The Louisiana Roots of Leah Chase, Queen of Creole Cuisine
Among legendary chef, restaurateur, activist, and patron of the arts Leah Chase's more intriguing ancestors are one of the first African American members of the Louisiana state legislature, a fellow who purchased the freedom of several relatives, a gentleman who served as the military legal counselor to the Spanish governor, and a great-great-grandmother whose cause attracted the attention of the then governor of Florida and future American President, Andrew Jackson. To share the entirety of her family saga would require a book, but here are some highlights.
