Food writers from the South and across the nation are mourning the passing of Nathalie Dupree. Here, some of those closest to her share their favorite memories of the esteemed culinarian and the influence she had on their careers.
Toni Tipton Martin, editor in chief of Cook’s Country by America’s Test Kitchen:
For 25 years, Nathalie has been more to me than just a respected cookbook author and cooking teacher. She has been a mentor, a cheerleader, a special friend and a connecter, generously sharing her wisdom, her access and her privilege whenever and wherever she could.
I will miss seeing her seated in the front row during my speeches, but I will cherish my many memories of her perched in her sitting room, surrounded by her favorite cookbooks, stacks of newspapers, and precious Kitty.
Virginia Willis, chef and James Beard Award-winning cookbook author:
Nathalie Dupree took me out of my mother’s Southern kitchen. She exposed me to ingredients, recipes and culinary techniques I had never seen. My first real job in a professional kitchen was as an apprentice on her TV cooking show.
Nathalie continued to guide me as I made my path to culinary school, to work in France, and helped open the door to a job interview with Martha Stewart. A dear mentor and friend, she has absolutely everything to do with the success of my career and as a result, the joy and purpose I feel in my life.
Angel (formerly Postell) Holmes, former executive director of the Charleston Wine + Food Festival:
It’s been hard for me to accept this news. I always saw Nathalie as someone invincible, someone who would live forever. She was a superhuman in so many ways. I knew about her since I was a child when she was on cooking shows and writing books, and when she moved to Charleston, I had hoped to meet her someday. Little did I know she would become one of the most influential people in my life and in Charleston.
I always felt that Charleston didn’t fully appreciate the legend she was. I even wished her yellow house would be turned into a museum. Her collections were remarkable, from wine keys around the door frames to books everywhere, her fridge in the bathroom, broken dishes in the garden, and the ice maker in the office/sitting area. I was convinced that people would pay to see her charming Queen Street house. Diet Coke could have been the main sponsor, and I’m sure it would have become a top tourist attraction.
The Charleston Wine + Food Festival would never have happened without Nathalie (and Marion, of course!). I believe that Marion Sullivan invited her to the first meeting! Nathalie was present at the first, second, and almost every meeting we held for several years. She was determined to make the event happen. As a young 30-year-old, I couldn’t have accomplished most of what I did without her. We did have our differences, but in the end, she was always right. Her vast network of connections and her ability to bring in the right people and invite them was incredible. She knew exactly what it would take to make the event a success and put Charleston’s culinary scene on the map.
She was like a mother to me and supported me wholeheartedly when I became pregnant with my boys. She was tough but always encouraged me to aim high. She was ahead of her time, a pioneer of the “Me Too” movement, and played a significant role in shaping the person I am today.
And the stories! I have so many, but one that sticks with me to this day is her trick to make people laugh in photos. Instead of saying “cheese,” she always said “sex.” It never failed to bring a smile. I always think of her when I do that.
Stephanie Burt, host and executive producer of the Southern Fork podcast:
The first time I saw a James Beard award in the flesh, there was more than one, and they were casually displayed around the neck of a statue in Nathalie Dupree’s yellow house on Queen Street. That was very indicative of her — not falsely humble about her past accolades but more focused on what was next: rooms full of people, finishing the next book, emerging writers like me.
She was famous for her get-togethers, and more and more I was invited to them, where she’d make sure and introduce me to at least one person I just simply had to meet. That graciousness and personal attention was a hallmark, well, that and her cassoulet, always served in the biggest piece of Le Creuset I had ever seen.
However, despite the cookware envy and the rooms full of interesting people, my most endearing memories of her occurred in a quiet house, where she’d sit me down in the parlor for a proper chat. This happened more than once, when she aimed to get a good handle on what kind of work I wanted to do so she could give me the best real-world advice. She’d focus laser-like on a series of questions while I tried to remain unflappable in the crosshairs. This gift of time and attention in a world that doesn’t have much of either always included practical ideas and next steps, and the remainder of my Diet Coke for the ride home. I kept writing and working, in part thanks to her.
Gena Berry, founder and owner of Culinary Works:
My brother-in-law Taylor Adams introduced me to Nathalie on Sea Island in the mid 1980′s. Nathalie was presenting a culinary workshop for Cloister guests, and we hit it off immediately. When we returned to Atlanta, she took me under her wing as one of her “chickens.”
I worked by her side in an unpaid apprenticeship on her new PBS TV show and gained culinary skills along with a wealth of wisdom and life lessons. We’ve been friends ever since. Nathalie has been a guiding light in building my career. She’s the perfect mix of grit and grace and a fierce advocate for women in the culinary professions, always encouraging us to realize the value of our talents and to charge accordingly. Nathalie has lovingly, and sometimes toughly, mentored me in building my company and pursuing my dreams.
I’ve called Nathalie many times for a pep talk before an important meeting or taking on a new project. I often stayed in the storied guest room at 100 Queen Street when I was visiting Charleston and she always made time for a catch-up salon. She’s always there to remind me what I’m worth, and I’m just one of a generation of women Nathalie has nurtured; her list of chickens, grand chickens and peeps is deep. Nathalie is so much more than the sum of her accomplishments; she is the person you hope you to be seated next to at a dinner party. She’s outspoken, tons of fun and a delight to be with. Nathalie is a precious soul, an open book and a loyal friend I love dearly.
