashleigh Shanti, and Omar Tate.

If you enjoyed this episode, you might enjoy these other Andrew Talks to Chefs conversations:

A Talk about "The Talk"

Chef Russell Jackson

Chef Douglass Williams

Chef Edouardo Jordan

Ashtin Berry

Chef Erick Williams

Chef Roze Traore 

Chef Milton Abel II

Alicia Matthews

Chef Mashama Bailey (part of our Philly Chef Conference Special, 2019)

Chef Alexander Harris

Chef Tanya Holland

Chef JJ Johnson 

Please consider supporting Andrew Talks to Chefs via our Patreon page–pledge $10 or more per month and gain access to bonus, patron-only episodes, blog posts, polls, and more. 

Andrew Talks to Chefs is a fully independent podcast and no longer affiliated with our former host network; please visit and bookmark our official website for all show updates, blog posts, personal and virtual appearances, and related information.

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

Andrew is a writer by trade. If you'd like to support him, there's no better way than by purchasing his most recent book, The Dish: The Lives and Labor Behind One Plate of Food (October 2023), about all the key people (in the restaurant, on farms, in delivery trucks, etc.) whose stories and work come together in a single restaurant dish.

We'd love if you followed us on Instagram. 

Please also follow Andrew's real-time journal of the travel, research, writing, and production of/for his next book The Opening (working title), which will track four restaurants in different parts of the U.S. from inception to launch.

For Andrew's writing, dining, and personal adventures, follow along at his personal feed.

Thank you for listening—please don't hesitate to reach out with any feedback and/or suggestions!

For the first of HRN’s live interviews at the Culinary Village at Charleston Wine + Food, Eli Sussman sits down with Kaley Laird, executive pastry chef of Rhubarb, The Rhu, and Benne on Eagle in Asheville, North Carolina. They discuss her career path from the Culinary Institute of America in New York to Bouchon Bakery in California and how she uses her own dietary restrictions as inspiration to create dairy-free and gluten-free pastries.

HRN On Tour is powered by Simplecast.

The Radio Cherry Bombe Food For Thought tour stopped in Asheville, North Carolina, for a live episode during the city’s inaugural Chow Chow food festival. 

Chef Ashleigh Shanti of Benne on Eagle, chocolatier Jael Rattigan of French Broad Chocolate, and Dr. Cynthia Greenlee spoke about what’s on their mind when it comes to the food world.

They are followed by a panel featuring Chef Katie Button of Katie Button Restaurants in Asheville, Chef Vivian Howard of the award-winning TV program A Chef’s Life, Chef Cheetie Kumar of Garland in Raleigh, and Radio Cherry Bombe host Kerry Diamond.    

Thank you to Kerrygold, the makers of beautiful butter and cheese, for supporting our tour.