Edna Lewis

Edna Lewis (1916 – 2006) was an authority on Southern Cooking, and is considered to be the first African American celebrity chef. She was the chef of Café Nicholson, which was a watering hole for successful writers and artists. After a cooking accident left her with a broken leg, Lewis had to exit the kitchen. It was during this period that she began to write. In 1972 she published, The Edna Lewis Cookbook, and the books success motivated her to write a follow up dedicated to southern cooking entitled, The Taste of Country Cooking, in 1976. Lewis was always on a quest to rediscover the cuisine of her childhood living in Virginia. To pay homage to her deep respect and passion for southern cuisine, Lewis co-founded The Society for the Revival and Preservation of Southern Food. Her last book, The Gift of Southern Cooking, was published in 2003, and embodies the culinary principles Lewis lived by.