Marion Sullivan, food editor:
Nathalie Dupree will be remembered for many things, but one of the most beloved is her “Pork Chop Theory.” She taught it to multitudes of women over the years of her career. She explains it in this passage from Nathalie.com dated 2011:
“To tell you the truth, I’m not sure about who started the theory. But here’s how it was applied. When we first started IACP, our professional organization, and Atlanta was beginning, just barely, to make a name for itself as having restaurants other than continental, and serious cooks, there were three of us that were prominent in IACP – myself, Shirley Corriher and Diane Wilkinson. The temptation was to think, as women had always thought, that there was only room for one of us nationally. That we had to knock each other out of the row boat. Well, none of us were good knocker-outers. We were all cooks, cooking teachers, and completely different, with different areas of expertise. So we made a pact. We might grumble amongst ourselves about each other, but outside of Atlanta we would not criticize each other, but would support each other.
“Rather than limiting ourselves to just one prominent woman from Atlanta, we applied the pork chop theory. What is the pork chop theory? If there is only one pork chop in the pan it goes dry; if there are two or more, the fat from one feeds the other. And so, we operated on the pork chop theory. Diane became head of a committee, which was what she wanted, and Shirley and I were both elected to the Board of Directors. Now, the Les Dames d’Escoffier and many other organizations have proved us right....when you apply the pork chop theory, you give a lot of people the juice to keep on pushing, and there is room for us all. It is easier to expand than to shove someone out of the boat and live with the consequences of falling out yourself.”
The list of places where I personally know that Nathalie applied the pork chop theory is sure to diminish in size when compared to the many, many personal instances where Nathalie applied it — to her cooking students, television guests, book party authors, apprentices, etc. Many can speak to those. But here are mine:
- Rich’s Cooking School
- IACP
- Charleston Wine + Food Festival
- Les Dames d’Escoffier
- Southern Foodways Alliance
- Culinary Institute of Charleston Board
Kathleen Purvis, food journalist:
Of course her house was near the corner of King’s and Queen’s in Charleston: She was the queen, and would have settled for no less. Downstairs, Jack and Nathalie pretty much kept to their little sitting room (with her Viking ice machine hidden under a shawl), the kitchen and their private suite (I was forbidden to look in their bedroom, because she wasn’t a neatnik), but they hardly ever went upstairs. Instead, they let any wandering food writer stay for free upstairs. It was a major help to a lot of us who worked on very tight newspaper budgets, and ensured that a lot of Charleston restaurants got coverage.
On the second floor, there was a generous bedroom and private bath on one side, and a huge suite across the hall, with a room with twin beds and a full bedroom with a four-poster bed and a bathroom (with bidet) that was so big, there were steps down into it. There was a third floor with another bedroom, although I never made it up there to see it.
The first time I stayed there, I called and asked Nathalie if it was true that she let food writers stay for free. Of course, she told me: She and Jack were getting ready to leave for Social Circle, Georgia, but there was a key hidden behind a shutter, “and you can feed the cats while we’re away. Now, there’s a writer from Columbia across the hall, and I think there’s a woman from Africa on the third floor, but she’s one of Jack’s students, so I don’t know if she’s still up there.”
That’s just how Nathalie’s house was: Stuffed with people. If anyone was in town, they eventually washed up in Nathalie’s sitting room to pay their respects.
Rebecca Lang, cookbook author and television personality:
Nathalie took me into the fold with a complete trust and interest in me growing into a strong woman that could cook. I was a complete stranger, only 21 years old, that called her at home and it changed my life and my entire professional trajectory. She guided me on nearly every project I have worked on for over 20 years.
Two favorite memories stand out from my time as one her chickens. On my third day as her apprentice, I was climbing up a step ladder to return a copper bowl (after having a meringue lesson) to the top of a cabinet hung on the wall. The cabinet contained nearly all of her fine china. As soon as I placed the bowl, the entire cabinet fell from the wall and crashed to the floor. The floor was damaged, the cabinet destroyed and every single piece of china was broken. As I began to cry and apologize profusely, Nathalie immediately declared this was not a bad thing. She’d been wanted to add to her china garden in the backyard. It’s where broken plates found a home.
My 95-year-old grandmother Tom was Nathalie’s biggest fan. She never missed a show and felt a connection through the screen with Nathalie, like most of those that watched her often did. While I was apprenticing, Nathalie invited Tom to spend the day with us in her kitchen in Social Circle. We cooked all day. Biscuits, fried chicken and blackberry dumplings filled the table as we sat down. Nathalie had never met Tom until that morning, but she loved on her, respected her and her techniques as a country home cook, and treated her like family. She did that with everyone. As long as you were kitchen with Nathalie, you were family.
— Rememberances compiled by Cynthia Graubert
A memorial service will be held 2 p.m. Feb. 22 at Meadows Funeral Home, 760 Highway 11 SE, Monroe, Georgia. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Atlanta Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier Scholarship Fund (ldeiatlanta.org) are welcome to further the careers of female culinarians. Remembrances may be left at meadowsfuneralhomeinc.com.
