1 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:07,600 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Annie and Samantha and welcome to Steffan 2 00:00:07,600 --> 00:00:18,759 Speaker 1: never told you production by hurried to you, and it 3 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:22,680 Speaker 1: is time for another edition of Female First, which means 4 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:27,000 Speaker 1: we are once again joined by the adventurous, the amazing Eves. 5 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:27,800 Speaker 2: Welcome Eaves. 6 00:00:28,120 --> 00:00:29,960 Speaker 3: Hello, thank you for the welcome. 7 00:00:30,520 --> 00:00:33,120 Speaker 2: Thank you for being here. Listeners. 8 00:00:33,159 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 1: If you hear some cicadas, Eves, every time you joined us, 9 00:00:37,080 --> 00:00:39,279 Speaker 1: Eves where you have to ask where are you? 10 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:41,600 Speaker 2: And you're it looks like you're. 11 00:00:41,479 --> 00:00:44,960 Speaker 1: In the wilderness. You're wearing a dinosaur shirt. I'm loving 12 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:48,640 Speaker 1: all of this, Thank you very much. I was in 13 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:53,960 Speaker 1: a dinosaur mood today. So some days the dinosaur mood 14 00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:58,560 Speaker 1: just strikes and you must wear your dinosaur apparel. 15 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:02,600 Speaker 2: Yes, So how have you been, Eves? Anything of note? 16 00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:04,560 Speaker 4: Is there? 17 00:01:04,600 --> 00:01:07,559 Speaker 3: Has there ever been anything of No? I'm not sure. Oh, okay. 18 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:13,240 Speaker 4: So I went to a craft club recently, and that 19 00:01:13,360 --> 00:01:15,640 Speaker 4: was new for me because I think, as I've talked 20 00:01:15,680 --> 00:01:18,880 Speaker 4: to y'all about before, and I have also maybe talked 21 00:01:18,880 --> 00:01:21,000 Speaker 4: about on the show before, I have gotten back into 22 00:01:21,040 --> 00:01:25,119 Speaker 4: my art making and my crafting through sewing and bookmaking. 23 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:28,920 Speaker 4: So going to a craft club was new for me 24 00:01:28,959 --> 00:01:32,640 Speaker 4: because I'm not used to crafting and community, but it was. 25 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:34,800 Speaker 4: But I am used to art making and community, and 26 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:37,399 Speaker 4: I love that. I had just never been to a 27 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:41,640 Speaker 4: craft specific club. So I went with a new friend 28 00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:45,360 Speaker 4: and that was really fun. I got to know the 29 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:47,920 Speaker 4: new friend, and I got to meet some other people there, 30 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:52,680 Speaker 4: and it was just I was a little like I 31 00:01:52,720 --> 00:01:55,960 Speaker 4: was a little socially anxious beforehand, and then I got. 32 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:58,640 Speaker 3: There and everybody was so nice. 33 00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:02,000 Speaker 4: It was super chill, you know, people working on all 34 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:06,480 Speaker 4: different sorts of things there. So yeah, I guess that's 35 00:02:06,520 --> 00:02:09,160 Speaker 4: something something recent in my life that may be a 36 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:10,360 Speaker 4: little interesting to everyone. 37 00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:14,440 Speaker 5: Actually it's very fitting because I was just telling Annie 38 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:17,079 Speaker 5: that we're about to have a future episode about making 39 00:02:17,120 --> 00:02:22,440 Speaker 5: friends as adults, and I have been curious about the 40 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:26,160 Speaker 5: craft clubs because I've seen them at libraries like knitting days, 41 00:02:26,440 --> 00:02:29,360 Speaker 5: and I love this idea. So I feel like I 42 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:30,840 Speaker 5: need to pick your brain. We need maybe we need 43 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:33,640 Speaker 5: to have you back on talk about experiences about that, 44 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:36,080 Speaker 5: because I think that's the whole conversation we want to 45 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:41,200 Speaker 5: have about this new way of making friendships after COVID. 46 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:45,160 Speaker 5: But I love that, and I need more reports because 47 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:47,480 Speaker 5: I think I need someone to prep me if I 48 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:49,080 Speaker 5: actually ever try to do something like this. 49 00:02:49,520 --> 00:02:51,280 Speaker 3: Okay, I can do what I can. 50 00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:53,400 Speaker 4: That was my first time going, but I'm sure if 51 00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:56,639 Speaker 4: I get the opportunity to and the timing is right 52 00:02:56,680 --> 00:02:58,520 Speaker 4: since I'm all over the place sometimes and I can 53 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:00,840 Speaker 4: get back to it, then then I would love to 54 00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:03,519 Speaker 4: do that. But I also have definitely been thinking about 55 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:06,280 Speaker 4: making friends post COVID, and I have been making a 56 00:03:06,320 --> 00:03:10,240 Speaker 4: lot of them and in ways that feel genuine and 57 00:03:10,760 --> 00:03:14,480 Speaker 4: natural and not forced at all, and it's always been 58 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:16,520 Speaker 4: so super smooth. Like I went to an event with 59 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:19,600 Speaker 4: a new friend this past weekend as well, and it 60 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:22,920 Speaker 4: was another art thing. So art things definitely can connect 61 00:03:22,919 --> 00:03:26,880 Speaker 4: help connect the people. They're so so broad and so varied, 62 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:27,800 Speaker 4: and it's nice. 63 00:03:27,639 --> 00:03:30,040 Speaker 3: Because you have something else to focus on with the person. 64 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:34,160 Speaker 4: So if if like the person isn't doesn't really it's 65 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:37,680 Speaker 4: maybe a little it's it's a little awkward because y'all 66 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:40,000 Speaker 4: don't really know each other. Well, then you have something 67 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:42,720 Speaker 4: else to focus on too, But then there's still room 68 00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:46,480 Speaker 4: around the event to have a singular conversation. 69 00:03:46,680 --> 00:03:49,400 Speaker 3: So yeah, it's a very interesting topic. 70 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:53,400 Speaker 5: Yeah, you're definitely gotten my wills going because again, you 71 00:03:53,440 --> 00:03:55,160 Speaker 5: are also the extrovert. 