Edna loved to cook. Growing up on a farm in Freetown, Virginia, she learned the value of fresh, local, seasonal food from her Mama Daisy; how to measure ingredients for biscuits using coins; and to listen closely to her cakes to know when they were done.

Edna carried these traditions with her all the way to New York, where she became a celebrated chef, who could infuse traditional French food into her signature Southern style. The author of several cookbooks and the recipient of numerous awards, Chef Edna introduced the world to the flavors of her home.