Sarah Helen Mahammitt facts for kids

Sarah Helen Bradley Toliver Mahammitt (born around 1873 – died November 26, 1956) was a talented caterer, chef, and cookbook author from Omaha, Nebraska. She learned advanced cooking techniques at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris in 1927. Sarah wanted to share fancy, European-style cooking with African-American women in Omaha.

Sarah Helen Mahammitt's Early Life

Sarah Helen Bradley Toliver was born around 1873. Her parents were James H. Toliver and Sarah A. (Bently) Toliver. She was born in either Canada or Michigan. Her mother, Sarah Bently, was from St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada. Her father, James Toliver, was born in Covington, Kentucky. He moved to Amherstburg, Ontario, in the early 1850s. Later, he moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Helen married Thomas P. Mahammitt on May 25, 1904. Their wedding took place in Des Moines, Iowa. Thomas had been married before to Ella Mahammitt. They were separated when she passed away in 1903. Thomas Mahammitt died on March 28, 1950.

Sarah Toliver Mahammitt passed away on November 26, 1956. Her funeral was held at St. Philips Episcopal Church. She was buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery.

Her Amazing Career as a Chef

Sarah's husband, Thomas, worked as a caterer. Helen soon joined him in the business. In 1910, Mahammitt traveled to Boston. There, she attended Miss Farmer's Catering School. She became a very popular caterer in Omaha. She prepared food for many big events. For example, she catered a wedding for Violet Joslyn and David Walter Magowan. She also worked for the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben coronations. These were important local events.

Learning in Paris

In June 1927, Sarah planned to retire. She decided to take a vacation to Paris, France. While there, she visited Le Cordon Bleu. This is a very famous cooking school. She was so impressed that she decided to enroll in a course. Sarah learned French while taking her cooking classes. This experience inspired her to keep working. She wanted to teach cooking when she returned to Omaha.

Teaching and Cookbooks

After her trip, Sarah offered cooking and catering classes in Omaha. She often taught these classes for free. She also supported Omar Cake Mixes. She finally retired in 1950, after her husband passed away.

In 1939, Sarah published her own cookbook. It was called Recipes and Domestic Service: The Mahammitt School of Cookery. In the book's introduction, Mahammitt shared her own experiences. She also wrote about her training. She wanted to pass her cooking skills on to others. Her book mostly featured non-southern dishes. She wanted to show that African-American cooks could prepare all kinds of food. She also wrote about the importance of professionalism. She taught black cooks how to work well with all clients. This helped them show their great skills.

Her Lasting Impact

Toni Tipton-Martin is a food writer for the Los Angeles Times. She wrote about Sarah Mahammitt's story. It is featured in her book, "The Jemima Code." This book shares the history of African American cooking.