Samantha Fore: I mean, I just, it’s odd for me to say I’m a chef.
Ouita Michel: You’re a culinary leader. Snack queen.

A free registration is required to view articles at Plate, but if you’re willing, this transcript of a delightful chat between powerhouse Kentucky chefs is well worth the time.

Ouita Michel and Samantha Fore On What It Means to Be a Southern Chef and More, by Chandra Ram (Plate)

Kentucky chefs Samantha Fore (Tuk Tuk Sri Lankan Bites) and Ouita Michel (Holly Hill Inn, Wallace Station, and other restaurants) met in 2017 and quickly formed a friendship based on their appreciation for each other and of the dishes and ingredients that reflect their hometown, Lexington. They sat down to snack on Sri Lankan meatballs, country ham, and buttermilk biscuits and talk about what it means to be a Southern chef, their friendship, and how chefs support each other.