Diana Kennedy was an influential chef who was known as the “Julia Child of Mexican Cuisine” for promoting and popularizing its traditional recipes.
- Died: July 24, 2022 (Who else died on July 24?)
- Details of death: Died at her home in Zitácuaro, Mexico at the age of 99.
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The Julia Child of Mexican Cuisine
A native of England, Kennedy moved to Mexico in the 1950s with her husband, a correspondent for the New York Times who covered the country. She discovered the traditional cuisines of Mexico, as cooked by home cooks and maids rather than chefs of fine cuisine. Kennedy made it her life’s work to preserve and promote the recipes she learned from those cooks. Her first cookbook, 1972’s “The Cuisines of Mexico,” was highly influential and established a new standard for Mexican food in the U.S., elevating it beyond Tex-Mex basics. Kennedy went on to write eight other cookbooks, and she hosted “The Art of Mexican Cooking” for the Learning Channel. Kennedy also worked to document the native edible plants of Mexico. Her work was influential on celebrity chefs including Rick Bayless and José Andrés. Kennedy was widely honored, including membership in the James Beard Cookbook Hall of Fame.
Kennedy on her first impressions of Mexico
“The markets really blew my mind. The local markets still are pretty authentic, but at that time they were even more so. It was just the color of everything, and the smells, and all the wild things that I hadn’t seen. I simply had to go home and cook them.” —from a 2012 interview for Saveur
Tributes to Diana Kennedy
Full obituary: The Washington Post
