Lois Ellen Frank

Lois Ellen Frank, Ph.D. (Kiowa/Sephardic) is a Santa Fe, New Mexico based Native American Chef, a Native foods historian, culinary anthropologist, educator, photographer, organic gardener, and a James Beard Award-winning cookbook author, for her book Foods of the Southwest Indian Nations. She is the chef/owner of Red Mesa Cuisine, LLC, a Native American catering company specializing in the revitalization of ancestral Native American cuisine with a modern twist. Dr. Frank has spent over 30 years documenting and working with the foods and lifeways of Native American communities in the Southwest. In 2020, she was the recipient of the Local Hero Olla Award, which recognizes an exceptional individual for the work they do to create healthy, innovative, vibrant, and resilient local sustainable food systems in New Mexico. To learn more about Red Mesa Cuisine, visit www.redmesacuisine.com.