Sponsored message
Logged in as
Audience-funded nonprofit news
radio tower icon laist logo
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Subscribe
  • Listen Now Playing Listen
  • Listen Now Playing Listen
NPR News

The Life and Legacy of Southern Cook Edna Lewis

Edna Lewis turned her 'Taste for Country Cooking' into a trend-setting 1976 book of essays and simple menus.
Edna Lewis turned her 'Taste for Country Cooking' into a trend-setting 1976 book of essays and simple menus.

This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today.

Listen 0:00
Listen

The first lady of southern cooking, Edna Lewis, was laid to rest this morning in Unionville, Va., at the age of 89.

Her 1976 cookbook The Taste of Country Cooking was an eloquent tribute to farm life, and the bonding power of food. Those essays, combined with simple, yet elegant menus, transformed the way people looked at southern cooking.

In her later years, Lewis had a special relationship with Atlanta chef Scott Peacock. Together they penned a lovely cookbook called The Gift of Southern Cooking. Food writer John T. Edge, who studied under Lewis, discusses her legacy with Debbie Elliott.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.

Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.

If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.

Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief

Make your tax-deductible donation today