What If Welcome Was A Flavor?

Fat Tuesday gets a thoughtful reset as we dig into the real heart of Mardi Gras—community, gratitude, and the pivot toward reflection—through the lens of Cajun cooking and Owensboro kindness. Brad Hammers joins us to unpack how Shreveport flavors, fresh Gulf shrimp memories, and a family table full of jambalaya shaped his belief that culture isn’t chased; it’s built at home.

We dive into the kitchen where Brad’s attention sharpens: no distractions, just sight, sound, scent, and the courage to adjust. He shares why Cajun food may be America’s most honest cuisine—French roots, Caribbean influence, and resourceful techniques that turn what you have into something rich. Along the way, we revisit New Orleans staples—gumbo, po’ boys, and king cake—while explaining what those purple, green, and gold colors really stand for. Beads aren’t a spectacle; they’re a simple way to say, “You belong here.”

Then we widen the frame to Owensboro. Brad maps the everyday compassion that defines our town: volunteerism that never needs applause, accessible sidewalks that quietly include everyone, and events like Night to Shine that center dignity. He also reframes Scouting, showing how kids already carry the virtues we celebrate; adults simply create space for them to flourish. As a care coordinator, he offers hard-won guardrails for serving others without burning out: recognize limits, refill your own tank, and choose presence over rigid rules.

By the end, you’ll feel why welcome is a flavor—and why the best legacy might be work done so well that no one notices. If you’re craving stories that smell like gumbo and feel like home, pull up a chair. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves Owensboro, and leave a review to help more neighbors find us. What’s your way to glue community together?

Check out All Things Owensboro's Facebook!

It's been a great episode and I hope you share this with all your Owensboro friends! Thanks for the support and again, if you have questions or guests ideas, send a text!

Transcript

Fat Tuesday Reframed

SPEAKER_01 0:00

It's Fat Tuesday, which and everywhere else is a normal Tuesday, but in Louisiana, uh is the start of getting going to the Catholic Church and getting your ashes on your head and uh cleaning up before you go to the Lent. Fat Tuesday isn't about overindulgence. It's about community, tradition, and gathering together before the season changes. Today, we're leaning into that spirit. The food, the family, and the community that makes places feel like home. My guest today is Brad Hammers, a devoted family man, community servant, and someone who quietly shows up for people every single day. From Cajun cooking shaped by Shreeport Roots to a life centered on service here in Owensboro, Brad's story reminds us that culture isn't something you chase, it's something you build. This is All Things Owensboro. Hey guys, welcome to All Things Owensboro. Look, it's gonna be a great week. I grew up, I said I grew up in Philly, but I also spent time in New Orleans, uh, Louisiana, and got to fall in love with the culture down there, and part of that culture is Fat Tuesday is Mardi Gras. So before you start thinking I'm gonna get thrown into a lake of fire or something, just realize that it's not what you all you think it is. But the reason why I'm bringing all this up because one, it's Fat Tuesday, which and everywhere else this is a normal Tuesday, but in Louisiana, it is the start of getting going to the Catholic church and getting your ashes on your head and uh cleaning up before uh you go to the Lent. And so, and it's also a day where most of the big parades are at. And again, people think of parades being you you gotta do stuff to get stuff, and really I tell people to take SEC football, Calgate meets a parade. Uh, people have tents, they have all kinds of food going on, there's music going, they're playing football in the streets, you get to you gather with friends and you have some fun. And so, uh, but today, and the reason why you're probably like, well, what's all this have to do? Well, well, Brad Hammers, our I guess for today, is from Louisiana, from the northern part of Louisiana, so it's a little different, but he grew up in Shreveport. But just something you may not even know is that his cooking and Cajun cooking specifically, because that's what I've had, is really, really good. I'm always blessed when he texts me, and I I'm not using this lightly, and he'll say, Hey, I have some extra jambalaya or a hat, I made a muffaletta and I didn't know if you want some. And I'm like, I I I'll take it because I eat it and it is so good. So we'll get into some of that Cajun cooking with Brad. But then also, just you know, again, talking about Louisiana, talking about gumbo, uh, we'll get in all that stuff, and then also his roots family, what it means that really makes Owensboro shine, especially for him and his family. It's being transplants, but but also calling Owensboro home. So, Brad, thanks for coming on today.

SPEAKER_03 2:38

Brad, thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_01 2:40

Glad to be here. I didn't, yeah, yeah. It's the Brad and Brad show today. And so, you know, Brad, I know you grew up in Shrewport. Uh, you called Owensboro home for quite a bit of time now. And so, what's kept you rooted here when so many many people look? I hear it all the time. Like, people are like, We we gotta go somewhere that has stuff for our kids, or it's so boring here, you know. Like, what has kept you here laying down roots in Owensboro with your family?

Why Owensboro Feels Like Home

SPEAKER_03 3:03

That's a great question. So, to kind of supply my part of the answer, a little backstory. So I was actually born in Owensboro and we lived here until I was maybe six. Okay. And then my dad got a job in Shreveport, and so we moved down there and lived in Louisiana for many years. Then we moved back to Kentucky and then eventually came back to Owensboro. So I did like middle school and high school here, then moved away for college, and then came back to Owensboro. So, you know, you're asking about what that pull is, and as a you know, as a younger person, Owensboro didn't have a lot of pull for me. Uh, I was happy to get out and go explore and see other places. And then now having started my family, I met my wonderful wife here. We have a family here now. Just just the overall goodness and the stability and everything about Owensboro is so great for families. You know, it's not wild, it's not exciting, but it's very steady, it's very compassionate, it's a very open and friendly place. I feel very safe. I think I feel very comfortable with my family going anywhere in the region in the area. It's very wholesome. I know that everywhere that my kids go, there's a legion of people looking out for them. They they try treated well. It's just all good things. Exciting, not really, but there's trade-offs and the benefits far out, far, far outweigh anything else that you might want if you know you're thinking about living in a bigger city or a place that maybe has more action. Ornels World is just very steady, very loving, very compassionate, very, very consistent.

