Today we’d like to introduce you to Nettie Colόn.
Hi Nettie, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I am a Minneapolis transplant by way of New York and Puerto Rico, I spent my early years living a reverse West Side Story. I was born in New York City and raised in Puerto Rico, Nettie Colón spent my formative years learning traditional cooking methods of the island with my grandmother, Maria Brigida Llanes de Jesus, and her friends.
I am one of 48 grandchildren on my mother’s side, time spent on my grandmother’s farm in the remote central mountain town of Utuado offered an idyllic childhood for all of us kids who lived in the city. I got my love of cooking from my abuela, and to this day, that influence is very much alive in every dish that I prepare. My love of traveling comes from the time spent hopping around the island to eat with my family. My Dad is from Cayey, where the sector of Guavate aka “The Pork Highway” is located. That is how I came to realize that people do travel for food, especially in Puerto Rico.
This passion for traveling for food led me to work all over the United States & abroad, with culinary adventures to West Indies, Wales, Spain, France, Sardinia, Southern Italy, Yucatan Peninsula, Costa Rica & Panama. I taught the history of Mayan cuisine in the Biosphere Reserve of Sia’an Ka’an in Tulum, Yucatan for 9 years with Mayan Chefs Manuela Cocom Pat y Ruben Exiquio Lopez Ayala where I fell in love with traditional Mayan cooking methods including Pibil, which lead to exploration of underground techniques from around the world such as Pachamanca, Curanto, Hangi and others.
After working for my mentor Lucia Watson, chef/owner of Lucia’s Restaurant & Wine Bar in Uptown for over a decade as Chef de Cuisine, I decided that it was time to do something different and that’s how Red Hen Gastrolab Concepts was created. There are 3 parts to Red Hen. There’s Red Hen Gastrolab and that is the Big Hen that comes up with what to do next: ie travels for cooking, teaching, consulting, mentorship, and quite often Culinary Mayhem of some sort or other.
Red Hen Chinchorro is private more intimate dinners that feature food from the Caribbean corridor. From Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Cuba & the Yucatan Peninsula with a Diaspora twist to it. Last but not least is the Red Hen Table, which is a farm or field dinner sourcing seasonal and local produce. Bringing people together to share a meal in a beautiful open setting. The purpose of Red Hen Gastrolab Concepts is to preserve the relationships built around food traditions in the kitchen and at the table. I arrived 23 years ago in Minnesota and it has been my home ever since. My roots are deep and my culinary friendships even deeper and I would not have it any other way.
I am Chef/Owner of The Red Hen Gastrolab Concepts, also Resident Chef at The Break Room Minneapolis at The Historic Machine Shop, a James Beard Foundation Chefs Boot Camp for Policy & Advocacy Alumni, BA Craftmade Aprons “Project Black & Blue” Advocate, and Market Chef & Board Member and Mill City Farmers Market in Minneapolis & of The Northern Clay Center of Minnesota.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I come from a culture in which obstacles do not stop us from achieving our dreams or goals. I was brought up in a family where we shared and helped each other succeed, because if one person in our group succeeded then that meant that we all too could succeed.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I love to travel for food and immerse myself in the history and culture of food in my travel destinations. When creating a dish or a menu I try to incorporate what I have learned from my travels and the people that I meet and tell their stories thru food. The most simple dish can tell such a beautiful story of where it comes from and why it is prepared in that specific way. I like to think of myself as a food storyteller and bring to the table dishes that tell the story of the place, time, and people.
Where ever I can dig a hole in the ground to bury food and cook it that way, I am there. I was mentored for 9 years by Manuela Cocom Pat in Pibil cooking. I was also taught by a Mayan elder how to make Recado Negro which is a black paste made of dried chiles that are local to that area and are cooked over a fire in a cauldron until they are completely black. This paste takes 7 days to produce and it is the most amazing flavor in my mind of anything I have ever had.
I am forever curious about traditional cooking techniques that are used over a fire. Learning and preserving whatever is taught to me I replicate with respect and tell the story of it for others to know, taste and learn.
We all have different ways of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success to me is when you achieve what you set out to do, not what others think you should to be successful.
When you are satisfied with what you have achieved then you can live a life that matters. I measure success by how happy and peaceful I am with what I am doing. Decide your vibe.
Be 1 of 1 and not 1 of 5 or 10.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.redhengastrolab.com
- Instagram: @chef.nettie.rhg and @redhengastrolab