72 00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:55,800 Speaker 6: I feel like. 73 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:02,120 Speaker 7: We've talked about previously when I was like, Hi, you 74 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:07,240 Speaker 7: genuinely do so good, so well when it comes to 75 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 7: being in crowds and being around people, like your calm 76 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:14,400 Speaker 7: looks like confidence, but not in an ego way. 77 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:17,080 Speaker 5: That it's the most impressive thing I've ever seen in 78 00:04:17,120 --> 00:04:20,000 Speaker 5: a person. That I still think about this conversation that 79 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:22,360 Speaker 5: we've had when we've gone out in public, and I'm 80 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:26,520 Speaker 5: just like clinging to you for moral support because it's 81 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:29,200 Speaker 5: a whole different take. And I love how you interact 82 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:31,760 Speaker 5: with people and that you are genuine in all of 83 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:35,240 Speaker 5: your interactions. It seems so we're gonna have to have 84 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:37,480 Speaker 5: I'm just gonna pick your brain in an episode. 85 00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:39,880 Speaker 3: Okay, I'm here for it. Just let me know when 86 00:04:39,880 --> 00:04:41,000 Speaker 3: to come back. You know I'm here. 87 00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:45,480 Speaker 1: I love how so often we're like we do this 88 00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:47,400 Speaker 1: with a lot of guests, but especially Ease, We're like, 89 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:48,640 Speaker 1: can you help us? 90 00:04:48,839 --> 00:04:52,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, you're stressed, we need your meditation. 91 00:04:52,520 --> 00:04:58,159 Speaker 5: Anyway, I have become that person to us. 92 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:01,760 Speaker 2: Well, I'm curious kind of thinking about things that bring 93 00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:07,359 Speaker 2: people together. Are you a cook, Eaves, do you like 94 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:08,039 Speaker 2: to cook? 95 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:09,200 Speaker 3: No? 96 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:12,120 Speaker 4: Panic ensued when you said, are you a cook? I 97 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:15,680 Speaker 4: started a panic immediately because I'm not a cook. I 98 00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:20,200 Speaker 4: think Samantha. I know Samantha's a great cook. I like 99 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:23,760 Speaker 4: I have I had any of your food, Annie, I 100 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:24,440 Speaker 4: don't know if I have. 101 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:30,760 Speaker 3: But yeah, I can cook, right, But I'm not a cook. 102 00:05:31,080 --> 00:05:35,159 Speaker 4: Like I can make certain things well, I know really 103 00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:39,200 Speaker 4: well how to put different seasonings together, like just naturally 104 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:40,640 Speaker 4: I can. 105 00:05:41,240 --> 00:05:43,359 Speaker 3: So I have certain skills. 106 00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:45,599 Speaker 4: That come naturally, like I know how to cook for 107 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:48,919 Speaker 4: myself or my family, but I'm not the cook. Like 108 00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:51,000 Speaker 4: nobody would come to me and be like, Eves, you 109 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:53,320 Speaker 4: got to make this thing for this party or this pot, 110 00:05:53,360 --> 00:05:55,000 Speaker 4: look like you need to make this, you need to 111 00:05:55,040 --> 00:05:59,279 Speaker 4: make that. And I am also a recipe person, and 112 00:05:59,320 --> 00:06:04,040 Speaker 4: I feel like although I can throw things together, oftentimes 113 00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:07,080 Speaker 4: I'm working off of a recipe and I know what goes. 114 00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:09,440 Speaker 4: I can add lib off of a recipe, but usually 115 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:12,560 Speaker 4: I have some sort of foundational building block that is 116 00:06:12,800 --> 00:06:15,040 Speaker 4: like somebody else's, and then I might be able to 117 00:06:15,080 --> 00:06:15,680 Speaker 4: tinker with that. 118 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:16,160 Speaker 3: A little bit. 119 00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:19,120 Speaker 4: So yeah, like come to my house and I will 120 00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:21,599 Speaker 4: cook for you and you'll really enjoy the meal. But 121 00:06:21,680 --> 00:06:26,000 Speaker 4: I wouldn't like I'm not gonna be the I'm not 122 00:06:26,040 --> 00:06:30,359 Speaker 4: gonna be the person who is Like if I continue 123 00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:32,840 Speaker 4: to have a family line, like all my recipes are 124 00:06:32,839 --> 00:06:36,279 Speaker 4: gonna get passed down, Like I don't look, I don't 125 00:06:36,279 --> 00:06:39,280 Speaker 4: know who's gonna be responsible for that because it's not 126 00:06:39,320 --> 00:06:39,800 Speaker 4: gonna be me. 127 00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:43,000 Speaker 3: But but I do enjoy eating. 128 00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:47,599 Speaker 5: Okay, Yeah, I need to put a stand because you 129 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:48,839 Speaker 5: try to say that I was a good cook. 130 00:06:49,040 --> 00:06:50,600 Speaker 6: That's exactly how I cook as well. 131 00:06:50,800 --> 00:06:54,680 Speaker 5: I literally take a recipe and I'm even more stringent 132 00:06:54,720 --> 00:06:56,400 Speaker 5: and like the first time I do it, I will 133 00:06:56,440 --> 00:07:00,480 Speaker 5: do everything by the book, and then after I hate it, 134 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:03,920 Speaker 5: then I will modify how I wanted to go. So 135 00:07:04,360 --> 00:07:07,800 Speaker 5: you because you have been present when I have cooked things, 136 00:07:08,279 --> 00:07:09,920 Speaker 5: but I would never say I was a cook. I 137 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:12,680 Speaker 5: also don't get asked to do things and everything is 138 00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:15,960 Speaker 5: like oh like stress and half of it is probably 139 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:19,000 Speaker 5: pre bought, Like this is the way I do things. 140 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:22,520 Speaker 5: I do both because I did host a lunar New 141 00:07:22,600 --> 00:07:25,200 Speaker 5: Year's event in which yes Eves came. 142 00:07:26,600 --> 00:07:28,200 Speaker 6: It was definitely trial and error. 143 00:07:28,240 --> 00:07:30,280 Speaker 5: So I don't want that to be confused because I'm 144 00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:33,120 Speaker 5: like I tried because I wanted to have friends here, 145 00:07:33,680 --> 00:07:37,200 Speaker 5: but I'm not a cook cook. My partner is actually 146 00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:41,200 Speaker 5: really great at improv in cooking on the fly. Like 147 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:44,120 Speaker 5: I it makes me anxious and I hate it. Like 148 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:45,760 Speaker 5: after I eat it, I love it. But like if 149 00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:47,400 Speaker 5: I give him a recipe or like, this is what 150 00:07:47,480 --> 00:07:49,520 Speaker 5: I want and then he starts doing his own thing, 151 00:07:49,840 --> 00:07:51,720 Speaker 5: I kind of freak out a little bit because I'm. 152 00:07:51,560 --> 00:07:53,120 Speaker 6: Like, that's not what I wanted. But he does a 153 00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:54,720 Speaker 6: good job, so I can't say much. 154 00:07:55,040 --> 00:07:58,160 Speaker 5: But yeah, like I'm the same way too, because I'm like, no, 155 00:07:58,280 --> 00:07:59,720 Speaker 5: this is the thing, this is what I found on 156 00:07:59,720 --> 00:08:02,080 Speaker 5: a box, this is what I found online, and I 157 00:08:02,120 --> 00:08:04,560 Speaker 5: am going to use this as my basics and I'm 158 00:08:04,600 --> 00:08:05,920 Speaker 5: going to follow it to a t. 159 00:08:06,560 --> 00:08:08,160 Speaker 6: And I will say, any I don't think I've ever 160 00:08:08,560 --> 00:08:10,440 Speaker 6: Have you ever cooked for me? I don't know if 161 00:08:10,480 --> 00:08:11,640 Speaker 6: you I've ever eaten your food. 162 00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:14,000 Speaker 2: I don't think I have. 163 00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:18,600 Speaker 1: And it's in part because I cook a lot. You 164 00:08:18,640 --> 00:08:23,440 Speaker 1: cook a lot and your partner cooks a lot. And Okay, 165 00:08:24,320 --> 00:08:26,400 Speaker 1: a part of the issue is I think I'm actually 166 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:31,000 Speaker 1: really good cook and I love cooking. You both didn't 167 00:08:31,040 --> 00:08:34,120 Speaker 1: meet me in the time when I was baking all 168 00:08:34,160 --> 00:08:35,640 Speaker 1: the time, and I bring baked. 