Christiana Roussel speaks with writer and Southern food storyteller John T. Edge about the stories food tells, how Southern identity and tradition evolve, and the personal history behind his memoir, *House of Smoke*. Edge also discusses *True South* and Greenfield Farm, a planned writers residency designed to give writers time and financial support.

keywords: John T. Edge, Christiana Roussel, Southern food, Southern Foodways Alliance, True South, House of Smoke, Greenfield Farm Writers Residency, Southern identity, food culture

key topics: Edge traces his curiosity to an only-child upbringing in Clinton, Georgia, where his parents included him in adult conversations and everyday life.

He founded the Southern Foodways Symposium in 1998 to explore what food reveals about identity and the many Souths overlooked by familiar narratives.

Southern Foodways Alliance oral histories and films put the microphone in the hands of working cooks, farmers, and food makers, including pitmaster Helen Turner.

Edge and sportswriter Wright Thompson created *True South* to portray the contemporary South by listening closely rather than relying on stereotypes; the show is in its ninth season.

Edge describes culture as a process and tradition as something that changes across generations, illustrated by evolving recipes and restaurants.

In *House of Smoke*, Edge revisits family stories, a Confederate ancestor, his complicated childhood, and the work of rewriting inherited narratives.

He reflects on building a home with his wife, Blair, and how her adaptation of his mother’s catfish stew keeps family memory alive while making the recipe their own.

Greenfield Farm Writers Residency, planned near Oxford, Mississippi, will offer four studios and a $1,000 weekly stipend, with applications expected in spring or summer of the following year.

The residency aims to serve writers connected to Mississippi and its landscape, including applicants of varied ages, abilities, backgrounds, and beliefs.

Chapters:

00:00 A childhood that fostered curiosity

03:13 Why Edge founded the Southern Foodways Symposium

05:57 Putting working cooks and food makers in the foreground

10:07 How *True South* set out to challenge stereotypes

14:58 Tradition, change, and culture in motion

19:05 Why food and football both build community

24:09 The family history behind *House of Smoke*

30:25 Finding a home to run toward

33:38 A catfish stew recipe that honors and adapts tradition

35:53 Greenfield Farm’s plan to support writers

43:41 Crinkle-cut fries, Milwaukee, and a final reflection

Karen Butler of Shoot Like a Girl on Confidence and South Dakota Pheasant Hunting

Sometimes a girls’ trip comes with hunting boots, bird dogs, and a chorus of “Rooster!”

After two and a half days of pheasant hunting in South Dakota, I sat down with Karen Butler, founder of Shoot Like a Girl, to talk about what happens when women give themselves permission to try something unfamiliar.

Karen didn’t grow up in shooting sports. In her late twenties, navigating a divorce and raising two young boys, she reluctantly joined friends on a camping trip near Pikes Peak. That weekend brought a deep breath, her first experiences with a rifle and bow, and a sense of accomplishment she hadn’t realized she was missing. She went on to become a Colorado state archery champion—and eventually built a business around giving other women that same opportunity to discover their capabilities.

Our conversation takes you behind the scenes of our all-female hunt at A1 Al’s Pheasant Ranch, where participants ranged from experienced hunters to a woman who had never touched a firearm. Every woman got a bird. Just as memorable was how everyone cheered one another on.

We also explore Karen’s entrepreneurial journey, the mobile shooting simulator that introduces newcomers to shooting sports, and the partnerships that help remove the cost of buying equipment before trying something new.

And we talk about something many of us could use: time outside, away from our phones, with room to reconnect with ourselves and one another.

In this episode

• How a camping trip helped Karen find confidence during a difficult chapter of her life.
• The idea behind Shoot Like a Girl and its traveling firearm simulator.
• What our South Dakota pheasant hunt offered first-time shooters.
• Building a business through financing, persistence, and industry partnerships.
• Removing equipment barriers for women curious about hunting.
• Making time for yourself—and learning to own your success.
• Karen’s hunting-bag essentials, soft-serve weakness, and next big goal.

Episode chapters

00:23 — Meet Karen Butler after our South Dakota pheasant hunt
01:31 — Divorce, motherhood, and a life-changing camping trip
03:00 — Finding confidence with a rifle and bow
05:06 — Building Shoot Like a Girl
05:47 — Inside the traveling shooting simulator
06:44 — Giving newcomers a chance to try
08:02 — Every woman got a bird
09:21 — Financing a business and building partnerships
12:43 — “Huntress Christmas” and removing gear barriers
14:19 — Why time outdoors matters
16:33 — How to inquire about a group hunt
17:16 — Confidence, leadership, and owning your success
18:38 — Hunting-bag essentials and the lightning round

About the guest

Karen Butler is the founder of Shoot Like a Girl. In this conversation, she shares how discovering shooting sports as an adult inspired her to build a company that introduces women to the sport through accessible, encouraging experiences.

About the host

Christiana Roussel is a Birmingham, Alabama–based food, travel, lifestyle, and upland hunting writer and the host of Red Fox on the Run. A late-blooming outdoorswoman, she follows her curiosity into conversations about the people, places, and experiences that expand our worlds.

Learn more

Visit Shoot Like a Girl to explore its programs, find event information, or inquire about arranging a hunt.

