What first impressed me when I met Chef Annie Pettry was her quiet confidence. This executive chef of Decca Restaurant in Louisville, KY was kind and calm and cooked up a storm, but she wasn’t brash or trying to prove herself in conversation or otherwise. She was real, and I immediately liked her. Not to mention her food! But I will mention it just to tempt you: this time of year, Decca’s menu includes Butternut Squash Ravioli, Wood-Grilled Broccoli, and Rainbow Trout with Seared Cucumber. As a chef, she’s been featured in Food & Wine, Tasting Table, and Garden & Gun, and she won best barbecue at Cochon 555, so I tried not to be intimidated. I got over that fear fast, though, during our chat at Lambstock 2016. It was just too hot to be nervous.