169 00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:39,319 Speaker 2: Goods all the time. It was just awesome. They were 170 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:40,480 Speaker 2: very well reviewed. 171 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:43,480 Speaker 1: But I got kind of like typecast for a couple 172 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:44,560 Speaker 1: of things and it annoyed me. 173 00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:47,880 Speaker 2: But then I moved out of that phase. 174 00:08:47,960 --> 00:08:51,840 Speaker 1: But I love cooking, but I kind of have my 175 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:55,440 Speaker 1: things that I stick to. I have a small kitchen, 176 00:08:55,800 --> 00:08:57,720 Speaker 1: so I can't do if like, if you're gonna ask 177 00:08:57,760 --> 00:09:00,240 Speaker 1: me to get out the food processor, I'm probably not 178 00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:03,080 Speaker 1: going to get out the food processor. And I also 179 00:09:04,559 --> 00:09:11,040 Speaker 1: i'm kind of I don't have the array of spices 180 00:09:11,080 --> 00:09:14,400 Speaker 1: that you and your partner do, Samantha, so I can't. 181 00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:17,560 Speaker 1: And that's because I'm a single person who lives alone, 182 00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:20,320 Speaker 1: and I just don't like having a lot of stuff 183 00:09:20,440 --> 00:09:22,560 Speaker 1: that I might use only once or not that often. 184 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:29,000 Speaker 1: And I'm also like concerned about time, and so there 185 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:31,439 Speaker 1: are things that I like make once and I like, 186 00:09:31,440 --> 00:09:35,000 Speaker 1: like one time I'd made this amazing turkey. It was 187 00:09:35,040 --> 00:09:38,280 Speaker 1: so good, I'll never do it again, probably because it 188 00:09:38,280 --> 00:09:39,400 Speaker 1: took so much time. 189 00:09:41,880 --> 00:09:43,760 Speaker 2: So I know I can do it. It's there. 190 00:09:44,360 --> 00:09:47,160 Speaker 1: But most of the time I kind of make simple 191 00:09:47,200 --> 00:09:50,040 Speaker 1: things that are very easy. So the reason you haven't 192 00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:51,520 Speaker 1: had a lot of my cooking is that I feel 193 00:09:51,520 --> 00:09:55,040 Speaker 1: like your partner has these ideas and I just don't 194 00:09:55,040 --> 00:09:56,880 Speaker 1: have the like nice ingredients. 195 00:09:58,040 --> 00:10:00,360 Speaker 2: Like I can make you something pretty simple. It will 196 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:02,360 Speaker 2: be good, but it's not gonna be near as good as. 197 00:10:02,240 --> 00:10:02,800 Speaker 1: What you have. 198 00:10:03,400 --> 00:10:15,720 Speaker 5: I would still be down for it, and I know 199 00:10:16,600 --> 00:10:19,040 Speaker 5: any you're gonna transition to this, but I'm so excited. 200 00:10:19,120 --> 00:10:21,040 Speaker 5: I just have to put this in here about the 201 00:10:21,080 --> 00:10:25,880 Speaker 5: person you brought because I just recently went to New 202 00:10:25,920 --> 00:10:30,680 Speaker 5: New Orleans and the one thing if anybody goes traveling 203 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:34,000 Speaker 5: to New Orleans, I love the city and the only 204 00:10:34,040 --> 00:10:35,840 Speaker 5: not the onlyeston. There's so many reasons, but one of 205 00:10:35,840 --> 00:10:39,120 Speaker 5: the main focuses for me is to get as much 206 00:10:39,600 --> 00:10:43,280 Speaker 5: New Orleans cuisine as possible. Like I don't want to drink, 207 00:10:43,559 --> 00:10:45,840 Speaker 5: I don't want to do anything else but find the 208 00:10:45,880 --> 00:10:50,560 Speaker 5: best food there. So I'm really pumped about this conversation. 209 00:10:51,040 --> 00:10:54,040 Speaker 1: Yes, me too, So let's get into it. Who did 210 00:10:54,080 --> 00:10:56,280 Speaker 1: you bring for us to talk about today, Eves? 211 00:10:56,440 --> 00:11:00,839 Speaker 4: So today we're talking about Lena Richard, which is why 212 00:11:00,880 --> 00:11:04,040 Speaker 4: Samantha is mentioning New Orleans. She was the first black 213 00:11:04,040 --> 00:11:08,080 Speaker 4: woman to publish a New Orleans Creo cuisine cookbook and 214 00:11:08,360 --> 00:11:12,120 Speaker 4: the first black American to host a cooking show. So 215 00:11:12,720 --> 00:11:18,120 Speaker 4: her story is super exciting and we'll probably make you hungry. 216 00:11:19,440 --> 00:11:23,600 Speaker 4: So actually, y'all pause the episode, get a snack if 217 00:11:23,640 --> 00:11:28,880 Speaker 4: you're not snacking, and then come back and then turn 218 00:11:28,920 --> 00:11:32,600 Speaker 4: the episode back on, and then you'll be far more 219 00:11:32,840 --> 00:11:35,839 Speaker 4: prepared for what's to come, because you may get hungry 220 00:11:35,880 --> 00:11:39,439 Speaker 4: during this episode. Okay, So we'll start at the beginning 221 00:11:39,480 --> 00:11:43,280 Speaker 4: of Lena's life. She was born in New Roads, Louisiana, 222 00:11:43,360 --> 00:11:47,080 Speaker 4: on September eleventh, eighteen ninety two. Her parents were Jean 223 00:11:47,120 --> 00:11:53,240 Speaker 4: Pierre Paul and Francois Laurent, and her father was a farmer. 224 00:11:53,480 --> 00:11:57,800 Speaker 4: Her mother cooked for Nugent Viron. I may be mispronouncing 225 00:11:57,800 --> 00:12:00,640 Speaker 4: the name, but he was a manufacturer and his wife's 226 00:12:00,679 --> 00:12:05,760 Speaker 4: name was Alice, and they had children, and Lena's family 227 00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:12,079 Speaker 4: was Catholic and she had nine siblings. Eventually, their family 228 00:12:12,280 --> 00:12:17,000 Speaker 4: moved from New Roads to New Orleans, Louisiana, and Lina 229 00:12:17,040 --> 00:12:22,560 Speaker 4: would start helping her mother cook after school, and so Alice, 230 00:12:23,320 --> 00:12:28,040 Speaker 4: the wife of Nugent Varren, the family that they were 231 00:12:28,080 --> 00:12:34,360 Speaker 4: cooking for. Alice noticed Lina's cooking skills, and so when 232 00:12:34,480 --> 00:12:39,080 Speaker 4: Alice graduated from high school, their family hired Lena as 233 00:12:39,200 --> 00:12:43,520 Speaker 4: a full time cook, and Lina would start by making 234 00:12:43,720 --> 00:12:47,800 Speaker 4: lunch for them, and then she started doing more dinners 235 00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:55,360 Speaker 4: and events, and Alice ended up sending Lena to a 236 00:12:55,400 --> 00:12:57,520 Speaker 4: cooking school in New Orleans. 237 00:12:58,640 --> 00:13:01,560 Speaker 3: And then MS Farmer School of Cookery in Boston. 