SPEAKER_01 4:49

Yeah, and I feel like I've heard those themes a lot from other people who come on, but also I always find those people who are like, I really wanted to move away. I was I was ready. But they came back and they built a family here, and they're so glad they came back. And so, you know, hindsight's always 2020, but it is really cool to hear that over and over again from a repeated amount of people of hey, like Owensborough's were a great place to raise a family. It's it's it's it's I'm glad I came back. Like I didn't I didn't want to just run away, maybe when I was a teenager, but now I'm I'm glad we stayed. And so that's pretty cool to hear. I mean, you know, you so you're in Streetport from six till middle of school, uh, somewhere around there. And but you picked up some Cajun cooking along the way. And so where does that come from? You like where does that come from emotionally for you? And is that something like nostalgia? Is it creativity? Is it something deeper? Like what what kind of draws you to the Cajun cooking?

Nostalgia And Cajun Food Memories

SPEAKER_03 5:37

Another great question. You have it several parts, probably from this from the nostalgia piece growing up down there, and and you you get exposed to really a lot of different kinds of food that we just didn't have in Kentucky. And then, of course, you know, you're young, so you're forming your memories, you don't really have anything to compare it to. But uh one memory that really kind of encapsulates that idea for me is that's where we lived in in Louisiana, it wasn't too far away from Lake Bistano, and they had this seafood restaurant there where you all you could eat shrimp, which if it was an all-you-could eat buffet, guarantee my dad wanted to go there.

SPEAKER_00 6:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 6:14

So my grandparents, his parents came down to Louisiana to visit us, and we went there one night, and you know, you're a little kid, and I remember sitting at the table, and uh, you know, it was all you could eat cajun boiled shrimp. And of course, you know, this is not like frozen shrimp like what you get around here. Like they they trucked that stuff in from the Gulf that day. That was as fresh as it gets. And uh it was delicious. I just remember how savory it was. But what was funny to me was, you know, you're just little kid sitting at the table, and it's just got like a it may have been a paper tablecloth. I don't remember. It was a white tablecloth.

SPEAKER_01 6:45

Yeah, they use newspapers sometimes, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 6:47

Yeah, and then just in the, you know, we're at a round table, you can see the window out on the sun, the setting sun over Lake Bistano, and there's just this mountain of shrimp shells in the middle of the table says we're shelling our shrimp. Everybody's just throwing them into the middle for this growing pile, and after a while, it's like it's sitting higher than my eye, and it was a great time with family. Yes, you know, it's those kinds of things that you know kind of gives me that emotional tie, I think, to Cajun food.

SPEAKER_01 7:14

Hey, quick pause. I'm Brad Winter, host of All Things Owensboro Podcast. If you're looking for a church that feels like home, we'd love to invite you to First Baptist Church Owensboro. We gather Sundays at 10 30 a.m. right next to the Blue Bridge. Infos in the show notes, and if you reach out, my family will gladly sit with you.

SPEAKER_03 7:38

Not the least of which is amazingly delicious.

SPEAKER_01 7:40

Oh, it's yeah, it's it's hands down amazing, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 7:43

Yeah, it's um going into uh New Orleans, you know, you can like I always think of the smell, like I always can like I never I I couldn't walk you to the Cafe du Monde from you if you put me in anywhere in a quarter, I don't know it like that, but I can follow my nose.

SPEAKER_01 7:59

Oh, yeah. You mean it takes some it it really fills the air.

SPEAKER_03 8:02

It does, and it's you know, it's that kind of stuff. So many amazing dishes and meals that I've had there.

SPEAKER_01 8:08

And a lot of people think Asian food's spicy, which which there is a little bit of spice, but I tell people it's more like spicy, like full of flavor.

SPEAKER_03 8:15

Yeah, and and it's uh this is just my personal opinion, but I think it's actually probably some of the best American culture cuisine that we have.

SPEAKER_00 8:26

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 8:27

In a sense that it's very heavily French inspired, but you also have a great mix of like Caribbean influences in there. Plus, it's you know, like a lot of cuisine just grows out of. I always tell my kids, like, you know, we're gonna do what poor people have done for thousands of years, which is take what we can get and try to make it delicious. And they certainly did that in space.

SPEAKER_00 8:47

Oh, yeah.

Flavor, Culture, And Making Do

SPEAKER_03 8:48

So the food is rich, it's complex, it uh it's unique. I think that's one of its most distinct advantages over any other kind of food that might be considered American, is it you know, only in Louisiana and in that area, and only in America can you get food just like this, where it's not some copycat or McDonald's hamburger knockoff or whatever. It's very unique. It's amazing.

SPEAKER_01 9:14

Like, how did you even come up with crawfish outtife, right? Like, yeah, and if you don't know what that is, it sounds gross, but it's actually really good. But they, you know, they take the brains of the crawfish that turn it into a yellowy, soft I don't know what to really call that, but and they it but anyway, they put it into the sauce and mix it in the sauce, and you put the crawfish in there, and it is really good.

SPEAKER_03 9:34

Oh, yeah, that's uh it's been a joke in our family for a long time. If I was ever on Death Row, my last meal, without question, number one crawfish etuffe. Oh, yeah, that's all I need.

SPEAKER_01 9:45

Yeah, yeah, dude, man. Yeah, I got to go back to New Orleans. Well, when we're recording this about four weeks ago uh for a really short 24-hour trip. When I the guy I went with our youth pastor, I was like, look, these are like the spots we need to hit. And he was like, Do we have time for that? I'm like, we're gonna make time for it. Like, you know, we went and got a powboy, which if you don't know the history on that, you probably don't. You're probably like, what is that? I would call it a sub, but but definitely a lot different. You know, it's French bread, and then they put some meat on it, and then you can get it dressed, so mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato. You know, we the reason why it was made is because a company was trying to provide food for a factory nearby and came up with these sandwiches that were cheap. And I actually called a poor boy sandwich, and that's where Poe Boy came from. Um, so if you're into some history, there you go. But the surf and turf at at Parkway, oh, it's heaven. It's so good. Surf and turf, the the flash fry shrimp and the the roast beef. So good. Anyway, I digress.

SPEAKER_03 10:42

We can go on forever, but oh yeah, there's we we could we could fill how many episodes on on just the food.

