Cecily Brownstone

Background

She was born in Plum Coulee, Manitoba, in 1909, growing up in Winnipeg, the fourth of five sisters.

Education

She attended the University of Manitoba and came to New York City to pursue her studies and to work.

Career

Cecily Brownstone was the Associated Press Food Editor from 1947 to 1986—for thirty-nine years. During that time she was the most widely published of syndicated food writers. The five recipe columns and two food features she wrote for the Associated Press each week appeared in papers all over the United States, in addition to a number of other countries.

Brownstone"s personal papers and cookbook collection is the unique expression of her personal interest in and encyclopedic knowledge of American culinary history and cookbooks, and her career in the food field

She lived in Greenwich Village, appropriately enough in a brownstone house, in a duplex apartment that included a spectacular test kitchen, and that housed her large cookbook collection. She and Beard phoned each other almost daily, at 8 a.m., and their friendship is mentioned in two recent biographies of Beard.

Brownstone"s collection includes 93 letters and postcards from Irma Rombauer, and about 45 of Marion Becker"s letters. Brownstone"s collection includes signed, inscribed copies of almost every edition of The Joy of Cooking, sent to her first by Irma Rombauer, and later by Marion Becker.

New York Times food columnist Molly O"Neil called Brownstone one of the "cornerstones of authentic cooking in New New York" Upon Brownstone"s retirement, former New York Times Food Editor Jane Nickerson wrote: "Of syndicated food writers, she"s been the most widely read." Nickerson added: Brownstone"s recipes were always "unusual, appetizing, and accurate down to the last one-eighth of a teaspoon of salt." Brownstone"s "success derived, in my view, from her sensitivity to readers" tastes and her insistence that recipes give high, appealing results.".

Achievements

• Brownstone was also a consultant to Carl Sontheimer, president of Cuisinart, a physicist, entrepreneur, and founder of the food processor industry in America.