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Chef Dee LavigneProfile Photo

Chef Dee Lavigne

Chef Dee Lavigne is a New Orleans native born and raised in the 9th ward. She started baking and cooking at the age of 7. Being the middle sibling of 8, her mom would only allow her to use ingredients plentiful in the family kitchen, i.e., Flour, Sugar, Eggs, and Milk. With those items, her pastry bones were born. It wasn’t until she had taken a home economics class that she knew she was supposed to dedicate her life to food. In January of 2003, Chef Dee Lavigne Graduated from The Culinary Institute of America. After graduation, she chose a career in the retail food industry. Chef Dee worked at Whole Foods Markets for 15 years in the bakery department. During the course of her career, she and her husband expanded their family with two wonder boys Reynell Jr now 16, and Russell now 6.

In 2014 Russell was born, and she felt an overwhelming feeling to be home with her newborn and spend more time with Reynell (16), who was diagnosed with autism at age 2. After baking items for family, friends, and church members, she decided to start her own business, Deelightful Cupcakes, in July of 2016. Her business is steadily growing, and new and exciting things are happening all the time.

Chef Dee has been working with local TV Station WWL-TV4 as Assistant Production Producer with local Kit Wohl and Elizabeth Williams of the Southern Food & Beverage Museum for the Sunday Morning News Food Segment.

She has been featured on local News Channels Fox-8, WWL-TV 4, and WUPL-54 for her incredible Cupcakes, cookies, and cooking talent.

Chef Dee hosts a monthly Baking Demonstration in the Culinary Innovation Kitchen at the Southern Food and Beverage Museum.

Sept. 20, 2021

Chef Lena Richard

Over a decade before Julia Child’s The French Chef appeared on TV, a Black woman chef hosted her own, very popular cooking show on WDSU-TV in New Orleans. At a time when families were just beginning to own televisions, Chef …