An African American woman who rose from humble beginnings, she became famous for reviving the almost forgotten world of refined Southern cooking. The Edna Lewis Cookbook was her first book, published in 1972, and contains over 100 recipes, arranged in menu form and organized according to the season of the year.

    Both an archaeologist and a great cook, Eugenia Salza Prina Ricotti has drawn from the archaeological findings of ancient Roman towns, especially Pompeii, and from the literary texts that talk about recipes and ingredients, instructions for how to cook a typical Roman meal today.