1. Freda DeKnight was the first food editor of Ebony magazine and the author of A Date With A Dish: A Cookbook of American Negro Recipes, considered the first major cookbook written by an African-American for an African-American audience.
20 Facts About Freda DeKnight
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Freda DeKnight was a pioneer for the working class, who was able to articulate an unmatched love of food.
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Freda DeKnight Alexander was born in December 1909 while her mother, Elenore Alexander, a nurse from Boston, was traveling near Topeka, Kansas.
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Freda DeKnight soon developed a passionate interest in cooking, which was nurtured by her adoptive family.
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Freda DeKnight worked teaching sewing and as a guidance counselor to vocational training schools in Manhattan including Yorkville High School, where she met Rene DeKnight, the arranger and pianist for The Delta Rhythm Boys who would become her husband in 1940.
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In 1946, Freda DeKnight took a position as food editor for Ebony magazine, making her the first African-American food editor in the United States.
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The story goes that DeKnight prepared a meal at which publisher John H Johnson was present, and she impressed him by sending the menu he requested after greatly enjoying the meal to him in a creative, narrative style that made it seem fun to cook.
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Freda DeKnight continued to use this creativity in her column, with formats such as cooking directions appearing as photo captions.
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In 1948, Freda DeKnight published her only cookbook, A Date with A Dish: A Cookbook of American Negro Recipes.
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Freda DeKnight rose to the position of home service director at Johnson Publishing, home of Ebony.
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In 1948, Freda DeKnight published her only cookbook, titled A Date with a Dish.
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Freda DeKnight traveled all over the country to conduct interviews and collect recipes.
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Freda DeKnight's subjects included celebrities like Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong, along with respected African-American chefs and home cooks.
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Freda DeKnight used a model that had long proven a favorite among home cooks: she presented a well-organized selection of explicit recipes, along with plenty of household hints.
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Freda DeKnight suggested colorful vegetable platers for spring and holiday menus.
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Freda DeKnight gave clear, concise directions for the humane preparation of lobster.
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Freda DeKnight shared poignant, humorous moments gleaned from interviews with celebrities, as well as their favorite recipes, such as Louis Armstrong's beloved ham hocks and red beans.
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Ultimately, Freda DeKnight set her sights not on writing a great cookbook.
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Freda DeKnight strove to overturn stereotypes about African-American cooks and Southern cooking.
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Freda DeKnight's obituary appeared in the August 1963 issue of Negro Digest.