Local Chef Richard Pannell Passes

By Genoa Barrow | OBSERVER Senior Staff Writer Richard K. Pannell They say a watched pot doesn’t boil, but Richard K. Pannell knew just how much attention to give in order to ensure his community was fed in mind, body and spirit. The local chef and creative passed away Feb. 28 after a bout with cancer. Chef Pannell was 64. Richard Kenneth Pannell was born in Sacramento on Aug. 14, 1959, to Bernice White and Booker T. Pannell. He was one of 15 children and has 10 older brothers and sisters and four younger siblings. Pannell graduated from Sacramento High School in 1977 and attended college to learn more about drawing. He’d later set his sights on the culinary arts. As a chef and caterer, Pannell was determined to help clients, and the wide Black community, elevate their collective palettes. He often suggested healthier options to traditional soul food classics as a way to help change people’s diets, and their minds, to address the many chronic illnesses plaguing the Black community. Pannell was frequently featured as a food vendor at the African Market Place in Florin Square, shared the beauty of Black cuisine on local television news programs and won...