Get to know a Sous Chef in town named Ben Brennan, an artist in the kitchen and an asset to the Huntsville culinary scene.

This interview was initially published in CHUM Vol. 8, interviewed by Jordan Murphy but DIBS also reached out to Chef Brennan to ask a few more questions.

CHUM: Ben, who the hell are you?

Ben Brennan: I’m figuring out who I am every day. I am from just south of Denver, and I’ve basically lived in every time zone.

(Heaven Beside You is playing, and we taking shots of … I’m going to guess Jim Beam and Tequila because I do not remember)

DIBS: Why did you decide to become a chef, and who inspired you too?

So my dad cooked dinner almost every night. We didn’t eat out a ton cause there were five of us kids. One of my sisters is a winemaker, another is a chef, and I started working with her when I was 16. Fell in love with the camaraderie in the kitchen, and then the science of food is what really piqued my interest.

There are tons of inspirational chefs. But I’ve also been very fortunate to have worked with and for some really amazing people. I really just fell into it, and I feel very fortunate for the opportunities I’ve had and worked hard for. I’ve seen a lot of friends struggle to find things they’re passionate about and was very lucky cooking kind of found me, I guess. It sounds super cliche, I know.

CHUM: What makes a chef a chef?

BB: Honestly, you’re only as good as your last plate. I guess that’s what’s beautiful about food. Someone can be having the worst day of their life, and food can turn that all around. We’re here to nurture people. I never thought about it like that until I read the article by Thomas Keller (French laundry) about “Why Cooks Cook” (Nations Restuarant News, 2019). He touches on a similar sentiment that I love that Alice Waters spoke on: “it’s around the table and in preparation of food that we learn about ourselves and about the world.”

CHUM: I love that. What do you like to eat?

BB: It depends on my mood. I love simple diner food, but I like the elegance of nice roast chicken. Judy Rodgers, this badass chef in California, makes roast chicken, and I always use her recipe. Normally, though, chicken grosses me out. Like, have you ever seen a chicken coop? (reference this Larry David video start watching from 1:45) They’re one of the most mistreated animals we eat. The term to put your neck out on the line comes from killing chickens. So I’m picky about where my chicken comes from.

CHUM: What do you like to cook?

BB: Almost nothing. It’s widely known that chefs eat like children. I fucking love Marie Callender’s chicken pot pie. Also, I love champagne and potato chips. Sue me. I also honestly eat a stupid amount of red meat. If I don’t, I get shaky. My dad used to cook every night, like Zatarain’s couscous and pork chops - That’s comfort food for me.

CHUM: What makes cooking thoughtful to you?

BB: One thing you should know is I really hold Alice Waters close to my heart. She is affectionately known as the godmother of farm-to-table. She focuses on simple, quality ingredients cooked in a proper way, so I’ll start there. It’s about how the animal is treated and where the food is grown. It’s in the right soil and understanding salt. Did you know salt has a similar etymology as the word “salary”? Salt is the only rock we can’t live without. You can eat as much as you want as long as you drink enough water.

DIBS: What is the most challenging part of your job

BB: Definetly managing staff. Every employee comes from their own strengths and weaknesses as well as their own sets of problems

DIBS: What is the most rewarding part about your job?

When you give somebody a dish, it brings back a memory or an emotion. That’s my favorite. I made a simple eggs Benedict to share with one of my bartenders the other day and it literally made her tear up a little cause it reminded her of her dad’s. It made my week! The only time I want to bring somebody to tears (lol).

CHUM: Anything else we should keep in mind?

BB: In general, GMO has so many definitions. It depends on the farming practice. Do your homework and eat according to the harvest seasons and sharing food is super intimate. I think that’s why it’s generally a first-date thing.

You can enjoy Ben Brennan’s cooking at CO/OP Community Table, a Huntsville farm-to-table concept located in the Embassy Suites Hotel Downtown Huntsville, AL

DIBS chatted with Nicole Shelly owner of Radish Republic a premium urban grocery store, specializing in local food from small farms and businesses in our area of the Lehigh Valley and the SE region of PA.

