From Freetown, Virginia to New York City, Edna Lewis carved a remarkable path. She introduced many Americans to seasonal cooking, American cooking-the cooking of the Black community in rural Virginia that raised her. Yet despite a life that included fame and acclaim, she is not a household name. In Finding Edna Lewis, Deb Freeman travels to the places where Miss Lewis made her mark.
FilmMaker Bio
Award-winning culinary anthropologist Deb Freeman delves into the intersections of race, culture, and food – especially in Virginia and across the South. Freeman is the executive producer and host of Finding Edna Lewis, a documentary on PBS that explores the legacy of the famed chef.
She is also the host and creator of Setting the Table, a critically acclaimed and multi-award winning podcast exploring Black foodways and culinary history. Setting the Table was named by Apple Podcasts as “one of the shows we loved in 2022,” while Texas Monthly wrote that the podcast “explored topics they wished they had covered.” In 2023, Setting the Table was honored by the International Association of Culinary Professionals as “Podcast of the Year,” and also won gold in the food and drink category at the Signal Awards.
Freeman has appeared on Chef Carla’s Hall’s show, Finding Flavor, on Max, as well as The Key Ingredient on PBS. Her written work includes contributions to Eater, Condé Nast Traveler, Food52, Modern Farmer, The Local Palate, Plate Magazine, Epicurious, Garden and Gun, Pit Magazine, Gravy, and Gastro Obscura, and she has provided cultural commentary for BBC Radio.
Reviews
"The food imagery is shot with the same level of cinematographic intensity as the Chef’s Table series,” - Jeffery Edalatpour, East Bay Express
"Finding Edna Lewis might be the catalyst to launch...Lewis’ mythology in the public’s shared imagination - Jeffery Edalatpour, East Bay Express
There was something about the cinematography and the rhythm of it that, for me, mirrored Miss Lewis's way of being. It was very elegant.” - Evan Kleiman, Good Food