SPEAKER_01 10:47

Yeah, it's amazing. Yeah, it's so good, and and I miss it. So I do appreciate it every time. Like, it's legit. Like your your food's legit. And I'm like, man, this tastes just like New Orleans.

SPEAKER_03 10:57

So there was uh there was one more thing, and I've I've been trying to think of his name for for 10 minutes, and I can't I all I can remember is Justin, and I keep wanting to say winance, but I know that's not right. But he was on TV in the 80s, okay, and you know, he just did a bunch of Cajun cooking, and he was like, Oh delicious, I got rolling tea. That was like his catchphrase. Yeah, and his stuff was so good, and he was just so colorful, and I still think about him all the time, and and and to the point that one of the things that he would do is whenever he was cooking on a show, he he wouldn't use any measuring spoons. He did everything, he would just pour it into his hand, and I guess like you know, he was filming in front of a studio audience, and somebody shouts out, it's like, is that actually a tablespoon? He's like, I got wrong tea. So he would sit there and demonstrate that he could accurately measure a quarter of a teaspoon, a tablespoon, you know, just just by pouring it into his hand. And so now I I'm like, do likewise. I try to do that too. I'm not as good as he was, but like that's how I measure everything, it's just pouring my ammo.

SPEAKER_01 11:55

I couldn't tell your food's fire. So, you know, if you ever open up a restaurant, I would be probably your number, yeah, I'd be a regular for sure. You know, and talking about talking about food and and restaurants and kitchens. Uh so when you're going and when you're in the kitchen, like kind of what goes through your head? Is it is it something that's like good for like stress release? Is it peace? Is it reflection? Is it chaos? Well, what is it for you when it comes to the kitchen?

Kitchen Mindset And Creativity

SPEAKER_03 12:18

That's a that's another good question because I I saw the list that you sent and it I hadn't really thought about it. And to be honest, whenever I'm cooking, I don't think about anything else but other than what I'm doing. All of my mind is on what I've got on the heat, uh, what I'm preparing, constantly evaluating. I do. Um I use a lot of recipes, depending on what I'm doing. Sometimes I might change it up. Or, you know, if you have to do substitutions, because I don't have some arcane ingredient on hand. So I'm like, well, I'm gonna substitute and adjust. But it's constantly, you know, I'm evaluating everything that I'm doing, watching how it's performing in the pan, tasting a lot. You know, you you the sound, the smell, the sight, everything that I'm doing is all concentrated on what I'm making. And so I don't really think about anything else. It's just all about what I'm cooking.

SPEAKER_01 13:11

That's cool. Yeah. And so you're like literally putting love into your food, you know, which sounds cheesy, but I don't know. I I like doing that. My wife always makes fun of me because she's like, with me, I do recipes with you. It's like chopped, you know, like I don't know what you're gonna do with it, or you know, it's gonna taste different every time. But I just enjoy it. I think it's a sense of creativity, you know, and trying to figure out, hey, like it may taste bad this time around. Maybe we won't do that again, but you know, like, yeah, what if I add a little bit of this, you know, and let's try it out. And if it turns out good, you know, you gotta hey, make it again. It's like, I'm not really sure how to do that again, but we'll try it. But anyway, so you know, I ask this to every guest that comes on, but you know, what makes Owensboro Owensboro for you? You know, you talked about uh just a little bit in the first question, but I I think the compassion.

SPEAKER_03 14:00

I I I think I may have understood this generally as a younger person, but I see it a lot more acutely now as an older man, where there's just a wealth of compassion everywhere you turn. There's so much giving, there's so much generosity and openness, it's so friendly, but not in a you know, kind of a superficial or mechanical way. People are genuine. They want to raise their kids in peace, they want to be kind to others, they want to help out. I see so much help everywhere you turn. There's always so much help being offered. There's so much volunteerism, there's so much donations and charity and just goodness, good acts. And whenever you see that on a consistent basis, everywhere you turn without fail, actions speak louder than words. It tells you everything you need to know about where we are and who's around us.

Compassion As Owensboro’s Signature

SPEAKER_01 14:48

Yeah, and I've heard a lot of people say this too like for the size of Owensboro and the nonprofits we have is pretty insane because usually it takes a lot larger of a population to support those nonprofits. Um fact that we can do that here in Owensboro is pretty impressive. So I would I would think that lines up really well with you know your your thought of compassion when it comes to Owensboro, for sure. I mean, you spent a lot of time just going through Scouts. I actually met you through Europe Scouts pack meeting here at First Baptist. But what's one lesson a young scout taught you?

SPEAKER_03 15:21

I would say so for those who are unfamiliar, you know, they have the 11 points of the scout law helpful, cheerful, thrifty, kind, obedient, clean, brave, reverent, that kind of thing. And what they've taught me was at first, whenever I encountered these kind of scout virtues and the things that scouting promotes, I'm thinking, okay, we have to teach these things to the kids. And what I've learned is that we are not, we don't need to teach them any of that. We don't need to instill any of those scout virtues in them. They already have them.

SPEAKER_00 15:59

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 16:00

They what we do for them is we give you we, in a sense, we give them permission to be who they really are, to be cheerful, to be helpful, to be kind and courteous, to be brave. They're already that. It's what we do that that that facilitates and gives them the permission in the space to be what they already are. Okay. So we're not teaching the kids have taught me that we're not teaching them virtues. We're in trying to instill those character values. They already have them. We just have to show them how they can continue to have them as they grow up.

SPEAKER_00 16:33

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 16:34

And to be, you know, the I think one of them is a scout is brave, and that may be one of the hardest ones is for them to be who they really are. As I haven't come across one that was anything other than those things. They've all been fantastic, fantastic kids, fantastic young men and teenagers. And I've never had to look at them and go, that wasn't so kind. They're kind already. We just have to show them that it's okay to be kind and to give them that permission and to support them in the ways that they already are. So they they taught me that there was nothing that I have to teach them.

