Edna Lewis was a highly influential American chef, author, and ambassador who played a significant role in elevating the popularity of Southern USA cuisine. She championed the use of fresh, seasonal ingredients and traditional cooking methods, emphasizing the importance of locally sourced food. Her cookbooks, particularly The Taste of Country Cooking, are celebrated for their detailed recipes and evocative storytelling about Southern life and foodways. Edna Lewis was among the first African American women from the south to write a cookbook that did not hide the author's true name, gender or race. She has a deserved place in the African American Chefs hall of fame.

We believe that Edna Lewis demonstrated boundless creativity as she made an indelible impact on the way that Southern USA cuisine was viewed as well as how African American chefs were treated. Edna didn't need to use protests of petitions to achieve this, she let her creativity and food do the talking. Edna Lewis was a true inspiration whose impact on the creative world of cooking can still be seen today.