238 00:13:02,679 --> 00:13:04,880 Speaker 4: That was a school that was founded in nineteen o 239 00:13:05,040 --> 00:13:08,040 Speaker 4: two and at the time, Lena was the only black 240 00:13:08,080 --> 00:13:11,280 Speaker 4: woman in the program. And here's a quote from Lena 241 00:13:11,400 --> 00:13:15,520 Speaker 4: that she later said in a newspaper interview. When I 242 00:13:15,559 --> 00:13:18,040 Speaker 4: got way up there, I found out in a hurry, 243 00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:20,760 Speaker 4: they can't teach me much more than I know. I 244 00:13:20,880 --> 00:13:24,200 Speaker 4: learned things about new desserts and salads, But when it 245 00:13:24,200 --> 00:13:27,960 Speaker 4: comes to cooking meats, stews, soups, sauces and such dishes, 246 00:13:28,480 --> 00:13:31,559 Speaker 4: we Southern cooks have Northern cooks beat by a mile. 247 00:13:32,240 --> 00:13:36,000 Speaker 4: That's not big talk, that's honest truth. That's the end 248 00:13:36,040 --> 00:13:38,240 Speaker 4: of the quote. When I was rereading that quote just now, 249 00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:41,440 Speaker 4: I was like, Wow, she's starting North South beef in 250 00:13:41,480 --> 00:13:47,800 Speaker 4: his quote, because I don't know if she was prompted 251 00:13:47,920 --> 00:13:52,000 Speaker 4: to say, do you think Southern is better than Northern? 252 00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:53,640 Speaker 3: But it's just it's really funny. 253 00:13:53,760 --> 00:13:58,559 Speaker 5: When it comes to food, people get really defensive and territorial, 254 00:13:58,679 --> 00:14:01,360 Speaker 5: and like a lot of pride comes out, like for 255 00:14:01,440 --> 00:14:03,560 Speaker 5: the fact that I've seen not only in the like 256 00:14:03,679 --> 00:14:06,760 Speaker 5: North South thing, I've also seen like the beef between 257 00:14:06,840 --> 00:14:09,880 Speaker 5: when it comes to barbecue, like statewide like people are 258 00:14:10,320 --> 00:14:13,800 Speaker 5: And she definitely threw down the gauntlet with that statement. 259 00:14:14,080 --> 00:14:17,960 Speaker 4: Mm hmm, and fair to also like there are fair 260 00:14:18,080 --> 00:14:22,920 Speaker 4: arguments for why some regional variations of things are better 261 00:14:22,960 --> 00:14:23,400 Speaker 4: than others. 262 00:14:23,480 --> 00:14:25,720 Speaker 3: I've had my own complaints in traveling so. 263 00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:29,720 Speaker 2: And I feel like. 264 00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:35,240 Speaker 5: Get with the love, like I will specifically go to 265 00:14:35,280 --> 00:14:39,160 Speaker 5: New Orleans dreaming about specific foods and that can only 266 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:41,560 Speaker 5: be done well in New Orleans. And even though I'm 267 00:14:41,600 --> 00:14:44,480 Speaker 5: not from there, I have opinions about Bignet's and where 268 00:14:44,560 --> 00:14:47,000 Speaker 5: you need to go even though I don't, like I'm 269 00:14:47,040 --> 00:14:50,040 Speaker 5: not from there. So again, yet I think she has 270 00:14:50,080 --> 00:14:52,800 Speaker 5: the right to say to say those things. 271 00:14:53,040 --> 00:14:55,800 Speaker 4: For sure, And also like it was, it's also nice 272 00:14:55,840 --> 00:14:59,600 Speaker 4: to hear in that quote her acknowledging that, like her 273 00:14:59,640 --> 00:15:03,920 Speaker 4: actual experience of cooking is just as valuable as the 274 00:15:03,960 --> 00:15:06,560 Speaker 4: information that she was getting from her school studies. Like 275 00:15:06,960 --> 00:15:11,480 Speaker 4: I appreciated that she acknowledged that, especially because she was 276 00:15:11,520 --> 00:15:13,640 Speaker 4: in a setting where she was like the only black woman, 277 00:15:14,160 --> 00:15:17,800 Speaker 4: but she she wasn't. We're oftentimes the community around her 278 00:15:17,840 --> 00:15:22,000 Speaker 4: around cooking, around culinary arts could denegrate black people or 279 00:15:22,040 --> 00:15:24,000 Speaker 4: say that it was a skill that we just had 280 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:26,400 Speaker 4: in Nately, it was just part of being black, was 281 00:15:26,400 --> 00:15:29,520 Speaker 4: to like be a good cook. So it could you know, 282 00:15:30,080 --> 00:15:34,600 Speaker 4: she didn't. She didn't clearly wasn't discouraged by that. I'm 283 00:15:34,640 --> 00:15:37,520 Speaker 4: not exactly sure how much of that she faced interpersonally, 284 00:15:38,320 --> 00:15:41,880 Speaker 4: but that definitely was the vibe of the day, that 285 00:15:42,000 --> 00:15:43,000 Speaker 4: was the culture of the day. 286 00:15:43,120 --> 00:15:45,920 Speaker 3: So that was definitely nice to see. 287 00:15:46,560 --> 00:15:48,480 Speaker 4: And I like how she said, that's not big talk, 288 00:15:48,640 --> 00:15:50,760 Speaker 4: like I'm just spinning facts here. 289 00:15:50,920 --> 00:15:52,200 Speaker 3: Okay, so. 290 00:15:54,280 --> 00:15:56,800 Speaker 4: Here's a quote, and I guess, Annie, you'll tell me 291 00:15:56,840 --> 00:15:59,360 Speaker 4: if I'm saying this dish name wrong. It's French. But 292 00:16:00,160 --> 00:16:04,080 Speaker 4: so here's another quote from Lena. I cooked a couple 293 00:16:04,120 --> 00:16:07,360 Speaker 4: of my dishes, like creole gumbo and my chicken voloven, 294 00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:10,520 Speaker 4: and they go crazy almost trying to copy down what 295 00:16:10,600 --> 00:16:14,840 Speaker 4: I say. I think maybe I'm pretty good, so someday 296 00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:18,880 Speaker 4: I'd write it down myself. As you can see, she's 297 00:16:18,920 --> 00:16:26,400 Speaker 4: already thinking about documenting and recording her recipes. So this 298 00:16:26,560 --> 00:16:31,000 Speaker 4: inspiration started to happen while she was in school. After 299 00:16:31,040 --> 00:16:33,640 Speaker 4: she finished studying at the school, she went back to 300 00:16:33,720 --> 00:16:36,280 Speaker 4: New Orleans and she kept working for the family that 301 00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:39,120 Speaker 4: she was working for before. But then she was starting 302 00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:42,720 Speaker 4: to become more known as a great cook in the 303 00:16:42,760 --> 00:16:46,720 Speaker 4: city and she ended up starting a catering business where 304 00:16:46,840 --> 00:16:51,400 Speaker 4: she mostly serves like high profile, high society white residents. 305 00:16:52,200 --> 00:16:56,240 Speaker 4: And in nineteen fourteen she married a man named Percival Richard, 306 00:16:57,160 --> 00:17:02,840 Speaker 4: and seven years later they had their only child. And 307 00:17:02,920 --> 00:17:05,760 Speaker 4: by the time Lena was twenty eight, she had left 308 00:17:05,800 --> 00:17:09,200 Speaker 4: working for the family and she started running a shop 309 00:17:09,240 --> 00:17:11,240 Speaker 4: out of her home. It was called the Sweet Shop, 310 00:17:11,320 --> 00:17:14,879 Speaker 4: and in it she sold sandwiches, red beans and rice, 311 00:17:15,080 --> 00:17:20,399 Speaker 4: and watermelon salad. This is just one of many entrepreneurial 312 00:17:20,440 --> 00:17:22,159 Speaker 4: adventures that she would have. 313 00:17:22,080 --> 00:17:22,959 Speaker 3: In her lifetime. 314 00:17:24,600 --> 00:17:28,640 Speaker 4: Also, according to census records, Lena might have worked as 315 00:17:28,720 --> 00:17:32,400 Speaker 4: a home instructor at a black public school in New Orleans. 316 00:17:32,920 --> 00:17:38,880 Speaker 4: But Alice, the person who really believed in Lina's cooking abilities, 317 00:17:39,119 --> 00:17:42,080 Speaker 4: ended up dying in nineteen thirty one, but Lena did 318 00:17:42,119 --> 00:17:47,400 Speaker 4: stay in touch with that family and she continue her cooking. 