Nathalie Dupree, "the grand dame of Southern cooking whose infectious personality and vast knowledge of how to blend tastes into memorable concoctions," died January 13 at age 85, Charleston City Paper reported. Dupree won four James Beard Awards, wrote 15 cookbooks, and appeared in more than 300 TV shows.
Dupree's culinary career began in a co-op house in college. She went on to earn a certificate at Le Cordon Bleu and operated the kitchen of a restaurant in Spain. She later opened Nathalie's restaurant in the back of a Social Circle, Ga., antique shop. By the late 1970s, she was directing the South's first participation cooking school at Rich's department store in Atlanta, where she taught more than 10,000 students. This led to the start of a popular TV career that included PBS, the Food Network, and the Learning Channel.
"Her quips and messy foibles in the kitchen endeared her to legions of fans," Dupree's obituary noted. "Applying French techniques she learned in culinary school to the bounty of the Southern garden, market, rivers and ocean, she lifted the profile of Southern food to a national audience. Her 15 cookbooks stand as reliable guides for the home cook filled with what she called 'do-able' recipes."
Dupree co-founded the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) along with chefs Julia Child, Jacques Pepin, and Martin Yan. She also was the founding chair of the Charleston Wine & Food Festival, as well as a founder and board member of the Southern Foodways Alliance. Dupree organized several chapters of Les Dames d'Escoffier, an international association for women dedicated to advancing women in the culinary industry. In 2011, the organization presented Dupree with its highest honor, Grande Dame.
Her cookbooks include Nathalie Dupree Cooks for Family and Friends; Nathalie Dupree's Matters of Taste; Nathalie Dupree Cooks Everyday Meals from a Well-Stocked Pantry; New Southern Cooking; Nathalie Dupree's Southern Memories Recipes and Reminiscences; Mastering the Art of Southern Vegetables; Mastering the Art of Southern Cooking; Nathalie Dupree's Comfortable Entertaining at Home with Ease and Grace; and Nathalie Dupree's Shrimp and Grits (with co-author Marion Sullivan).
"Nathalie schooled me endlessly in the arts of storytelling and television," said chef Lauren Furey, who interned with Dupree in 2019 and has a cooking show on SCETV. "Her eyes lit up when she opened the door every morning. Or, if I opened the door, she usually was sitting in her comfy chair, surrounded by piles of cookbooks that she was reading and reviewing. She made everybody feel like they belonged."