Maida Heatter (September 7, 1916 – June 6, 2019) was an American pastry chef and cookbook author who specialized in baking and desserts.
Maida Heatter | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 7, 1916 Baldwin, New York, U.S. |
| Died | June 6, 2019 (aged 102) Miami Beach, Florida, U.S. |
| Occupation | Cookbook author |
| Spouses |
|
| Children | 1 |
| Parents |
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| Family | Merrill Heatter (cousin) |
Biography
editHeatter was born in Baldwin, New York, the daughter of radio commentator Gabriel Heatter and Saidie Heatter (née Hermalin).[1] She graduated from New York's Pratt Institute in fashion design and began a career as an illustrator of merchandising, then subsequently switching to jewellery design, and then finally becoming a baker and baking instructor.[2]
Her career as a professional cookbook author began when her skills in dessert making caught the attention of Craig Claiborne, a former food section editor of the New York Times.[2] In part through his numerous endorsements for her[3] and his suggestion to her to write her own cookbook, Heatter began her decades-long career in teaching baking and writing cookbooks.[2]
The quality of her recipes caught the attention of many prominent figures in the trade of cooking and baking,[2] garnering praise from numerous celebrity and media sources.[4] Heatter's cookbooks have been the recipient of three James Beard Foundation Awards, and she herself was inducted into the Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America in 1988. She was also inducted into the Chocolatier Magazine Hall of Fame.[5]
Personal life
editHeatter was married three times. In 1940, she married shoe designer David E. Evins, who was also Jewish; they had one daughter before divorcing.[6] In 1949, she married Ellis Gimbel Jr., grandson of Adam Gimbel and brother of Richard Gimbel.[7][8] In 1966, she married Ralph Daniels (died 1994).[9] Her only child, daughter Toni Evins, died in a glider accident in 1989.[10][11] She turned 100 in September 2016[12] and died in June 2019 at the age of 102.[13]
Awards
edit- James Beard Foundation Awards[14]
- 1998 Cookbook Hall of Fame Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts
- 1988 Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America
- 1981 Single Subject Book Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts
- 1978 Specialty Book Maida Heatter's Book of Great Cookies
References
edit- ^ Genzlinger, Neil (June 7, 2019). "Maida Heatter, Cookbook Writer and the 'Queen of Cake,' Dies at 102". The New York Times. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
- ^ a b c d Hobart, Christy, The Queen of Cake, Saveur, archived from the original on 2011-06-13, retrieved 2010-02-14
- ^ Hesser, Amanda (11 March 2009), "1966: Maida Heatter's Popovers", The New York Times
- ^ The Maida Heatter Classic Library, Cader Books
- ^ Maida Heatter's Biography, starchefs.com
- ^ Nottingham, Leslie L. (2009). "Well Heeled Lifestyles: The Shoes of David Evins and the Women Who Wore Them, 1947-1991" (PDF). The Smithsonian Associates and Corcoran College of Art + Design.
- ^ "Ellis Gimbel Jr., Stock Broker, 66". The New York Times. January 5, 1964.
- ^ Hamlin, Suzanne (December 7, 1995). "Cookies A Hallmark For Heatter". Sun Sentinel.
Before her 29-year marriage to Daniels, she was married to Ellis Gimbel, a scion of the department store family, and to David Evins, the shoe designer...Daniels died of cancer three months later.
- ^ Sullivan, Barbara (May 2, 1985). "Dessert Still Plays Vital Role in Life of Maida Heatter". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on January 13, 2018.
- ^ "1 teacher killed, 1 injured in Buena Vista glider crash". Associated Press. September 17, 1989.
- ^ Beggs, Alex (June 7, 2019). "The Long and Happy Life of Maida Heatter". bon appétit.
- ^ Ellen Morrissey (2017-03-20). "The Queen of Cakes, That's Maida Heatter". marthastewart.com. Retrieved 2018-10-11.
- ^ Scattergood, Amy (June 6, 2019). "Maida Heatter, the queen of chocolate desserts, dies at 102". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
- ^ JBF Awards, James Beard Foundation