319 00:17:48,240 --> 00:17:51,280 Speaker 4: So in nineteen thirty one, Lena also became the head 320 00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:54,760 Speaker 4: chef of the Orleans Club, which was a social club 321 00:17:54,840 --> 00:17:57,640 Speaker 4: that was mostly white women, and when she was there, 322 00:17:57,720 --> 00:18:00,919 Speaker 4: Lena made food for luncheons and through that work she 323 00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:06,800 Speaker 4: started getting more opportunities for catering work. In nineteen thirty six, 324 00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:13,960 Speaker 4: Lena started hosting cooking demonstrations for all black audiences, and 325 00:18:15,040 --> 00:18:17,439 Speaker 4: in nineteen thirty seven she left her position at the 326 00:18:17,520 --> 00:18:21,199 Speaker 4: Orleans Club and that same year she opened the Lena M. 327 00:18:21,280 --> 00:18:26,480 Speaker 4: Richard Catering School, another one of her entrepreneurial ventures. It 328 00:18:26,640 --> 00:18:29,760 Speaker 4: was the first cooking school ran by a black woman 329 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:32,480 Speaker 4: in New Orleans, and it was the first school that 330 00:18:32,560 --> 00:18:35,760 Speaker 4: was made specifically for the instruction of Black people, first 331 00:18:35,760 --> 00:18:38,159 Speaker 4: cooking school that was made specifically for the instruction of 332 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:41,919 Speaker 4: black people. And Lina said this quote, My purpose in 333 00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:44,560 Speaker 4: opening a cooking school was to teach men and women 334 00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:48,040 Speaker 4: the art of food preparation and serving in order that 335 00:18:48,040 --> 00:18:51,879 Speaker 4: they would become capable of preparing and serving food for 336 00:18:51,960 --> 00:18:54,560 Speaker 4: any occasion, and also that they might be in a 337 00:18:54,600 --> 00:18:56,960 Speaker 4: position to demand higher wages. 338 00:18:58,080 --> 00:19:00,000 Speaker 3: So she clearly. 339 00:18:59,760 --> 00:19:05,000 Speaker 4: Had an i on what was available to black people, 340 00:19:05,840 --> 00:19:08,440 Speaker 4: how she could help with the knowledge that she had 341 00:19:08,480 --> 00:19:11,760 Speaker 4: and the resources that she had to bring other people 342 00:19:11,880 --> 00:19:15,119 Speaker 4: up along with her. So I know, you know, I 343 00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:17,199 Speaker 4: mentioned earlier how a lot of the people that she 344 00:19:17,760 --> 00:19:22,200 Speaker 4: was cooking for were these like wealthier, more upper class 345 00:19:22,640 --> 00:19:26,000 Speaker 4: white folks, but she definitely also had an eye on 346 00:19:26,080 --> 00:19:29,600 Speaker 4: like how other black people, other black cooks were getting 347 00:19:29,680 --> 00:19:35,640 Speaker 4: opportunities to So Lena continued doing her demonstration for audiences 348 00:19:35,680 --> 00:19:39,680 Speaker 4: of all kinds of races. And back to what we 349 00:19:39,720 --> 00:19:42,080 Speaker 4: spoke about a little earlier. When she was at Fannie Farmer, 350 00:19:42,240 --> 00:19:46,240 Speaker 4: that cooking school, she was dreaming about writing a cookbook, 351 00:19:46,560 --> 00:19:50,560 Speaker 4: and so at this time in the nineteen thirties, her 352 00:19:50,640 --> 00:19:53,600 Speaker 4: daughter Marie helped her prepare her cookbook. It took them 353 00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:58,320 Speaker 4: a couple of years. Lena would tell the recipes and 354 00:19:58,440 --> 00:20:01,440 Speaker 4: the cooking tips to Marie. Marie would write them down 355 00:20:01,520 --> 00:20:05,240 Speaker 4: and give them to a typist, and Lena held cooking 356 00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:07,320 Speaker 4: demos so that she could pay the printer to create 357 00:20:07,359 --> 00:20:10,359 Speaker 4: the book. And in nineteen thirty nine, Lena was able 358 00:20:10,359 --> 00:20:13,639 Speaker 4: to send her book, Lena Richards's Cookbook because make no 359 00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:18,679 Speaker 4: mistake about whose it was, to the printer, and she 360 00:20:18,760 --> 00:20:21,520 Speaker 4: went on a book tour and food writers like Clementine 361 00:20:21,560 --> 00:20:25,200 Speaker 4: Paddleford and James Beard gave the book positive reviews. People 362 00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:28,760 Speaker 4: across the country were interested in Lina's work and recipes, 363 00:20:29,520 --> 00:20:33,520 Speaker 4: and she wanted to promote the cookbook in the Northeast, 364 00:20:34,280 --> 00:20:37,200 Speaker 4: the place she had. Oh yeah, she had talked a 365 00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:40,600 Speaker 4: little less about earlier. So she took a quote suitcase 366 00:20:40,680 --> 00:20:44,160 Speaker 4: bulging with ten pounds of dried shrimp, pure cane syrup 367 00:20:44,320 --> 00:20:48,560 Speaker 4: Louisiana shelled pecans or pecans, as my grandma would say, 368 00:20:48,840 --> 00:20:52,600 Speaker 4: an old fashioned brown sugar. So she was like, I'm 369 00:20:52,600 --> 00:20:54,000 Speaker 4: going to come prepare. I don't know what they have 370 00:20:54,080 --> 00:20:55,520 Speaker 4: up there, but I'm going to make sure I have 371 00:20:55,640 --> 00:20:59,160 Speaker 4: what I need to show these people what I'm about 372 00:20:59,160 --> 00:21:01,600 Speaker 4: in my cooking. When she was up there, she met 373 00:21:01,640 --> 00:21:05,719 Speaker 4: food journalist Clementine Paddleford, who had a column at the 374 00:21:05,760 --> 00:21:10,760 Speaker 4: New York Herald Tribune, and she cooked a scalefish for Clementine. 375 00:21:10,840 --> 00:21:12,920 Speaker 4: There's a description of what scalefish is if you want 376 00:21:12,920 --> 00:21:15,000 Speaker 4: to go look it up. Clementin wrote an article that 377 00:21:15,080 --> 00:21:22,240 Speaker 4: was called cook from New Orleans shows Northerners tricks of trade. So, yeah, 378 00:21:22,280 --> 00:21:25,480 Speaker 4: the North South thing was happening a lot clearly, And 379 00:21:25,800 --> 00:21:29,440 Speaker 4: Lena sold seven hundred copies that were priced at two 380 00:21:29,480 --> 00:21:33,679 Speaker 4: dollars each in one month. The next year, in nineteen forty, 381 00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:37,920 Speaker 4: Lena got a contract to publish her cookbook as the 382 00:21:38,040 --> 00:21:42,800 Speaker 4: New Orleans Cookbook. It had an introduction in this version 383 00:21:43,520 --> 00:21:46,000 Speaker 4: by the writer Gwen Bristow, who was a white writer, 384 00:21:47,119 --> 00:21:49,439 Speaker 4: and it didn't have the picture that it had of 385 00:21:49,480 --> 00:21:52,879 Speaker 4: her in the book that she published privately that had 386 00:21:52,880 --> 00:21:53,719 Speaker 4: a picture of her in it. 387 00:21:53,760 --> 00:21:57,919 Speaker 3: This one didn't have a picture of her in it anymore. 388 00:21:58,560 --> 00:22:00,640 Speaker 4: So it was kind of like, you know, it was 389 00:22:00,800 --> 00:22:03,280 Speaker 4: it was clearly being sanitized a little bit, like her 390 00:22:03,400 --> 00:22:06,199 Speaker 4: name was taken off of the book. So it was 391 00:22:06,320 --> 00:22:10,080 Speaker 4: less emphasis on Lena the cook, like I'm the one 392 00:22:10,080 --> 00:22:13,280 Speaker 4: who gathered these recipes. I'm the one who went to school. 393 00:22:13,320 --> 00:22:16,000 Speaker 4: I'm the one who's been, you know, research, doing all 394 00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:17,959 Speaker 4: this research and making sure to document it. 395 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:19,040 Speaker 3: I'm the one who's the cook. 396 00:22:19,440 --> 00:22:22,000 Speaker 4: There was less emphasis on that and more just like, Okay, 397 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:25,640 Speaker 4: this is creole cuisine, this is New Orleans cuisine, and 398 00:22:25,680 --> 00:22:28,480 Speaker 4: this is what's being showcased in this book, and the 399 00:22:28,600 --> 00:22:32,520 Speaker 4: author is kind of secondary. But that said, it was 400 00:22:32,520 --> 00:22:36,679 Speaker 4: still a major publisher that published her book, and it 401 00:22:36,800 --> 00:22:41,399 Speaker 4: was sweet that Lena dedicated the book to Alice. She 402 00:22:41,560 --> 00:22:46,000 Speaker 4: said in the dedication Missus Nugent b Verian, whose kindness, 403 00:22:46,040 --> 00:22:50,120 Speaker 4: advice and assistance has made this book possible. So it's 404 00:22:50,160 --> 00:22:55,800 Speaker 4: clear how much Alice is uplifting of her work and 405 00:22:55,880 --> 00:22:59,320 Speaker 4: encouraging of her to go further in her cooking career 406 00:22:59,600 --> 00:23:02,280 Speaker 4: left an imprint on her, so much that she decided 407 00:23:02,320 --> 00:23:06,720 Speaker 4: to put an in print. So the book included traditional 408 00:23:06,760 --> 00:23:12,920 Speaker 4: recipes and some of Lena's own recipes, and Lena, unlike 409 00:23:13,240 --> 00:23:17,200 Speaker 4: a lot of other people who were publishing books about 410 00:23:17,440 --> 00:23:20,920 Speaker 4: recipes from the