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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.

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.

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