Karen Hess facts for kids
Karen Loft Hess (born November 11, 1918 – died May 15, 2007) was an American expert who studied the history of cooking. She and her husband, John L. Hess, wrote a book called The Taste of America in 1977. This book showed they had different ideas from many other people in the cooking world.
Karen Hess's Life and Work
Karen Hess was born in Blair, Nebraska. She went to Humboldt State University in Arcata, California, where she studied music. Her husband, John L. Hess, was a journalist for The New York Times. For a short time, he also wrote about food.
Karen and John Hess were known for challenging famous chefs like Craig Claiborne, James Beard, and Julia Child. Karen Hess believed it was important to be very accurate about the history of cooking. The New York Times said she was a kind but strong person who wasn't afraid to challenge big names in American cooking. She felt some people were not showing the true history or quality of American food.
Discovering Old Cookbooks
Karen Hess helped publish a special copy of American Cookery. This was the first known American cookbook, written by Amelia Simmons and first printed in 1796. Karen wrote the introduction and historical notes for this new edition. She also added notes to What Mrs. Fisher Knows About Old Southern Cooking. This was one of the oldest known cookbooks by an African-American author, first published in 1881.
Honoring Culinary History
In 1985, Karen Hess helped start The Culinary Historians of New York. This group brings together food experts, historians, and others who love studying food history. On October 19, 2004, this group gave her their first Amelia Award. This award celebrates great work in culinary history.
In 2006, Saveur magazine featured her in an article called "The Grandest Dame of American Culinary History." The article said that even though Karen Hess was from Nebraska, her "soul must be Southern." Her book The Carolina Rice Kitchen tells the story of how rice from Africa became a main food in the South Carolina Low Country. It also explains how African cooks greatly shaped Southern cooking.
Karen Hess passed away in New York City (in Manhattan) after having a stroke.
