Loretta Barret Oden
Chef
A member of Oklahoma’s Potawatomi tribe, Oden incorporated the culinary traditions of many Native American cultures by incorporating a remarkable variety of traditional ingredients in addition to corn, beans and squash – the “three sisters” – into the innovative fare at her Corn Dance Café in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Update: After 10 years in Sante Fe, Oden closed the Corn Dance Café to devote her time to the Emmy-award winning PBS series, Seasoned with Spirit. She currently lives in Oklahoma City.