Lena Richard

1892-1950

Illustration by Brittanie Mitchell

Lena Richard was an phenomenal chef born in New Orleans during the early 20th century who learned how to cook as a domestic worker during her early teen years. In her late teens the family she worked for paid for her to go to Fannie Farmer’s Cooking School in Boston. A few years after graduating from culinary school, Lena opened a home-based catering business which quickly expanded, and would also find success on television as well as in writing her own cookbook.