Customer Reviews

Leah Chase: Listen, I Say Like This

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Written largely in the words of Leah Chase, herself, this book makes the reader feel he or she really KNOWS Leah Chase, and what a lady to know! She is a piece of our national history and a national treasure. Her willingness to express her opinions on just about everything evokes laughter as well as tears. Her life is awe-inspiring,sometimes humorous and sometimes sad. Leah Chase is one of those rare human beings who can walk with kings or sit on the floor with poor folks and be just as comfortable with either.

The author (Carol Allen) has an interesting biography herself. She lives in France half-time, has been a teacher, and writes children's poetry. But this is not an especially well-written book. It is a book written with great love and admiration. If you share Allen's sentiments, as I do, this is a fun and frank look into a fascinating woman.

It is undeniable that Leah Chase is a truly extraordinary woman. So amazing is her life that Disney's first animated film with an African American woman for the main character was loosely based on Leah's life!

Leah was born in 1923 to a large Creole black family. She grew up in the rural North Shore. She took the three-hour ferry ride across the Lake to live with an aunt in the 7th ward of New Orleans and attend St Mary's Academy (high school) in New Orleans at age 13. After graduation at age 16, she boldly set out to make a life for herself in the Quarter-- she experimented in being a boxing manager, horse racing booky of sorts, and worked in restaurants (including the old dive, the Coffee Pot). At age 23 she eloped with the handsome 18 year old Edgar "Dooky" Chase, who headed up an excellent big band orchestra. But the band disbanded in a few years and Dooky settled into the family restaurant business.

Leah worked hard, and without much respect at her in-law's restaurant. Eventually, of course, she inherited it, and converted a small humble operation into the black version of Commander's Palace, one of the finest restaurants in the city (and in America).

She comes off as proud, original, creative, fun-loving, extremely hard working, frank, and deeply religious (as a very active member of St Peter Claver Roman Catholic Church).

Probably most shocking to me are the several passages where she very frankly states that her marriage has been a disappointment and her husband basically a dud.

Her take on the extremely complicated and unique racial landscape of New Orleans is fascinating. She frankly reports how in her early days in New Orleans, the common belief among both blacks and whites was that blacks in downtown were Creole, lighter skinned, of French background, Catholic and more affluent, and that uptown they were more Anglo, darker-skinned, Protestant and poorer.

An example of her independence -- she was close friends with Dutch Morial, the first black mayor of New Orleans (and second black mayor in the Southeast), elected in 1978. She was his campaign co-chair. Before he died, she promised him she would support a white Jewish man he favored as his successor. She later kept that promise, supporting him over Morial's own son Marc. For this she received some harsh criticism, but she refused to defend her position. She was loyal to her friends like Dutch, and she did not believe blacks should always vote for the black candidate just because of the color of his skin.

Leah, in addition to being one of the finest chefs in the country, also became the owner of the finest collection of African American art in the city.

As a bonus the book describes her food, and recipes.

I love this book.

The glowing review above, titled "Everybody Loves Her; What's Not to Love?" seems to have been ghostwritten by her publisher. It is written in the same style as the book--which is equally over-the-top in it's fauning style and sachrine praise.

Leah's FOOD is supberb! However, her storytelling is nauseatingly nacisistic and quickly grows wearisome. If you really feel compelled to read this book order it from the library. I wish I spent the money on one of her cookbooks instead!
Bon Appetite