Scouts And Virtues Kids Already Have

SPEAKER_01 17:07

Looking for a place to get active, connect with others, and have fun as a family? Then come check out the rec at FBC Owensboro. From open gym and a weight room to upward sports and community events, there's something for everyone. Memberships are super affordable. Just$2 a day,$10 a month, or$60 a year. And get this, families, you only pay$120 max for the entire family for the whole year. And if you're a senior, college student, or one of our city heroes, like a teacher, first responder, or healthcare worker, you get a discount too. The wreck is more than a gym, it's a place to belong. Hmm, that's interesting. I that's probably that's not what I thought would would come out of that, but that's really that is cool. And come to think about it, there's a lot of truth to that, you know. Like you said, like there's already those things in a kid. You just gotta figure out how to teach them how to use it or benefit from it, I guess, is another word, too. And so, you know, switching gears a little bit. So with your job, you're the care coordinator, and that could take an emotional toll. I mean, you're caring for others, and therefore, a lot of times that physically that emotionally drains people. And so, uh, how do you feel your cut, your own cutback after pouring so much into others through being a care coordinator?

SPEAKER_03 18:24

I think the first thing, and it's probably the hardest barrier to to overcome personally, and it's one that you have to continually do, is you have to realize that you have limitations and you're not in control. So whenever things don't go that don't go the way that you would like them to for that person that you're trying to care for or help, you have to you have to remember that all you can do is all you can do, and it's not always going to turn out in their favor or the way that you would like, and it's not up to you. All you can do is what you can do. And to recognize, to to realize that whenever you do start to feel a little frazzled or empty, that it's time to take a step back and invest in yourself and whatever fills you back up. I've in the sense that I can't give you care if I don't have care for myself first. I can only give you what I've already got. I can't give you what I don't have. So if I'm not caring for myself, how can I give you care? If I'm not loving myself, how can I give you love? If I don't respect myself and on on down the road. And so I think that that self-care portion of recognizing if I want to continue to provide these things for other people and to be there in service and and and and I have to also invest in myself and that and that I have to have it, you know, I have to well it up in myself in order to be able to give it. Otherwise, it becomes brittle and selfish.

SPEAKER_01 19:50

Yeah, and I know that can be applied for really in family, me as a pastor, like congregation, uh, people I reach out to. But, you know, I I out of curiosity, you know, you it sounded really good. Like you're like, oh, we've got to put boundaries, you know, gotta do like is that something that was easy that came easy to you, or is that something you had to learn over the years?

SPEAKER_03 20:09

I think you have to learn it through trial and error. Okay. And for my part, I don't think of it so much as like I have to set a boundary between myself and other people in a sense that, okay, I'm gonna stop here with you and start here with me.

SPEAKER_02 20:23

Yeah.

Caring For Others Without Burning Out

SPEAKER_03 20:24

So much as I I try to be opportunistic and recognize that routinely, you know, there's gonna be times whenever, you know, you just have to go and people need things and you, you know, caring for your family or for others or whatever. And then there's times whenever there's not much going on, and that's a great time to, you know, kind of fill your own cup as you like like you said, that's a great way to put it. And so I just try to be opportunistic about it. And because I feel like if you start throwing up those barriers, like, okay, well, today's my time, and I can't care for you now. That's not really in the moment with that person because they may be going through great need, and you know, it's it's you know, you have to be available.

SPEAKER_01 21:04

Yeah, no, that makes sense. And I think something that I've I've struggled with is I don't like to rest a lot. I'm a go, go, go kind of guy. And I think I've the older I'm getting, uh, the more I'm realizing that it's okay to sit down and watch TV and watch a college football game and not be doing everything else if that makes sense. And so I I think if you're listening out there, I think one of the things is it's okay to have rest, and that rest could look different for anybody. It could be watching college football, it could be going fishing. I mean, there's lots of different things that you can do to get rest. Um, and I do think that's important, you know. And I think sometimes, I don't know, at least for me, that took a while to learn. I'm still learning, you know, how to do that well. You know, let's we'll switch gears here a little bit again, and we'll go into back into Owensboro a little bit. So small towns, you already mentioned it, people know everybody, there's connections, there's compassion. And so, what's one story about Owensboro that you think people on the outside just wouldn't get? Does that make sense?

SPEAKER_03 21:59

Yeah. Something that would be maybe counterintuitive if all they knew was Owensboro bus. There's there's like the kind of the superficial obvious answer, which is you know, if you ask anybody from Owensboro where the best barbecue is, people from Owensboro rarely say Moonlight. It's always like old old hickory. Yeah, it's always old hickory. So that's how you know one of the first ways that you know whenever somebody's from around here is like they'll tell you old hickory. Yep. And uh tourists go to Moonlight.

SPEAKER_00 22:24

Yep.

SPEAKER_03 22:26

I'm trying to think of another one that might be a little bit more telling about what Owensboro really is. And I can't think of one right now, but it's uh, you know, one of the things that I think I think about a lot is like, so you know, they had like, you know, which First Baptist participated in, the the I'm gonna say it wrong, the the light thing that was too illuminate, yeah. And Illuminate was fantastic.

SPEAKER_01 22:51

Oh, it was great. I thought it was great then.

SPEAKER_03 22:53

Yeah, that was that that was fantastic. And the year before that we have the air show, and we've got this great downtown scene. And you wouldn't think that this little tiny dot on the map located on the Ohio River on the way to nowhere, has such things.

SPEAKER_00 23:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 23:11

And and it's really speaks to the kind of city that we have and the kind of people who inhabit it that they're constantly investing in these kind of community attractions for the benefit of all.

SPEAKER_02 23:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 23:24

I dare you to go to another city of the size of Owensboro and see on a routine basis. We've got one of the we have, I think one of the still one of the largest Christmas parades in the region.

SPEAKER_01 23:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 23:37

They're doing the air show, they had Illuminate, there's the barbecue fests or barrels. I'm still gonna call it barbecue. Everybody's always the same. Yeah, they can rename it all they want.

SPEAKER_01 23:47

But yeah, like the porch fest. I mean, you have Friday after five. Yes, there's so many things. I think there's a lot of things going on for sure. You know, there's always something going on. Like we're about to have trial trial treats. So if you're listening to this in February, it was recorded in October, okay. Yeah. Uh, but I mean, there's always something going on, I feel like, which is really cool.