Follow Red Fox on the Run on your favorite podcast platform, and share this episode with the friend you’d take on a different kind of girls’ trip.

Bart Stephens, the owner of High Dive Lounge in Birmingham, AL shares the journey of creating a unique listening lounge in Birmingham, Alabama. From the music we grew up with to how we experience it as adults, this is a fantastic conversation rooted in the art of LISTENING.

Takeaways

• The cultural shift and reaction to the internet and social media have led to the emergence of listening lounges as a response to the need for slower and calmer experiences.
• The hospitality industry is uniquely positioned to create connections and experiences, with a focus on sound being a neglected element in the evolution of food and beverage spaces.

Chapters

• 00:00 The Genesis of High Dive
• 01:52 Acquiring the Property
• 02:50 Location and Surroundings
• 03:20 Interest in Sound and Acoustics
• 04:45 Emergence of Listening Spaces
• 07:12 Cultural Shift and Reaction
• 09:11 Seeking Slower and Calmer Experiences
• 11:05 Hospitality as a Connector
• 12:02 Evolution of Food and Beverage Industry
• 14:52 Neglect of Sound in Hospitality

Chef Kyle Biddy: Building More Than a Restaurant

What does it take to leave the mountains of Aspen for Birmingham, Alabama—and build one of the city's most talked-about restaurants?

In this episode of Red Fox on the Run, Christiana Roussel sits down with Chef Kyle Biddy, executive chef of Little Betty Steak Bar, for a conversation that goes far beyond what ends up on the plate. Biddy shares the winding path that took him from a high school cooking class and Johnson & Wales University to some of America's top steakhouses before helping create Little Betty, a restaurant that has quickly become one of Birmingham's dining destinations.

Together, they explore the creative process behind developing a menu, why culture in the kitchen matters as much as technique, and the delicate balance between honoring classic steakhouse traditions while continually pushing forward. Kyle also opens up about moving across the country with his fiancée and fellow chef, Britton Crotta, building a restaurant from the ground up, and why Birmingham's food scene continues to surprise people.

As always, the conversation wanders into the places where the best stories live—mentors, failures, inspiration, travel, hospitality, and the moments that shape a life in food.

Whether you're a chef, a home cook, or simply someone who loves hearing the stories behind remarkable people, this episode is a reminder that the best meals always begin long before anyone sits down at the table.

• Kyle's unexpected path into professional cooking
• The mentors and experiences that shaped his career
• Why he traded Aspen for Birmingham
• Building Little Betty from the ground up
• The creative process behind developing memorable dishes
• How great restaurant culture starts behind the scenes
• The importance of hospitality over perfection
• Birmingham's emergence as one of the South's most exciting food cities
• Why curiosity is one of a chef's greatest ingredients

Chef Kyle Biddy is the Executive Chef of Little Betty Steak Bar in Mountain Brook, Alabama. With more than 25 years in professional kitchens, his career has included acclaimed restaurants in Denver and Aspen before leading the culinary team at Little Betty. His cooking blends classic steakhouse techniques with seasonal ingredients, thoughtful creativity, and a deep respect for hospitality. (Qwoted)

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If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe, leave a review, and share the episode with someone who loves great stories, remarkable people, and unforgettable meals.

Follow Christiana:

• Substack: Red Fox on the Run
• Instagram: @christiana.roussel

"The best conversations usually begin with curiosity—and often end around a table."

What makes a restaurant unforgettable? Is it the food—or the people who taught us to cook, gather, and care?

In this heartfelt conversation, I sit down with James Beard Award-nominated chef Bill Briand, owner and executive chef of Little Bird in Fairhope, Alabama. Bill opens up about the people and experiences that shaped his career—from childhood memories in his mother's kitchen to leading some of the Gulf Coast's most celebrated restaurants.

Little Bird is much more than a restaurant. It's a deeply personal tribute to Bill's late mother, Virginia ("Ginny"), whose recipes, hospitality, and quiet wisdom continue to influence every plate that leaves the kitchen. The restaurant itself is filled with thoughtful nods to her legacy, creating a place where food becomes memory and every meal feels like coming home. (littlebirdfairhope.com)

We also talk about:

• Why hospitality is really about making people feel seen.
• The lessons Bill learned from years at Fisher's at Orange Beach.
• What it was like earning national recognition while staying rooted on the Alabama Gulf Coast.
• The Southern Grace dinners that brought some of the country's finest chefs together for unforgettable collaborations.
• How grief, gratitude, and family shaped the creation of Little Bird.
• Why the simplest dishes are often the hardest to perfect.
• The importance of mentoring young chefs and building kitchen culture.
• What "success" means after decades in the restaurant industry.
• The memories every great meal leaves behind.

This conversation is less about recipes and more about purpose—about why we gather around a table in the first place, and how the people we love continue to shape us long after they're gone.

Whether you're passionate about food, hospitality, or simply love hearing the stories behind remarkable people, this episode is one you'll want to savor.

• Little Bird
• The Hope Farm
• James Beard Foundation

• Little Bird Restaurant
• About Chef Bill Briand & Little Bird

If you enjoyed this episode of Red Fox on the Run, subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, leave a review, and share it with someone who believes the best stories are often told around the table.