Friends Drift Inn – Real Life A Baby Boomer in Appalachia
Hanging with Chef Jeremy
Chef Jeremy Ashby is my friend. There is something very special about this man with the boyish grin. He makes me laugh. He makes me think. Long conversations have included the trouble with food deserts, the blessings of heirloom vegetables, biotech, and the loathing of waffles. Sometimes we are at odds, sometimes so like minded we finish each other sentences.
It has been ten months since I met this kid, this thirty-three year old (well almost) who juggles the responsibilities of restaurateur, local food activist, media personality, husband and father. When I turned off the recorder after our first interview, I knew the story was not over.
I’ve watched him bounce like Tigger in the Azur kitchen pushing plates through the window with beads of sweat on his brow. I’ve seen him wow audiences with his culinary skills at the Incredible Food Show and at Woodford Reserve’s Chef Series.
I’ve observed him as he walked quietly through my garden, enjoying the mountain solitude. He nods with approval as I show him tomatoes grown from the Pine Mountain Settlement School seed swap we attended back in the spring.
We talk of Bill Best, a champion of heirloom seed saving who’s passionate talk at the Kentucky Fruit and Vegetable Conference rattled the rafters.
Recipes from Episode 5 Friends Drift Inn on Pike TV
We have not solved the world’s problems yet, but we are working on it.
The story of Chef Jeremy Ashby is still being written. Stick around for the next chapter.
Click for The YouTube Version of the July 2012 Episode of Friends Drift Inn with Chef Jeremy Ashby. If you are local, catch Friends Drift Inn with me, Joyce Pinson, on Channel 99 Pike TV.
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