Small Town Surprises And Inclusion

SPEAKER_03 24:03

It is, and then like kind of like you, I I thought you made a great observation that for the size, the amount of nonprofits that we have, and how well supported all of them are. There's constantly nonprofit walks and events and awarenesses, and those are always well attended and well supported. There's constantly something to look forward to. You know, consignment sales for pigtails and calics, so people can get affordable stuff. I mean, yeah, that's great.

SPEAKER_01 24:32

So they like the Kentucky, what is it, the Kraft Tucky, there where they have the big, the big uh vendors that come in and do everything from like 3D printing to like cups and flags and paintings. I think it's pretty cool too.

SPEAKER_03 24:46

Yeah. The night to shine, that's a big one.

SPEAKER_01 24:49

Yeah, that's an interesting, yeah. It was I've been there once, it was really cool.

SPEAKER_03 24:52

My my son got to go to it last year. And you want to talk about just a first class from top to bottom. Oh, yeah. I was jealous that he got to do it and I didn't. Like they stuck us in the parent room, which was great, but I'm like, he was having a time of his life. I think he spent most of the time in a limo. He was just tickled he could ride in lemos.

SPEAKER_01 25:10

Yeah, they got they have limos, and I feel like they have like carriage rides, maybe. I mean, they have and it's really cool. They get introduced when they come in with their dates, and yeah. So whoever I know that's really through like Tim Tebow. I think Life Community Church may be one of the bigger organizations behind it, churches behind it. But they I've done that, I guess. I've been there once and it was done really, really well. So I think, and I think it's cool. You know, I we have a pretty big special needs community here in Owensboro in the fact Davis County, and so for the fact that we can host that big of an event, do it so well, I think it's awesome.

SPEAKER_03 25:41

Yeah, that that thing was supremely staffed. It was just everything that, you know, whenever you have a family member, you know, who would I I don't have a better way of saying, but would qualify to participate in that. Yeah. For them to have that event here in Owensboro, like, yes, through the Tim Tebow Foundation, but it takes, you know, the local place, in this case, at Life Community Church, to put it on. Like Tim Tebow's not walking through the door and doing it. Yeah. And they they ran it uh supremely. You know, one of those things, and uh, I'll share a story that was told to me from a good friend of mine, and I'm gonna say a name. And if you've been around Owensboro long enough, half of Owensboro knows him, is Gary Blair.

SPEAKER_00 26:21

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 26:22

He's been affiliated with Wendell Foster's campus for all of his life. And he told me, so Gary's in his late 70s now.

SPEAKER_00 26:31

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 26:32

And he grew up in Hamilton, Ohio, just north of Cincinnati. And I think as a teenager, he came to Owensboro to Wendell Foster's because his family had seen an advertisement in a magazine for Wendell Foster's. And they were like, well, that's where you need to go because you know he had those kind of needs. And so he's lived here ever since. And one of the things that he talked about, I had the privilege of taking him back for a home visit a few years ago, and he was talking about if he had stayed in Hamilton, he would have been shut up in the back of a school in a bait in a basement, put away, out of sight. But here in Owensboro, he was a person, he's had a life, he's had all these wonderful experiences. And just talking with him, one of the things that I noticed is like whenever you drive around Owensboro, how many you they've been working on it for years. Wheelchair accessible, handicapped sidewalks at crosswalks. Just a very small, simple gesture. They're everywhere. You can they're handicapped accessible for the blind, for wheelchairs, or ramps, or you know, on all the sidewalks in Owensboro. And he was talking about that because he relies on those things.

SPEAKER_00 27:38

Yeah.

Night To Shine And Accessibility

SPEAKER_03 27:38

And then we're in, and then we're up to where he was from in Hamilton, and not a single one, not a single sidewalk or intersection had that. And it's those kind of under the radar gestures. I think, you know, kind of circling back to your original question of what's something that you would tell people not from Owensboro that might surprise them about Owensboro, is there's just this perpetual effort to be inclusive to all here. And they don't they don't sing about it. They're not going up making posts or at city council meetings, I'm assuming, talking about all they just do it. And it's welcoming to all, and there's all these little gestures on a perpetual basis for Owensborough to be that, and they're just there, but they don't you don't see people talking about them, they're just there, but they're they are there.

SPEAKER_01 28:26

Yeah, no, it's awesome. You know, I actually I've never even thought about that, you know. And we've had Mike and Noah Payton on, which was back, I guess at this point, maybe back in July. I mean, you know, Noah, you know, has limitations, and but he's been able to be successful. He's out WKU right now, double majoring in film and what he's I can't remember, creative writing maybe. Anyway, the dude's awesome. So go back and listen to the episode if you're listening to this. Uh, but yeah, there's there's so many things I think that we can just touch the surface on that that just just begins this the process of oh, like that is Owensboro, you know. And so, you know, if you could sit down with your younger self before marriage, before kids, before your career, what would you tell what would you tell them about your life today?

SPEAKER_03 29:12

Another great question. These are you the the preparation that you put into this Brad.

SPEAKER_01 29:17

Well, Chatty helps me out a little bit, but yeah, I I I try to do as much as I can by myself.

SPEAKER_03 29:21

Well, I I owe you some more Cajun cooking for that. Oh, hey, I would take it.

SPEAKER_01 29:26

Anytime you offer, I would take it. Don't don't worry about that.

SPEAKER_03 29:30

I I'm if you ask me this question in five years, I'm sure I'd give you a different answer. So today, today I think my answer would be I would tell my younger self about life is have more courage to stick to what you believe is right for you.

SPEAKER_00 29:46

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 29:47

Listen less or think less or worry less about what others think for you or want for you or what you think they want for you, and and follow more closely what you believe to be, you know, not right and wrong, but like right for me, and to work harder for it. The older I get, the more I appreciate you know, you like we were talking about filling your cup.

SPEAKER_00 30:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 30:13

And I think that you know, you really do have to invest in your in your personal self in order to be of the best service and help to other people, um, building your skills, building your personal, you know, emotional intelligence and awareness and competency, whatever it is that you want to be good at or you feel you need to be good at. And just to follow that as closely as as you, you know, with with courage. And it may not always be the popular thing. It may not always be the what other people consider to be the right thing, but to stay close to your heart and to follow it more closely would be what I would tell a young younger me.

