Nathalie Dupree facts for kids

Nathalie Dupree (born December 23, 1939 – died January 13, 2025) was a famous American chef, author, and TV show host. She was known for her amazing work with American Southern cuisine, which is the traditional cooking style from the southern parts of the United States. Nathalie was the first woman since Julia Child to host more than 100 cooking episodes on public television. Her first show was called New Southern Cooking with Nathalie Dupree, and she went on to host eight more TV series.

Nathalie Dupree wrote 15 cookbooks, selling almost a million copies! She also hosted over 300 cooking shows that were seen all over the world. These shows started in 1986 and appeared on channels like PBS, The Food Network, and The Learning Channel. She was also a guest many times on popular morning shows like the Today show and Good Morning America. She won many awards for her cooking, including four James Beard Awards. One special award was "Who's who in American Cuisine." She was also a "Grande Dame" of Les Dames d' Escoffier.

Nathalie was best known for starting the New Southern Cooking movement. This style of cooking is now very popular in many restaurants across the United States. She was a chef in three different restaurants. One was in Majorca, Spain, another in Georgia, and a third in Virginia. For ten years, she led the Rich's Cooking School in Atlanta. More than 10,000 students learned from her there. Many of her students later became successful chefs, food writers, or worked in food media.

Early Life and Education

Nathalie Dupree was the daughter of Walter G. Meyer and Evelyn Kreiser. After her parents divorced, she grew up in the American South with her mother and two siblings. In the late 1960s, Nathalie and her second husband, David Dupree, lived in London. While there, Nathalie went to the famous Le Cordon Bleu cooking school. She earned an advanced certificate, which showed she was a very skilled cook. After finishing school, she ran a restaurant in Majorca, Spain. Later, she and David moved back to the United States. They settled in David's hometown of Social Circle, Georgia. There, Nathalie opened her own restaurant called Nathalie's.

Culinary Leadership

Nathalie Dupree was a leader in the world of cooking. She helped start and was president twice of the International Association of Culinary Professionals. She also helped start and was co-president of the Atlanta and Charleston, South Chapters of Les Dames d' Escoffier. This is a group for women leaders in food, beverage, and hospitality. She was also the first chairman of the Charleston Food and Wine Festival. She was also past president of the Atlanta Chapter of the International Woman's Forum. Nathalie was very active in many other important organizations too.

A Taste of Politics

In 2010, Nathalie Dupree tried something different. She ran a special kind of election campaign called a write-in campaign for a Senate seat in South Carolina. She was running against the person who already held the job, Jim DeMint. It was a long shot, meaning it was very unlikely she would win. She said she wanted to "cook his goose," which is a fun way of saying she wanted to beat him. She also said she would work with the other South Carolina Senator, Lindsey Graham, to "bring home the bacon" for the state. This means she wanted to get good things done for South Carolina.

Later Life and Legacy

Nathalie Dupree was married to Jack Bass, who was a historian and author. They lived in Raleigh, North Carolina. Nathalie Dupree passed away on January 13, 2025, when she was 85 years old. She left behind a big legacy in the world of Southern cooking and inspired many chefs and home cooks.

Cookbooks by Nathalie Dupree

Nathalie Dupree wrote many popular cookbooks. Here are some of them:

• Nathalie Dupree Cooks for Family and Friends (1991)
• Nathalie Dupree’s Matters of Taste (1992)
• Nathalie Dupree Cooks Great Meals For Busy Days (1994)
• Nathalie Dupree Cooks Everyday Meals From A Well-Stocked Pantry: Strategies for Shopping Less and Eating Better (1995)
• Nathalie Dupree Cooks Quick Meals For Busy Days: 180 Delicious Timesaving Recipes (1996)
• New Southern Cooking (2004)
• Nathalie Dupree's Southern Memories: Recipes and Reminiscences (2004)
• Mastering the Art of Southern Vegetables (2013)
• Mastering the Art of Southern Cooking (2012)
• Nathalie Dupree's Comfortable Entertaining: At Home with Ease and Grace (2013)
• Nathalie Dupree's Shrimp and Grits, revised (2014) (co-authored with Marion Sullivan)