Maida Heatter
American food writer (1916–2019)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Maida Heatter (September 7, 1916 – June 6, 2019) was an American pastry chef and cookbook author who specialized in baking and desserts.
- David E. Evins
- Ellis Gimbel Jr.
- Ralph Daniels (until his death)
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 |
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| Children | 1 |
| Parents |
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| Family | Merrill Heatter (cousin) |
Biography
Heatter 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
Heatter 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
- 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