We were lucky to catch up with Alanna Dennis recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Alanna thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I grew up around food. In the South, most communities have a “cake lady”. That was my mom… during the holidays our house was always filled with cakes. My earliest cooking/baking memory is with my parents. My mom was making her usual holiday cakes and I had my Easy Bake Oven ready to go! I would always take a little of her cake batters and bake them in my little oven to make cakes for my dad!

In addition to my parents, both sets of my grandparents instilled some very important values during my childhood… Respect the land. Take care of it and it will feed you physically. CommUNITY matters, so always give back. Finally, you can go farther together, than you can alone.

My father was from Union Springs, AL. His parents farmed, even when they moved to Montgomery. That is where I learned the importance of knowing where food comes from. As a child I watched my grandfather, dad, and other relatives not only plant, and harvest fresh fruits and vegetables, but also share with neighbors and other family members. Working from the farmer’s market has allowed me to build relationships with local farmers, learning the seasonality of my growing zone.

My mother’s father was the pastor of a traditional Southern Baptist Church. Her mom cooked for many church events. These events often spread into the surrounding community. I spent many days in the kitchen cooking with my grandmother.

All of these experiences sparked an interest in Culinary Arts. This interest transitioned into attending and graduating Cum Laude from the International Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts program.

Knowing what I know now, I probably would have spent more time learning from my parents & grandparents. The hands on experience planting, growing, harvesting and cooking has been invaluable. The formal education was great, but I feel as if the time I spent learning with them made all the difference.

My biggest obstacle has been believing myself…believing I can learn whatever I want, believing I can do all the things I see other chef accomplish. Mindset, self-confidence, and willingness to apply myself are all keys to my success.

Alanna, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

As a culinary artists I wear many hats…chef, and chef instructor are two that I wear frequently . As a chef I have worked in many professional kitchens, most recently I was asked by Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) to operate their Legacy Cafe’ to be located on the newly opened Legacy Plaza. As a private chef my clients tend to hire my company for private celebrations, dinner parties, and similar events. As a chef instuctor, I also teach a variety of classes that range from our Bread & Butter (making southern breads & homemade butter) and Boards & Bubbles (charcuterie) classes to our Sauce It Up (teaching how to make the mother sauces and a few of their derivatives) class.

I think branding and our attention to detail set us apart from others. I am most proud of not only our attention to detail, but also our dedication to utilizing local products as often as possible. Utilizing local farmers affords us the ability to offer farm to table service while also having a positive impact on the local economy.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Like many others, the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting shut down forced us to pivot. Prior to the pandemic our private chef clients were primarily tour groups visiting the city. Once things started to reopen we switched our focus to locals and their celebrations, as well as, teaching culinary classes.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being creative in your experience?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being a culinary artist is watching clients take that first bite! If it is something either savory or decadent, exceeding client expectations with both presentation and taste.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.alannasgourmet.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/alannasgourmet
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/alannasgourmet
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCswxk4c4IwBkO0dsWv9y_KQ

Image Credits
Charls Williams of Lush Photography