About Edna Lewis

Edna Lewis grew up cooking with the seasons on a wood-fired stove in Freetown, Virginia. She’s largely credited with preserving the traditional foodways of Southern American cooking via her cooking classes and cookbooks, including The Gift of Southern Cooking and The Taste of Country Cooking. She was also a political activist and the darling of the New York arts and literature set in the 1940s and 50s. @EdnaLewisFDN

An enamel baking dish holding a sliced oven brisket topped with onions with jus on the side.

Edna Lewis’s Oven Brisket

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Edna Lewis was loved for many reasons. Her spare prose. Her soulful recipes. Her kitchen frugality. Her endless wisdom. All attributes that are apparent in her famous brisket.

A square of Edna Lewis's apple cake with caramel glaze on a white plate with a fork.

Edna Lewis’s Apple Cake with Caramel Glaze

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Warmly spiced with a pudding-like texture, this apple cake from Edna Lewis is truly easy—just stir together by hand. And it’s unforgettable for reasons that have nothing to do with its ease.

A man holding tongs in front of a skillet making southern pan-fried chicken, which is bubbling in the pan.

Southern Pan-Fried Chicken

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This recipe from the late, great Edna Lewis turns out skillet-fried chicken that’s perfectly seasoned, extra-crisp, and gosh darn beautiful in every way.

Spoon Bread

Spoon Bread

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From cooking icon Edna Lewis comes an airy spoon bread which whispers, in that inimitable Southern way, to be included on tables everywhere.