Courage, Family, And Patience

SPEAKER_01 30:53

That's well, that's good advice for anybody who's listening. Uh, yeah, so that was cool. I'm like, man, what are some things that I can think about? You know, you're a family man. I know at one point you're helping your son uh with his Eagle Scout project. Um you have multiple, multiple kids. And so what is one thing family has taught you about what really matters?

SPEAKER_03 31:11

Another excellent question. I'm thinking.

SPEAKER_01 31:13

No, you're good.

SPEAKER_03 31:14

The today I would say the the lessons that I've learned from my kids and my family have been Legion. Today I'm gonna pick patience.

SPEAKER_00 31:23

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 31:24

Patience is not they say patience is a virtue, it's a skill. It's constantly reminding yourself it's gonna be okay, not to get caught up into the moment. You know, they're they're they're you know, I've got teenagers now, so you know, in the morning they're moody, in the afternoon, they won't shut up at night, they're moody, or they're you know, or some some combination, they're not as emotionally regulated as adults, which is actually probably better. It makes them more fun. But at the same time, it it's I have to recognize that it's about what they want for their life and how they want to go about it. And I'm just trying to set them up.

SPEAKER_00 32:02

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 32:02

I'm trying to, I'm trying to make them feel feel brave and to set them up to pass along whatever I can that will help them and what they want to do.

SPEAKER_01 32:11

And to So kind of like to be a springboard for them.

SPEAKER_03 32:14

To be a springboard, a facilitator, a gardener, you know, to have patience as they grow. Uh, but the patience is a skill, it's just a constant reminder of well, they haven't done it yet, and then I want to fall into despair and all is lost, and they're gonna be living in my house to their 30, which in this in today's economy is not necessarily a bad thing. Yeah, but then but then they they surprise you or they wow you with like you didn't see that coming. And it just goes to show you what neurotic parental things I'm applying to them on a daily basis that don't that it's not theirs, it doesn't belong there, and I I have to stay with them on their terms, yeah, and to remove my my stuff and to make room for so they can be you know they can be who they are. And that patience is a skill is just that daily reminding of myself is that it takes time, they're working it out, they're gonna get there probably even better than how I got to where I'm at. So they're you know, you you you have to trust that they're gonna figure it out and have faith.

SPEAKER_01 33:19

Yeah, no, that's good. You know, and so we're gonna switch gears a little bit on these last two questions. Although I think what you've said already has been golden. And when people sit down and eat your food, you know, I know these questions kind of bounce around a little bit, but that's fine. But when people sit down and eat your food, what do you hope they feel?

SPEAKER_03 33:34

Welcome.

SPEAKER_01 33:35

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 33:40

Making food that's that's delicious, you know, it needs to look good to the eye. The first, the first sense that a lot of people interact with when their food is is you know the appearance. So whenever you plate it well and it looks well in the in the dish, you know, that's pleasing to the eye, that's inviting. Obviously the smell. I've had it, I don't do it real often. We'll have people over and uh I'll wait until they get there to start the cooking because I want the aroma to fill the house to kind of begin that that process of you know, you know, you put the smell in the air and and everything's smelling good and it makes them hungry for what's about to come. And then, you know, I'm like chasing the kids out of the kitchen. No snacking before supper's almost ready.

SPEAKER_01 34:20

I do that every day.

SPEAKER_03 34:21

But uh, but mostly it's it's I want to make it so they enjoy it and they feel welcome. And that's a way of expressing my my love for them, my gratitude, my appreciation. And I always want them to feel welcome in the sense that you know, you have a you always have a place at my table. I'm always going to try to make something that you like or in the way that you think you'll like it. I'm not trying to impress you, I'm trying to welcome you.

SPEAKER_01 34:45

Yeah, that's really cool. And your food's great. So it it that helps when you're trying to welcome people too. You know, this is something I always like to ask every guest. I always ask them, so I always try to ask three questions. Uh the one we'll ask after rapid fire, it's more of you know, kind of a look back thing, but is what makes Owensboro Owensboro and what does you do you want your legacy to be? And so we're getting to that point of all right, when you look ahead, like people think of Brad Hammers, Owensboro, Kentucky. What do you want people to remember?

SPEAKER_03 35:14

I don't know. Uh rapid fire, uh off the top of my head, nothing at all. Well, in the sense that like, you know, whenever people, whenever things are going well, nobody notices that. You know, every when everything's working as it should, people don't, it doesn't come to anybody's attention. What usually draws most people's attention is whenever something goes wrong.

SPEAKER_00 35:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 35:33

So if anybody remembers me, which is not expected or wanted, but to remember nothing at all because I did by my family and my community and my friends and everybody I know I did well. And there was nothing to remember because it it was done well and it worked.

SPEAKER_01 35:49

Yeah, that's interesting. I haven't heard that that a version of that before, but it makes me think like, you know, the sound guy at a concert, you know, nobody thinks about the sound guy until the electric guitar goes out in the middle of the song. Yeah. So yeah, no, that's really cool. Well, let's clear and just transition into rapid fire. Uh so I call it 270 seconds of fame. Uh that kind of goes with our area code. Uh, I don't record it, so I don't know if it's four and a half minutes or if it's one minute, but we just kind of go with it. It's right off the top of your head. Try not to think, just answer. Are you ready?

Cooking As Welcome

SPEAKER_03 36:17

All right, let me uh kind of empty my head. This shouldn't take a second. I'm ready to go.

SPEAKER_01 36:20

Okay, all right, here we go. Coffee or sweet tea?

SPEAKER_03 36:23

Coffee.

SPEAKER_01 36:23

Okay. Uh black?

SPEAKER_03 36:25

Black.

SPEAKER_01 36:25

Okay. Uh jambalaya or gumbo?

SPEAKER_03 36:28

Jambalaya.

SPEAKER_01 36:29

Alright. Uh, favorite spice you can't cook without paprika. Paprika, okay. One word that describes Owensboro. Loving. Alright. Uh, your go-to comfort meal after a long day.

