This is the story of Miss Edna Lewis, the granddaughter of freed slaves from Virginia. It chronicles her life on the farm in Freetown, VA, and her exodus to New York City where she became the adored chef for post-WW II artists, writers, scholars, and performers in Manhattan at Cafe Nicholson. There she cooked simple but elegant meals based on her family's approach to food - fresh, seasonal and local. Late in her life, Miss Lewis became friends with Scott Peacock, an Alabama-born, white chef almost 50 years her junior. Their friendship deepened into a unique relationship. They were called 'the odd couple' of the cooking world and co-authored a popular cookbook, "The Gift of Southern Cooking" (Knopf, 2003). As Miss Lewis grew older, Scott found a place where they could live together. He became her caregiver, helping her cope with a now frail mind and body. He carries on her approach to food and the recipes they created together at Watershed Restaurant in Atlanta.
—Bailey Barash