Edna Lewis: At the Table with an American Original

Edna Lewis (1916–2006) was an African American chef and cookbook author whose The Taste of Country Cooking (1976) is considered a classic on the subject of Southern cuisine. Lewis grew up on a farm in Freetown, VA, and later went on to work as a chef in the Bronx, NY. She was also a vocal political activist. Food studies scholar Franklin (Tradition, Treme, and the New Orleans Renaissance) has compiled a collection of 21 essays by contemporary food writers such as chef Mashama Bailey as well as authors John T. Edge (The Potlikker Papers) and Michael W. Twitty (The Cooking Gene) to discuss their recollections of Lewis and her influence on American cooking. The essays are divided into three sections. The first focuses on the contributors' first impressions of Lewis. The second considers Lewis's standing in culinary history, and the final section is devoted to her contributions to today's culinary culture. The book concludes with recollections by Lewis's sister and niece.