SPEAKER_03 36:44

I'm rapid fire. Uh-huh, uh hummus and olives.

SPEAKER_01 36:48

Okay, there you go. That's not too bad. Uh, what's your favorite spot in Owensboro to unwind? My couch. Your couch. Alright. Do you have a favorite show you like to binge?

SPEAKER_03 36:57

Favorite show uh today, Battlestar Galactica.

SPEAKER_01 37:00

Okay, okay. I haven't watched it in a while. It's a good show. Uh, best piece of advice you've ever received.

SPEAKER_03 37:05

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

SPEAKER_01 37:07

Alright. Uh, who taught you how to cook?

SPEAKER_03 37:10

Uh Jim Plymer.

SPEAKER_01 37:12

Alright. Uh, what's your what's your dream camping destination? Velmont Scout Ranch. Okay. Isn't that is that the one in New Mexico? That's the one in New Mexico. Yeah, I have some friends that have done that and it's awesome out there. Um, and so yeah, they even have to put their food up in a tree for bears, but we'll I digress. Uh, what's uh your favorite Boy Scout value or motto? Scout is kind. Okay. Uh what's one lesson scouting has taught you in your life? There's always more to give and more to receive. Okay, what's the first thing you cook for a big family gathering?

SPEAKER_03 37:46

Gumbo.

SPEAKER_01 37:46

Gumbo, alright. Uh what is the music that always puts you in a good mood?

SPEAKER_03 37:52

Metallica.

SPEAKER_01 37:53

Metallica, okay. Uh let's see. Um, what's the biggest kitchen disaster you've ever had?

SPEAKER_03 38:00

Oh. What did I do last week? Um it it uh I made I made a soup that had like no flavor. Um man. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 38:10

So it's just blend and yeah.

SPEAKER_03 38:11

I mean, it's like you might as well have just drank water out of the creek. It was like I worked on it for two hours and I was like, I I should have just opened a bottle of water. It's no no fires or anything, but uh if it I don't know if this picks up on the mic, but day's not over yet.

SPEAKER_01 38:27

Yeah, yeah. There you go. Okay. Uh what's one thing about Owenswirl uh that people never mind, we'll skip that one. We're gonna answer that one. Uh what's one smell that reminds you most of home?

SPEAKER_03 38:40

Oh uh smell that reminds me of home. Trying to think of something my mom cooked, but mostly it's uh, I'd say probably you know something she was cooking.

SPEAKER_01 38:50

Okay. All right. Uh what's the most underrated part of living in Kentucky?

SPEAKER_03 38:55

How beautiful it is here, especially in the spring. It is unparalleled in the country, and I've been most places.

SPEAKER_01 39:02

Okay. All right. What's a meal that says home to you?

SPEAKER_03 39:06

Meal that says home to me. Uh really nice spaghetti and meatballs and homemade.

SPEAKER_01 39:12

Okay. Make you like make your own noodles homemade?

Mardi Gras 101 And Traditions

SPEAKER_03 39:16

Yeah, that too. Um, you know, you make the meatballs slow simmer in a sauce all day long, and you have the smells in the house that's um, you know, at a long day that's very filling and delicious. That uh feels like home.

SPEAKER_01 39:26

That's nice. Uh, what's the last thing that made you laugh out loud?

SPEAKER_03 39:31

Uh-huh. Probably looking at uh some ridiculous meme on the internet yesterday where you're just like, who comes up with this stuff?

SPEAKER_01 39:38

Yeah, I know. Who does Tom on hands to do this? Uh what is in your life, if your life oh, this is the last one. If your life had a theme song, what would it be?

SPEAKER_03 39:48

Oh wow. Um I can't think of a good one right now, but the Benny Hill Yakity sax is coming to mind. I think that would probably be it.

SPEAKER_01 39:57

Yakity sax. All right, that's great. Well, you passed. Congrats, Craig. Uh no, you did a great job. Uh, and just real quick, as we, you know, we talk about Cajun and the street forwards. I'm just gonna go in a little bit about what Fat Tuesday is. So if you're realistic, you're like, I have no idea what you're talking about. Alright, so here goes a couple of things. Uh Mardi Gras is only something that happens right before Lent. So there's a thing called Epiphany. Uh, and when an epiphany happens, um, which doesn't mean like it's an epiphany of like a thought, it's epiphany of like when the kings came to visit Jesus, and that's what starts off Mardi Gras. And it's just a celebration of life, a celebration of family, of joy, unity. Um, and really, honestly, it's it's a really fun tradition. Um, and so here's some things. Uh, in Mardi Gras, the colors are purple, green, and gold. Purple is justice, green is faith, and gold is power. Um, it's family-friendly parades where generations line up together for throws and laughters. And you're like, what are throws? Great question. Stuffed animals, uh fans, uh, light up toys, uh, lightsabers, um, purses, coconuts. Uh, I mean, they like they get a little crazy with them, uh, shoes. And so those are some of the throws that you can get. Uh the common misconception about beads is it's not about the party, it's about community. Um, and it's also not about what you get for the beads. You you really, if you look around, people are putting their hands in the air, um, and it's just their hands, and uh, they're getting beads. And so uh it's a lot of fun. You actually uh they throw so many beads out that you Krispy Kreme runs a deal to where every 10 pounds of beads you give in, you get a free dozen donuts. Uh and so we always got caught quite a few Krispy Kreme dozens after after Mardi Gras. Uh, the heart of Mardi Gras is about gathering, celebrating abundance, and then entering reflection. So, again, uh it's about celebrating and then reflection going into Lent, uh, which is the days leading up to Easter and uh giving something up during that time of Lent. There's a lot of fish fries in New Orleans during that time. Um, and then really how food, such as gumbo, jambalaya, and king cake, and you're probably like, what's king cake? Well, I think it's amazing. I got told by a boss uh in Oklahoma City that it was just a dried-up cinnamon roll that is totally foss. Uh, it is a very good, it's just I would say it's close to cinnamon roll.

SPEAKER_03 42:06

Um yeah, it's it's in that vein, but it's uh it's still distinct.