region, Lena acknowledged the black cooks who 411 00:23:20,960 --> 00:23:27,040 Speaker 4: inspired her and New Orleans cuisine in general. And for 412 00:23:27,080 --> 00:23:30,960 Speaker 4: a short time after the book was published, Lena went 413 00:23:30,960 --> 00:23:34,119 Speaker 4: to Garrison, New York. She did a one month cooking 414 00:23:34,160 --> 00:23:36,840 Speaker 4: trial at the Bird and Bottle Inn, and then she 415 00:23:37,359 --> 00:23:39,200 Speaker 4: got the position of head chef there after that one 416 00:23:39,200 --> 00:23:41,520 Speaker 4: month trial because later on there was one of the 417 00:23:41,520 --> 00:23:44,240 Speaker 4: proprietors who was like, she did a lot for us 418 00:23:44,480 --> 00:23:48,200 Speaker 4: in a short amount of time, so she was well 419 00:23:48,200 --> 00:23:51,840 Speaker 4: regarded there, and there she was known for her shrimp 420 00:23:51,880 --> 00:23:55,720 Speaker 4: suit Louisiana, which was a shrimp and vegetable bisk that 421 00:23:55,800 --> 00:23:59,200 Speaker 4: had bade Tabasco peppers in it, and in nineteen forty 422 00:23:59,200 --> 00:24:02,920 Speaker 4: one she went back to New Orleans and she opened 423 00:24:03,080 --> 00:24:08,280 Speaker 4: Lena's Eatery, and Lena's likely closed down sometime during World 424 00:24:08,280 --> 00:24:11,520 Speaker 4: War Two, but a couple of years later, in nineteen 425 00:24:11,600 --> 00:24:14,800 Speaker 4: forty three, Elizabeth Reynolds, who was the manager of this 426 00:24:14,880 --> 00:24:19,200 Speaker 4: place called the Travis House in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, hired 427 00:24:19,240 --> 00:24:22,600 Speaker 4: Lena to be the head chef and Lina stayed there 428 00:24:22,640 --> 00:24:27,200 Speaker 4: for about two years, and the Colonial Williamsburg Corporate Archives 429 00:24:27,760 --> 00:24:30,920 Speaker 4: does have two notebooks of diner's reviews at Travis House, 430 00:24:31,720 --> 00:24:34,520 Speaker 4: and one of the reviews, for instance, said Lena is 431 00:24:34,600 --> 00:24:38,680 Speaker 4: the queen of oyster Rena. And if you go through 432 00:24:38,720 --> 00:24:42,280 Speaker 4: and read some of the other notes that the diners 433 00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:45,720 Speaker 4: left about her oyster specifically because our oysters were the 434 00:24:45,800 --> 00:24:49,240 Speaker 4: hit thing there. If you go and read some of 435 00:24:49,280 --> 00:24:52,080 Speaker 4: those notes, they're like, it does really make our seem 436 00:24:52,080 --> 00:24:52,800 Speaker 4: like a celebrity. 437 00:24:52,840 --> 00:24:55,760 Speaker 3: And it's clear, even though the notes. 438 00:24:55,560 --> 00:25:00,159 Speaker 4: Are about the food, that Lena herself made an impact 439 00:25:00,600 --> 00:25:05,160 Speaker 4: them because they were like, dear Lena, your oysters. One 440 00:25:05,160 --> 00:25:08,159 Speaker 4: of them said something along the lines of those were 441 00:25:08,160 --> 00:25:11,600 Speaker 4: the best oysters I've ever had, Nay, like the best 442 00:25:12,160 --> 00:25:16,800 Speaker 4: meal I've ever had, So, you know, they knew that 443 00:25:16,880 --> 00:25:21,239 Speaker 4: Lina was doing the work, and they noted that they 444 00:25:21,280 --> 00:25:26,920 Speaker 4: appreciated the cooking. But still Lena left Williamsburg and went 445 00:25:26,960 --> 00:25:30,320 Speaker 4: back to New Orleans. Eventually she restarted her catering business 446 00:25:30,359 --> 00:25:33,800 Speaker 4: with her daughter Marie, and by nineteen forty six she 447 00:25:33,840 --> 00:25:37,719 Speaker 4: had started a business selling package dinners and pints, courts 448 00:25:37,720 --> 00:25:40,399 Speaker 4: and five and ten gallon containers and those were shipped 449 00:25:40,400 --> 00:25:44,639 Speaker 4: across the country and even down to Panama, which was 450 00:25:44,680 --> 00:25:47,880 Speaker 4: pretty impressive because there weren't you know, at the time, 451 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:51,000 Speaker 4: TV dinners and frozen dinners weren't really like super huge. 452 00:25:51,080 --> 00:25:54,560 Speaker 4: Yet this business that she was doing was a partnership 453 00:25:54,600 --> 00:25:58,639 Speaker 4: with Borderline Fine Foods, and Lena would sell things like 454 00:25:58,680 --> 00:26:04,119 Speaker 4: shrimp creole turtle soup and yeah that she continued to 455 00:26:04,280 --> 00:26:07,320 Speaker 4: do that business too, and in nineteen forty nine she 456 00:26:07,359 --> 00:26:11,359 Speaker 4: opened Lena Richard's Gumbo House, where she served like fifty 457 00:26:11,400 --> 00:26:13,760 Speaker 4: four gallons of gumbo every week, and she served other 458 00:26:13,800 --> 00:26:17,840 Speaker 4: things as well, but the diners at her restaurant were 459 00:26:17,840 --> 00:26:21,200 Speaker 4: of all races. Her was the family business, so her 460 00:26:21,200 --> 00:26:24,160 Speaker 4: son in law, her husband, and her daughter were involved 461 00:26:24,160 --> 00:26:29,080 Speaker 4: in running the Gumbo House and oftentimes they would it 462 00:26:29,080 --> 00:26:32,760 Speaker 4: would get full after Sunday Mass because diners would go 463 00:26:32,840 --> 00:26:36,600 Speaker 4: to Sunday Mass and they would go there. But all 464 00:26:36,600 --> 00:26:38,720 Speaker 4: of her success led her to get her own cooking show, 465 00:26:38,720 --> 00:26:41,760 Speaker 4: which is pretty cool. It was called Lena Richards New 466 00:26:41,920 --> 00:26:46,360 Speaker 4: Orleans Cookbook, so that aired on Tuesdays and Thursdays on 467 00:26:46,720 --> 00:26:48,200 Speaker 4: I think it was like a one year old TV 468 00:26:48,240 --> 00:26:52,320 Speaker 4: station WDSUTV in New Orleans. It was sponsored by Wholesome 469 00:26:52,359 --> 00:26:57,280 Speaker 4: Bread and it featured a dish every day, and this 470 00:26:57,359 --> 00:26:59,120 Speaker 4: made her the first black woman to have her own 471 00:26:59,119 --> 00:27:01,879 Speaker 4: TV show, her own cooking show, and most of her 472 00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:05,080 Speaker 4: viewers were like middle and upper class women. But you 473 00:27:05,160 --> 00:27:07,560 Speaker 4: have to also remember that at the time, TV sets 474 00:27:07,600 --> 00:27:10,720 Speaker 4: were also just getting more popular, and this was a 475 00:27:10,760 --> 00:27:14,480 Speaker 4: time of exponential growth. So in February of nineteen forty nine, 476 00:27:14,560 --> 00:27:17,120 Speaker 4: there were about three thousand TV sets in New Orleans, 477 00:27:17,440 --> 00:27:20,200 Speaker 4: and then the next year there were around like eighteen 478 00:27:20,240 --> 00:27:23,840 Speaker 4: thousand TV sets of New Orleans. So TV itself was 479 00:27:23,920 --> 00:27:25,919 Speaker 4: just getting popular. So it's really cool to know that 480 00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:28,560 Speaker 4: Lena had a cooking show on at the time, and 481 00:27:28,640 --> 00:27:30,560 Speaker 4: the network knew that they wanted a cooking show, and 482 00:27:30,600 --> 00:27:34,199 Speaker 4: they came to her for it. Unfortunately, the footage of 483 00:27:34,200 --> 00:27:36,639 Speaker 4: her television show is lost. I really would love to 484 00:27:36,680 --> 00:27:40,120 Speaker 4: see it. There are a couple of pictures, but yeah, 485 00:27:40,160 --> 00:27:44,760 Speaker 4: there you can't watch all of the episodes, unfortunately. But 486 00:27:45,200 --> 00:27:48,320 Speaker 4: her TV show and her frozen food business were doing well. 487 00:27:49,600 --> 00:27:56,520 Speaker 4: But unfortunately, on November twenty sixth, nineteen fifty, Lena was 488 00:27:56,560 --> 00:27:57,520 Speaker 4: at her restaurant. 489 00:27:57,960 --> 00:27:58,840 Speaker 3: There was a. 490 00:27:58,800 --> 00:28:03,199 Speaker 4: Patron who had flown in from la and wanted to 491 00:28:03,320 --> 00:28:04,600 Speaker 4: order every item on the menus. 