Their mission is to change the image of local food away from inconvenient, hard to find or buy. While introducing a new way to access local agricultural products, we are encouraging people to “be rad, eat local”.

Location: ArtsWalk 27 N. 7th Street, Allentown, PA 18101 | Open Daily 11 am - 7 pm

Check out their website for produce list and online orders

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Please introduce yourself.

My name is Nicole Shelly, I have been a business owner in the Lehigh Valley since 2007 when I moved with my husband from Philadelphia to start a market garden called Godshall Farm. We have had 3 children since that time also.

When did you start the Radish Republic, how did this idea come about and talk about the process of opening up a business?

Radish Republic had a soft opening October 11, 2019 and our grand opening was November 4, 2019. Three years ago, besides running our farm, we started a second business to operate Fresh Fridays, a farmers’ market in downtown Allentown. It happened to rain every single Friday that first year and after 15 years of attending farmers’ markets, that was our last. The customers of the market said they wanted a grocery store downtown and that the market hours were not long enough. We put in a proposal to City Center Allentown for a grocery store that year. The idea was approved, but it took a long time to get the exact location, size and set up just right.

Why is our mission for the Radish Republic important?

I think our mission is important because small farms in the Lehigh Valley are not thriving. It is almost impossible to make a living farming in this area and most farmers rely on off farm income. There is pressure and problems coming from so many angles. Farm land is disappearing and the Lehigh Valley is threatened to become one big warehouse.

How does a local farm get the opportunity to sell in your store? Do you seek them out and handpick them or do they seek you out?

We are working with people who are open to wholesaling. It is a different way of sales than most small farms are used to. We have very high quality standards also, so we can’t work with low quality products. We were doing an online store for a while and it gave us the opportunity to get familiar with the products available and who has long lasting, high quality products. We are big fans of anyone who is making shelf stable products out of their farm products. Labeling and packaging is very important also.

What responsibility does a business owner have to a community?

I think we have a responsibility to give them what they want and are asking for. It may not always be in line with my personal tastes or values or even what I am comfortable with, but if that is what the want, I have to do it.

Are you an all organic grocery store?

We have many organic products, but we are not strictly organic. We prefer local over organic. Not everything available locally can be grown organic in our climate, like tree fruit. We get the cleanest food we can find locally. For other things that aren’t local, we may have to choose affordability over organic.

What sort of produce or items do you have at Radish Republic?

Seasonal, local vegetables from small farms in the Lehigh Valley, we fill in with produce and products from Lancaster Farm Fresh and we have some staples like avocados, bananas, lemons and limes that aren’t local. We will be getting more fruit in the near future that will not be local as the Winter sets in.

How does it feel operating a small farm fresh store in the downtown area of a city?

It was a bit surreal on the first day because we had been working on it for so long. We like being a part of the urban fabric of an up and coming city.

Why the name Radish Republic?

A republic is something made for the citizens of an area and we made this store for the people of downtown Allentown. We worked with City Center on the name and there were a few more words besides Radish at first, but then I was thinking about the branding of some of the other things in downtown Allentown like Fresh Fridays and Lively lunches. I woke up one morning and Radish Republic popped into my head. You can read a bit more on our website as well.

What plans for the future of the market- like what exciting things can customers expect coming up

We are still filling our shelves with local products. It has been a process of connecting with all the wonderful products from farms and small businesses, so more products in general. They can also look forward to events like how to and cooking classes. Also having our producers doing sampling and demos. We are still working on getting our EBT set up so people can use SNAP benefits.

Lastly and most importantly, what is your favorite fruit, vegetable, and grain?

I will have to pick apples for fruit because they are the perfect snack. I have always loved vegetables even since I was a kid and it changes which ones I like the best. I think eating any vegetable that is in the peak of its’ season is the best choice. It is easier to pick ones I don’t like that much- but I still eat them-like beets and radishes. I don’t know if it’s a grain, but I love pasta.