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| American chef and civil rights activist Leah Chase passed away. |
Famed chef and activist Leah Chase passed away at the age of 96.
A native of New Orleans, Leah Chase never feared anything. She was a maven of cuisine. Chase always felt offended when people visited her family restaurant and asked for "soul food."
She would kindy reply that your soul is where you place was.
"If your soul is in New Orleans, I know what to give you," she said in an interview. "I'm going to give you some jambalaya. I can give you some stewed chicken. I can give you some shrimp Creole."
She fed generations of New Orleanians at the Dooky Chase restaurant. A real staple of tourism in The Big Easy. She passed away on Saturday.
The family released a statement on her passing.
"Her daily joy was not simply cooking, but preparing meals to bring people together. One of her most prized contributions was advocating for the Civil Rights Movement through feeding those on the front lines of the struggle for human dignity."
The restaurant was a place where Black patrons would by lottery tickets, get a good hot meal, a good sandwich and drink. Now its a place where tourist, athletes, musicians and even presidents dined.
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| Famed Dooky Chase restaurant in New Orleans. |
Even in her 90s she would at least be spotted preparing food for patrons.
"I love people and I love serving people. It's fun for me to serve people. Because sometimes people will come in and they're tired. And just a little plate of food will make people happy," she said to the Associated Press in 2015.
She was married to Dooky Chase in 1946. She turned the restaurant after her husband's namesake into a place of beauty.
When Hurricane Katrina destroyed the restaurant, Leah worked with the help of her family to turn Dooky Chase into an iconic staple of New Orleans.
Dooky died in 2016. He and Leah made food with Creole, Spanish, French and African inspiration. Treasured among New Orleans.
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