492 00:28:04,680 --> 00:28:06,080 Speaker 3: It was a very hard work day. 493 00:28:06,640 --> 00:28:10,920 Speaker 4: Lena cooked everything and at the end of the day, 494 00:28:11,280 --> 00:28:13,840 Speaker 4: super late, she was like, I don't really feel well. 495 00:28:13,920 --> 00:28:17,320 Speaker 4: She went back home and the next morning she died 496 00:28:17,680 --> 00:28:19,840 Speaker 4: of a heart attack in her home. She was fifty 497 00:28:19,880 --> 00:28:23,679 Speaker 4: eight years old, and the family did keep the Gumbo 498 00:28:23,760 --> 00:28:27,120 Speaker 4: house open until nineteen fifty eight. And of course lots 499 00:28:27,160 --> 00:28:31,560 Speaker 4: of black cooks of New Orleans cuisine you know, came 500 00:28:31,640 --> 00:28:34,600 Speaker 4: in her wake, and so she definitely left left a 501 00:28:34,640 --> 00:28:37,760 Speaker 4: mark on everybody. But her legacy in itself is definitely 502 00:28:37,840 --> 00:28:43,960 Speaker 4: really pretty inspirational, interesting, and yeah, she did a lot 503 00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:47,840 Speaker 4: of different things in her time. So I'm happy, happy 504 00:28:47,840 --> 00:28:50,520 Speaker 4: that I could share her story today. Yes, and thanks 505 00:28:50,560 --> 00:28:51,719 Speaker 4: as always for sharing it. 506 00:29:02,560 --> 00:29:03,280 Speaker 2: Both of us. 507 00:29:03,440 --> 00:29:06,840 Speaker 1: Samantha and I were very excited about this one, and 508 00:29:08,040 --> 00:29:08,520 Speaker 1: it is. 509 00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:10,560 Speaker 2: She was so entrepreneurial. 510 00:29:10,600 --> 00:29:12,800 Speaker 1: She was doing so much stuff, and she was doing 511 00:29:12,840 --> 00:29:18,400 Speaker 1: it early, like frozen food before the nineteen fifties. She 512 00:29:18,600 --> 00:29:23,800 Speaker 1: was ahead the TV A show. She was like ahead 513 00:29:23,800 --> 00:29:27,040 Speaker 1: of the game. I love that she was recognizing the 514 00:29:27,080 --> 00:29:29,520 Speaker 1: work that she had done, but also the work that 515 00:29:29,640 --> 00:29:33,520 Speaker 1: other black cooks had done, like making sure. She just 516 00:29:33,600 --> 00:29:36,080 Speaker 1: sounds like and you can see it in quotes from her, 517 00:29:36,120 --> 00:29:40,040 Speaker 1: but about her that other food writers have done. She 518 00:29:40,280 --> 00:29:42,920 Speaker 1: sounds like a person who I mean, we saw it 519 00:29:42,920 --> 00:29:46,240 Speaker 1: immediately with her, these Northern cooks. 520 00:29:47,080 --> 00:29:50,800 Speaker 2: She had opinions, she knew her worth, she knew what 521 00:29:50,880 --> 00:29:54,040 Speaker 2: the work was. And I love it. I think it's fantastic. 522 00:29:54,360 --> 00:29:56,560 Speaker 5: It is I love everything when it comes to like 523 00:29:56,920 --> 00:30:00,160 Speaker 5: the depth of history that New Orleans has anyway, and 524 00:30:00,160 --> 00:30:02,320 Speaker 5: then of course there's the dark history, but like she 525 00:30:02,480 --> 00:30:06,719 Speaker 5: persevered in such a way that really established what a 526 00:30:06,800 --> 00:30:09,640 Speaker 5: Southern cuisine is and we know it is like the 527 00:30:09,680 --> 00:30:13,120 Speaker 5: basis of black community and black women in general, and 528 00:30:13,520 --> 00:30:17,480 Speaker 5: being able to create this amazing dish in a culture 529 00:30:17,560 --> 00:30:21,760 Speaker 5: that's so different that it's not the South, you know, 530 00:30:21,840 --> 00:30:25,320 Speaker 5: like Creole and gumbo and such is not a Southern dish. 531 00:30:25,360 --> 00:30:29,520 Speaker 5: It is a New Orleans dish like it is Louisiana specific, 532 00:30:29,800 --> 00:30:33,920 Speaker 5: and it's such a like an amazing array of like 533 00:30:34,200 --> 00:30:37,200 Speaker 5: technique that you don't think about, and but when it 534 00:30:37,480 --> 00:30:40,920 Speaker 5: comes down to it, like it's hard and it's almost 535 00:30:41,640 --> 00:30:43,800 Speaker 5: if you are not either you're really good at it 536 00:30:43,880 --> 00:30:46,240 Speaker 5: or you're not. It's one of those things, it seems. 537 00:30:46,480 --> 00:30:48,000 Speaker 5: And I didn't have to look in because I love 538 00:30:48,120 --> 00:30:51,720 Speaker 5: like when we went to New Orleans recently, I had 539 00:30:51,720 --> 00:30:53,760 Speaker 5: to go to Dookie Chase because it's been around since 540 00:30:53,840 --> 00:30:56,600 Speaker 5: nineteen forty one and the cooking, you know, like this 541 00:30:56,680 --> 00:30:59,320 Speaker 5: is creole, this is what I want. And I was 542 00:30:59,320 --> 00:31:01,920 Speaker 5: trying to say there was a there Apparently isn't, but 543 00:31:01,960 --> 00:31:04,240 Speaker 5: they did kind of overlap. I wonder if there's any 544 00:31:04,320 --> 00:31:06,360 Speaker 5: rivalry that they don't talk about or something. 545 00:31:07,800 --> 00:31:10,840 Speaker 3: I'm not sure about that because. 546 00:31:10,560 --> 00:31:13,360 Speaker 5: The cat she came, I think Dookie Chase, like I said, started, 547 00:31:13,520 --> 00:31:15,520 Speaker 5: I want to say, nineteen forty one, nineteen forty five 548 00:31:15,640 --> 00:31:17,560 Speaker 5: or something, So I don't know how big I got 549 00:31:18,240 --> 00:31:21,160 Speaker 5: the restaurant itself, or how big Lea Chase was at 550 00:31:21,160 --> 00:31:22,080 Speaker 5: that point in time. 551 00:31:22,600 --> 00:31:23,600 Speaker 6: So she was younger. 552 00:31:23,760 --> 00:31:25,680 Speaker 5: I think she was like twenty something at that point, 553 00:31:25,720 --> 00:31:27,440 Speaker 5: so there may not been any overlap. 554 00:31:27,520 --> 00:31:29,280 Speaker 6: But I don't think New Orleans is that big. 555 00:31:30,240 --> 00:31:35,080 Speaker 4: Yeah, but also considering like how friendly and like hospitable 556 00:31:35,120 --> 00:31:37,920 Speaker 4: New Orleans folks from New Orleans are, I'm not sure 557 00:31:38,400 --> 00:31:40,440 Speaker 4: if it would have been like you know, it's all 558 00:31:40,480 --> 00:31:43,520 Speaker 4: family and it's all love versus any sort of sort 559 00:31:43,520 --> 00:31:47,440 Speaker 4: of rivalry. Yeah, I don't know, But I am wondering though, Samantha, 560 00:31:47,520 --> 00:31:50,520 Speaker 4: because you do like New Orleans cuisine so much. What 561 00:31:50,640 --> 00:31:53,680 Speaker 4: food you enjoy from New Orleans cuisine that you would 562 00:31:53,720 --> 00:31:57,000 Speaker 4: have wanted to taste Lena if Lena made it. 563 00:31:56,920 --> 00:31:59,720 Speaker 5: Oh oh, Like, there's no doubt I would want all 564 00:31:59,720 --> 00:32:02,640 Speaker 5: of it. The oysters, which I am a huge fan 565 00:32:02,680 --> 00:32:05,200 Speaker 5: of oysters. It sounds like something that I needed to taste. 566 00:32:05,240 --> 00:32:07,400 Speaker 5: But of course the gumbo, because I feel like in 567 00:32:07,480 --> 00:32:10,160 Speaker 5: every type of cuisine there's a base, like you start 568 00:32:10,200 --> 00:32:14,080 Speaker 5: with something because you know there's a comparison, you know 569 00:32:14,120 --> 00:32:16,320 Speaker 5: what I mean, and so like to me, I would 570 00:32:16,400 --> 00:32:18,760 Speaker 5: want either that because I feel like if she had 571 00:32:18,760 --> 00:32:22,200 Speaker 5: the Gumbo house, she obviously is a queen of gumbo, 572 00:32:22,280 --> 00:32:24,360 Speaker 5: like she knows what she's doing there you know, as 573 00:32:24,400 --> 00:32:26,400 Speaker 5: well as the fact that, like if people are bragging 574 00:32:26,440 --> 00:32:28,480 Speaker 5: that her oysters, it's the best mill of their life. 575 00:32:29,120 --> 00:32:31,160 Speaker 5: So it'd be a toss up between those two. But yeah, 576 00:32:31,240 --> 00:32:33,040 Speaker 5: I find what I'm in New Orleans, I definitely have 577 00:32:33,040 --> 00:32:38,320 Speaker 5: to have at least a good gumbo, some type of 578 00:32:38,320 --> 00:32:40,600 Speaker 5: fish dish like it probably like you know, a catfish 579 00:32:40,640 --> 00:32:43,720 Speaker 5: dish of swords and and a poor boy. 580 00:32:44,880 --> 00:32:46,560 Speaker 6: Those are the things I have to happen on there. 581 00:32:50,320 --> 00:32:50,760 Speaker 2: Sounds fair. 582 00:32:51,720 --> 00:32:54,800 Speaker 1: You were right, You've hope listeners got a snack before 583 00:32:54,880 --> 00:32:59,680 Speaker 1: this need it. Luckily, I'm going to a restaurant with 584 00:32:59,720 --> 00:33:03,360 Speaker 1: my that has gumbo, so maybe I can get some there. 585 00:33:03,920 --> 00:33:08,680 Speaker 1: I do say, yes, my mom loves gumbo as well, 586 00:33:08,720 --> 00:33:12,200 Speaker 1: so it'll be fantastic. Going back to what you were 587 00:33:12,240 --> 00:33:16,959 Speaker 1: talking about, Samantha, doctor Jessica B. Harris, who's big in 588 00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:19,400 Speaker 1: the food world, is a big food historian and writer 589 00:33:19,800 --> 00:33:23,400 Speaker 1: who has some quotes that you can find about Lena Richard. 