Chefs in Action 2025
Professionals in the culinary world often share the traits of curiosity and creativity. Chefs may taste a dish and envision new iterations or find inspiration for unique flavor palettes by just taking a walk outside. Whether a sweet, creamy fruit sorbet, a jar of pickled garden vegetables, a roasted lamb, a cup of tea – herbs are a powerful tool used to imbue every bite with flavor and experience. Chefs in Action is a conversation with culinary professionals sharing their journey, including how herbs can aid and inspire their culinary pursuits
Lisa Ray – Hammajack Heat Co.
Starting out as “not a big hot sauce person,” through supporting a small hot sauce business as a partner, all the way to becoming the sole producer and developer of top-selling hot sauce flavors, Lisa shares the story of Hammajack, tells the sweet story behind their name, and details their different flavors along with the fresh peppers, vegetables, herbs, and more that make for sensational tastes!
Will Loevner – Goat Rodeo
From the humble beginnings of two goats brought home by Will’s mom one day, Goat Rodeo is now a 130-acres farm home to over 100 goats who provide the milk that makes their delicious cheeses! From the very beginning they’ve been dedicated to celebrating and preserving Pennsylvania farming through local partnerships and collaborations. Will describes the farm, the seven cheeses they currently produce, and what herbs they add–or in the goat’s case, eat–to give the different cheeses their unique flavor profiles.
Trevor Ring – Community Cultures
Trevor Ring is a fermentation educator, producer and the founder of Community Cultures. He has taught for over a decade at libraries, breweries, community centers and larger institutions such as Phipps, Chatham University, Stanford Continuing Studies, & Unity Environmental University. He has also worked for numerous agricultural, food and fermentation businesses; and produces fermented products for farmer’s markets in Pittsburgh. Community Cultures aims to make fermentation education accessible to all through affordable workshops and simple techniques, believing that fermentation can be used to create community and build a more resilient food system.