Guests:
Joe Brown, Brennan Foxman, & Bill Beck
Synopsis:
We begin our show with Joe Brown, Executive Chef and Culinary & Food Bank Director for Harvest Cafe & Abundant Harvest Catering at Bethany Baptist Church. Chef Brown brought his unique fusion of Cajun & Italian cuisine to the culinary community when he burst onto the restaurant scene with his first location for Melange. Brown grew his name & brand when major media took notice of the culinary community, and found himself within that notable group. Some of the numerous appearances he made include TV shows like Discovery, National Geographic, & Food Network, as well as in publications like Ebony, Black Enterprise, & Health Quest. Unfortunately he had to close the doors to his restaurants in 2010, but his love of creating delicious meals for people still beat strong. As such, Chef Brown now leads the kitchen as well as inspires future generations inside Harvest Cafe. In addition to that, he just published his second book, Melange: The Story, the Recipes, the Faith which you can tune in to hear from Brown as he dishes out all the details on this week's show!
Next, we spiced up our show some more with WokWorks Owner, Brennan Foxman. Foxman Founded WokWorks in 2013 as a brick and mortar store, and has since expanded into various neighborhoods throughout the Philadelphia area. His most recent expansion, which he established in Philadelphia's Fishtown area, is the 10th WokWorks location and is his flagship store. WokWorks offers a plethora of vegan, gluten-free, and meat-based dishes, all of which immerse your palate into their menu of richly complex foods, searing in the nutrients with a wok. Brennan details these delicious techniques, and how he was inspired to open WokWorks with us on Food, Farms, & Chefs!
Lastly, we took a stroll to the best Cajun-based restaurant that's not in N'awlin's! That's right, we spoke with Owner/Founder Chef Bill Beck of Beck's Cajun Cafe which is located inside of the Reading Terminal Market! Beck's has been a favorite stop for Philadelphia neighbors and visitors to the area since they opened. In fact, Beck's richly flavored Gumbo's, Jambalaya, and desserts are so beloved that if you ask where to get the best Cajun in Philly, there's only one name that locals answer: Beck's Cajun Cafe! Chef Beck joined us to chat about his menu and how this popular foodie spot has expanded, and now offers more seating and two kitchens. Just make sure you stay tuned until the end because our co-host Gene Blum and Beck recommend (and describe) their favorites from Beck's Cajun Cafe tantalizing menu!