590 00:33:24,680 --> 00:33:27,720 Speaker 1: She's kind of famous for saying the South is north 591 00:33:28,280 --> 00:33:29,840 Speaker 1: of here about New Orleans. 592 00:33:30,520 --> 00:33:33,920 Speaker 2: So it is a very specific cuisine. 593 00:33:34,040 --> 00:33:38,640 Speaker 1: It is a very distinct thing, and I'm sure, like 594 00:33:40,040 --> 00:33:42,520 Speaker 1: I can only imagine when she's packing her bags to 595 00:33:42,600 --> 00:33:44,320 Speaker 1: go to the north and all. 596 00:33:44,200 --> 00:33:46,080 Speaker 2: That make these dishes. 597 00:33:46,080 --> 00:33:49,240 Speaker 1: If you've never had something like that, it is I'm 598 00:33:49,240 --> 00:33:51,760 Speaker 1: almost jealous that you like that first time. 599 00:33:52,280 --> 00:33:54,800 Speaker 3: Yeah, it is life changing. 600 00:33:54,920 --> 00:33:58,520 Speaker 5: Like I think about my first encounters in New Orleans 601 00:33:58,600 --> 00:34:01,280 Speaker 5: and I'm like, I need this again. Like you think 602 00:34:01,280 --> 00:34:03,280 Speaker 5: I'm kidding, Like people would say, oh, because you know, 603 00:34:03,360 --> 00:34:04,600 Speaker 5: New Orleans also has become. 604 00:34:05,440 --> 00:34:06,320 Speaker 6: It is not become. 605 00:34:06,360 --> 00:34:08,439 Speaker 5: Has always been a jazz town, like a little more 606 00:34:08,480 --> 00:34:11,200 Speaker 5: lively and fun and like festive, and people go to 607 00:34:11,280 --> 00:34:13,799 Speaker 5: drink and such. I'm like, I don't care about any 608 00:34:13,880 --> 00:34:16,439 Speaker 5: of the alcohol. Give me all the food. I don't 609 00:34:16,440 --> 00:34:20,000 Speaker 5: have stomach room for drinks. I just need the food. 610 00:34:21,360 --> 00:34:23,759 Speaker 3: Fear true. 611 00:34:23,800 --> 00:34:26,239 Speaker 1: I mean The Simpsons has an entire episode that many 612 00:34:26,280 --> 00:34:32,240 Speaker 1: people have fulls about that, So I don't think you're alone. 613 00:34:33,280 --> 00:34:35,840 Speaker 1: This was also really timely because we were talking recently 614 00:34:35,880 --> 00:34:40,640 Speaker 1: about PBS and cooking shows on PBS. Not that that 615 00:34:41,000 --> 00:34:44,200 Speaker 1: was what was happening here, but like that. I don't 616 00:34:44,200 --> 00:34:46,440 Speaker 1: think people realize now that we can. 617 00:34:46,280 --> 00:34:47,080 Speaker 2: Just go online. 618 00:34:47,440 --> 00:34:50,560 Speaker 1: Yes, but how important that was that you would have 619 00:34:50,600 --> 00:34:53,520 Speaker 1: somebody who could kind of be with you and talk 620 00:34:53,560 --> 00:34:55,320 Speaker 1: to you and talk you through things. 621 00:34:55,760 --> 00:34:58,399 Speaker 2: It's a very early form of a. 622 00:34:58,320 --> 00:35:02,560 Speaker 1: Parasocial relationship for lot of people, right, and I think 623 00:35:02,600 --> 00:35:07,600 Speaker 1: that that was It's something we shouldn't forget in this conversation, 624 00:35:07,760 --> 00:35:09,800 Speaker 1: is that was probably really powerful for a lot of 625 00:35:09,840 --> 00:35:10,640 Speaker 1: people to have that. 626 00:35:11,200 --> 00:35:14,040 Speaker 4: Yes, and I do remember coming across one, at least 627 00:35:14,080 --> 00:35:17,680 Speaker 4: one quote from someone who reminisced about watching the show, 628 00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:20,600 Speaker 4: so even who actually watched it during the time. And 629 00:35:20,640 --> 00:35:22,759 Speaker 4: so we don't have it anymore recorded because it was 630 00:35:22,800 --> 00:35:28,239 Speaker 4: live and documentations archiving was different back then, and so unfortunately. 631 00:35:27,640 --> 00:35:28,240 Speaker 3: That is lost. 632 00:35:28,239 --> 00:35:30,439 Speaker 4: But like you can still hear a little bit about 633 00:35:30,520 --> 00:35:33,520 Speaker 4: or read a little bit about the experience that people 634 00:35:33,640 --> 00:35:35,640 Speaker 4: had watching it and what they what they learned from it, 635 00:35:35,680 --> 00:35:38,919 Speaker 4: and what they got from it. So at least there's that, 636 00:35:39,000 --> 00:35:42,200 Speaker 4: you know, that kind of secondary secondary source there to 637 00:35:42,280 --> 00:35:45,760 Speaker 4: learn a little bit more about about Lina's cooking. 638 00:35:46,560 --> 00:35:50,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, it's a dummer, it's lass, but I think 639 00:35:50,680 --> 00:35:55,280 Speaker 1: that at least some of that is preserved. 640 00:35:55,080 --> 00:35:57,080 Speaker 5: Her books still out. I just feel like this is 641 00:35:57,120 --> 00:35:59,080 Speaker 5: a challenge each of us. Maybe we should all do 642 00:35:59,120 --> 00:36:00,279 Speaker 5: a dish and come and talk about it. 643 00:36:00,320 --> 00:36:03,520 Speaker 3: Oh my goodness, Oh wow, that. 644 00:36:03,600 --> 00:36:06,760 Speaker 6: Was I wonder if some of those ingredients are available though. 645 00:36:07,440 --> 00:36:10,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, I love I actually like enjoy reading cookbooks. 646 00:36:10,719 --> 00:36:12,879 Speaker 2: Yes, I'd be so into it. 647 00:36:12,920 --> 00:36:15,320 Speaker 3: I'm going to pick the thing that requires the least preparation. 648 00:36:15,560 --> 00:36:22,440 Speaker 3: Just so y'all know, if there's a salad. 649 00:36:22,320 --> 00:36:23,600 Speaker 2: But a salad, it could be. 650 00:36:25,480 --> 00:36:29,040 Speaker 3: Very true. You got there's a salad somewhere. 651 00:36:32,239 --> 00:36:43,640 Speaker 8: I don't think so, rightbs, Oh my gosh, Okay, well 652 00:36:43,800 --> 00:36:47,160 Speaker 8: maybe we'll revisit that in the future, but for now, 653 00:36:47,320 --> 00:36:48,400 Speaker 8: thank you so much. 654 00:36:48,440 --> 00:36:51,799 Speaker 1: As always Eve's it's always a delight. Where can the 655 00:36:51,800 --> 00:36:52,799 Speaker 1: good listeners find you? 656 00:36:53,160 --> 00:36:56,040 Speaker 4: Y'all can find me by going straight to my website, 657 00:36:56,080 --> 00:36:58,440 Speaker 4: which is Eve's Jeffcoat dot com. 658 00:36:58,480 --> 00:37:00,080 Speaker 3: I will spell that. 659 00:36:59,640 --> 00:37:04,560 Speaker 4: That is y V S j E F F Coat 660 00:37:04,960 --> 00:37:07,839 Speaker 4: dot com. You can sign up for my newsletter there. 661 00:37:07,880 --> 00:37:11,200 Speaker 4: You can also go to my instagram that is at 662 00:37:11,320 --> 00:37:15,600 Speaker 4: not Apologizing, and then you can go to all of 663 00:37:15,640 --> 00:37:19,080 Speaker 4: the other episodes of Sminty in which we're talking about 664 00:37:19,120 --> 00:37:23,400 Speaker 4: female first other women in history who were pioneering and 665 00:37:23,480 --> 00:37:26,960 Speaker 4: had super cool accomplishments. You can learn about their histories. 666 00:37:28,040 --> 00:37:30,799 Speaker 1: Yes, so listeners, please go do that if you haven't 667 00:37:30,800 --> 00:37:34,840 Speaker 1: done it already, can't wait till next time. Yves in 668 00:37:34,920 --> 00:37:37,759 Speaker 1: the meantime, if you would like to contact us, you can. 669 00:37:37,840 --> 00:37:39,920 Speaker 1: You can email us at Hello Stuff Onnever Told You 670 00:37:39,960 --> 00:37:41,600 Speaker 1: dot com you can find us someflu skuy at mom 671 00:37:41,680 --> 00:37:44,200 Speaker 1: Stuff podcast or on Instagram and TikTok at stuff I 672 00:37:44,239 --> 00:37:46,680 Speaker 1: Never Told You for us on YouTube. We have a 673 00:37:46,719 --> 00:37:48,880 Speaker 1: new place for merch You can go to Cotton Bureau 674 00:37:48,880 --> 00:37:52,279 Speaker 1: and just search us out find us there. And we 675 00:37:52,320 --> 00:37:54,040 Speaker 1: have a book can get wherever you get your books. 676 00:37:54,120 --> 00:37:56,280 Speaker 1: Thanks as always to a super producer Christina or executive 677 00:37:56,280 --> 00:37:59,640 Speaker 1: producer My andercontributor Joey. Thank you and thanks to you 678 00:37:59,680 --> 00:38:01,799 Speaker 1: for listening step in the re Told Us production by 679 00:38:01,840 --> 00:38:03,640 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. For more podcasts from my heart Radio, you 680 00:38:03,640 --> 00:38:05,520 Speaker 1: can check out the heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or 681 00:38:05,560 --> 00:38:07,000 Speaker 1: where you listen to your favorite shows