Les Dames d’Escoffier supports
San Diego American Indian Health Center
As part of a Global Culinary Initiative to honor North America’s native cuisines, the San Diego chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier International and Leah’s Pantry supported the San Diego American Indian Health Center as it launched a cookbook, “Young, Indigenous, and Healthy: Recipes inspired by Today’s Native Youth”, and expands its gardens to include Native American crops.
The mission of the San Diego American Indian Health Center (SDAIHC) is to promote excellence in health care with respect to custom and tradition.
The SDAIHC maintains a conventional garden but is expanding the garden to include Native American crops. Their youth helped create a Native American cookbook, developed and published by Leah’s Pantry and its director Dame Adrienne Markworth with food styling by Dame Marie Kelley. The garden is an extension of the work to improve food security, provide culturally relevant health support, and increase the opportunities of clients to connect with their native roots.
On Wednesday, Feb. 28, San Diego members of Les Dames d’Escoffier attended the SDAIHC and Leah’s Pantry cookbook launch and presented “seed” money for the new garden to SDAIHC.
The SDAIHC will use the garden as an opportunity to engage youth and adult clients, and to share the harvest with the broader community via monthly community events.
“The global culinary initiative of Les Dames d’Escoffier embraces global communities through culinary connections,” said President Marie Kelley. “We are honored to support Dame Adrienne and her work at Leah’s Pantry with the San Diego American Indian Health Center as they publish a cookbook that features the food traditions and heritage of North America’s indigenous people, specifically the native cultures in Southern California.”
San Diego Dames supports San Diego American Indian Health Center, top row L to R: Teresa Palzkill, Geri Sander and Vickie Mogilner. Bottom row L to R: Adrienne Markworth and President Marie Kelley.