"Few cookbooks can be found on every chef's bookshelf, but Edna Lewis' "The Taste of Country Cooking" is typically part of the best talent's repertoire. Lewis is one of the many women who changed the food industry forever, earning a place alongside icons like Julia Child and Bewei Yang Chao. First published in 1976, Lewis' "The Taste of Country Cooking" was a pioneering work, showcasing America's Southern cuisine in a whole new light."
"She grew up on a small farm in Freetown, Virginia, amongst a community of freed slaves that her grandfather helped bring together. She learned the importance of fresh produce and how to use it. We know Southern food is all about buttery biscuits and cornbread, which Edna never argued, but she did prioritize veggies harvested right from the farm and doughs made by scratch. Lewis really emphasized how important joy and love are when cooking; it's an ingredient."
"This cookbook made history. Lewis's warm voice shares intimate stories of celebratory dinners on Emancipation Day and Christmas Eve, all bringing family together. "The Taste of Country Cooking" breaks recipes down by season, emphasizing fresh seasonal produce just as Lewis learned during her days on the farm. It's filled with decades' worth of Lewis's culinary knowledge, including over 30 different menus featuring recipes for reinvented classics like steamed whole hominy, corn pone, and sausage cakes."
Edna Lewis revolutionized perceptions of Southern cuisine by highlighting its freshness, seasonality, and nutritional value rather than portraying it as heavy or unsophisticated. Raised on a small Freetown, Virginia farm, she learned to prioritize fresh produce and scratch doughs and grounded her cooking in community and family traditions. The Taste of Country Cooking organizes recipes by season and includes over thirty menus alongside reinvented classics such as steamed whole hominy, corn pone, and sausage cakes. Lewis paired warm storytelling of Emancipation Day and Christmas Eve dinners with practical culinary knowledge. She emphasized that joy and love are essential ingredients in cooking.
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