SPEAKER_01 42:10

It is it's it's amazing. And you nowadays, like you get them filled, and it gets crazy. And whoever gets the baby, the tradition, whoever gets a baby has to buy the next skin cake.

SPEAKER_03 42:20

Yeah, and it and it's got like the the the colors on there, and it's just if you don't like cane cake, we need to have a conversation. Allow me to convince you that's fantastic.

Food As Community Glue

SPEAKER_01 42:29

Yeah, well in Oklahoma City, we had a lady who came who moved there from Trueport, and uh so she made cinnamon rolls, like or not cinnamon rolls, she made king cake, um, but then we had somebody out of a friend of mine that went back to see his daughter at the seminary I was at, um, and he I jokingly put out there, like, hey, if you're in New Orleans and want to send me a kin cake, and he was like, Hey, what kind do you want? I'll bring it home to you. I was like, No, it's okay. He's like, no, seriously. Uh and so he got Randazzo's, which is like the grandfather of the king cakes, um, and it was amazing, but my boss, unfortunately, said it was like a dry cinnamon roll. Um, so anyway, so you know, it's okay. I won't hold it against them. I don't work there anymore, but that's not the reason why. Um but anyway, uh, you know, food in New Orleans really ties in the tradition of gratitude and togetherness. Like you said, a lot of it came from not having a lot of money and creating food from that. I mean, you get creative, like just like there's people in the world like me and you who like to spaz it up a little bit, uh, even though we don't really know what it's gonna taste like. Um, and that's what they did, and it came out amazing. And so, uh, so yeah, so just real quick, uh, Brad, I just want to ask you a few questions in regards to fattoons. Ask them as you as you can. I know you before the show you were telling me that uh you can do a whole lot of Mardi Raw stuff in Shreep. Yeah. Um, but you know, you but you know what Mardi Gras is. Yeah, um, and so how do you bring that Mardi Gras energy into your cooking?

SPEAKER_03 43:44

Um, well, it's just like you said, you know, with the creativity and making making something out of what you got and trying to make something great out of it. And uh I I'm a big, big, big believer in food as a glue of community.

SPEAKER_01 43:59

Oh, I would agree. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 44:00

And so I think delicious food is a great excuse. And you, you know, you look look at like TV shows and read and you know it's it and all of the oldest cultures around the world, it's such a glue of community where they come together and have community meals. And you know, Mardi Gras is no exception. It's fantastic food. It's a it's it's it's how they celebrate each other, not the focus of the celebration, I feel, but it's certainly integral to that.

SPEAKER_01 44:25

Like yeah, like you can walk up on a on a tent and there's they have a big old pot of jambalaya going, or uh, you know, they're they're cooking, they're doing their own po-boys kind of thing. I mean, yeah, you just don't know what you're gonna get, which is really cool. Um, you know, uh I guess the last question before we kind of end it up on the question I asked everybody is uh if Brad Hammer could create a Mardi Girl parade without really ever going to one, but knowing the gist of Mardi Girl culture, what would be the theme?

SPEAKER_03 44:52

What would be the theme? Uh I think uh if if I was doing it here in Owensboro, we would throw, we would have a parade and people would do floats, but everybody'd have to throw donuts because this place is just nuts for donuts.

SPEAKER_01 45:10

Yeah, you'd have to do rolling pin, right? I would assume.

SPEAKER_03 45:12

Yeah, rolling pin or whatever the all the varieties, it's like everywhere you go, like you would think that they're never gonna make another donut the way people want donuts around here. So I'm like, well, let's have a parade and let's let's throw some let's throw donuts.

Legacy, Laughter, And Closing

SPEAKER_01 45:24

There you go. So the donuts would be to throw, which again, if you don't know what throws are, I mentioned them earlier, like there's a parade called Nick's, they throw purses, uh, there's muses, they throw shoes, and what they do is not it's not just like a shoe that you go in the shoe shop, could be a sponsor, but not. Uh it's not they're going in there and buying a box of shoes and throwing out a pair of piece. Uh they decorate them, they they put some jazz into them, uh, they make them fun. Uh, and so yeah, so anyway, Mardi Gras great. And now you know a little bit about Fat Tuesday and Mardi Gros, and you know if you didn't want to. Um, but it I miss New Orleans a lot, and so anytime I get the chance to uh bring that into what I'm talking about, I like to do that. So, right, let's go into the last question, and we'll wrap it up from there. Sure. Um I ask every person this, but they're listening to the podcast, which we covered a lot. But you know, what is one thing you like them to take away from it? Like, what is something that's encouraging, challenging, inspirational? Like, if you're like, hey, if you'd walk away with one thing from this podcast, this would be it. Well, what would you want to leave the audience?

SPEAKER_03 46:23

I would say find your own way of gluing some community together. Okay. My solution to that has been food. But you know, everybody has so many, you know, everybody's good at something, and there's so many talented people and creative in their own ways, and you know, how I might do it is is just my particular answer to it. I think any way that anybody can find to glue together some community around you and and be of service and of value to others, do that.

SPEAKER_01 46:56

Yeah, no, that's good. And I I'm a very big believer of food, connecting people with like that's where a lot of my connections I come from is from lunches or breakfasts or coffee or anything like that. And so, Brad, thanks for coming on, man. It was it was a lot of fun. I've enjoyed uh listening to your your stories, listening to even how you talk about how the way you cook. That was a lot of fun. And so, you know, it's really neat that you've been able to pair up your your long time in Owensboro with even your short time in Shreveport with Cajun cooking. And so your journey reminds us that whether it's a scout campfire or a kitchen full of gumbo, uh, real community really starts with showing up for one another and having a meal. And so remember, everywhere else, it's just a Tuesday. But in Louisiana, it's Fat Tuesday, a day to celebrate life, love, and flavor. And Owensboro, have a great week. Don't party too hard if you're thinking Marty Gras. And I hope I don't get fired for saying that. And have a great week, guys, and we'll see you next. Thanks for tuning in to all things Owensboro, where we celebrate the stories, people, and places that make our city special. If you enjoyed today's episode, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who loves this town as much as you do. Until next time, Owensboro, keep loving local, supporting one another, and making Owensboro a place we're all proud to call home.