Diana Kennedy, British guru of Mexican cuisine, dies at 99
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -Diana Kennedy, a British-born meals author whose dedication to Mexico’s culinary heritage helped popularize the richness of the nationwide delicacies within the English-speaking world, has died. She was 99.
The Mexican tradition ministry confirmed her dying, and paid tribute to Kennedy’s legacy, saying that she “like few others” understood that conserving nature and its range was essential to upholding the myriad culinary traditions of Mexico.
Arturo Sarukhan, a former Mexican ambassador to the US, on Twitter described the dying of the “nice” Kennedy as a “enormous loss for Mexico, the UK and Mexican gastronomy.”
“She modified the narrative and perceptions of Mexican delicacies from a bland mish-mash of TexMex in the direction of a classy tapestry of regional cuisines” as wealthy as these celebrated in China, India, France or Italy, Sarukhan instructed Reuters.
Kennedy, whose works embrace “The Cuisines of Mexico” and “The Artwork of Mexican Cooking”, was born as Diana Southwood in Loughton, England in 1923 and emigrated to Canada in 1953.
Later within the decade, she moved to Mexico after marrying New York Instances journalist Paul P. Kennedy. Her husband died in 1967, and Kennedy spent years residing in Michoacan, a rugged state in western Mexico with a powerful, deep-rooted tradition.
It was at her dwelling in Michoacan that she died on Sunday, the New York Instances stated. The reason for dying was not clear.
Plaudits flooded in on Twitter for Kennedy, together with from famend chef Jose Andres, who, calling her his good friend, wrote:
“She cherished Mexico, Mexicans and Mexican cooking like nobody! Her books open a window into the soul of Mexico! She gave voice to the various Mexican cooks, specifically girls. She was my instructor and already miss her. Will cook dinner collectively someday once more!”
Josefa Gonzalez Blanco, Mexico’s ambassador to Britain known as Kennedy a “exceptional lady” who had put her “coronary heart and soul” into researching, chronicling and selling the huge range of Mexican tradition and gastronomy.
Kennedy gained many prizes in recognition of her work, and in 1981 the federal government honored her with the Mexican Order of the Aztec Eagle, the nation’s highest award for foreigners.
In accordance with her web site, Kennedy was compelled to protect native substances and conventional recipes underneath menace from rising urbanization, and spent many years documenting cuisines she present in villages, markets and houses throughout Mexico.
“Now, these traditions are collectively designated as a World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO,” it famous.
(Reporting by Dave Graham; enhancing by Diane Craft)
