Poppy Cannon
Encyclopedia
Poppy Cannon was at various times the food editor of the Ladies Home Journal and House Beautiful
, and the author of several 1950s cookbooks.
She was an early proponent of convenience food
: her books included The Can Opener Cookbook (1951) and The Bride's Cookbook (1954). Other books included The President's Cookbook: Practical Recipes from George Washington to the Present (1968).
Her writing style was distinctive and has been described as "relentless", calling as it does in recipes for such measurements as "a splotch of wine", "a flurry of coconut", or "a great swish of sour cream", and advising readers that they could "rassle a lemon pie in a jiff" with "the new wonderstuff called Clovernook".
She was a contemporary of James Beard
and Julia Child
, and collaborated with Alice B. Toklas
on Aromas and Flavors of the Past and Present.
She was born in Cape Town
, South Africa
to Lithuania
n Jewish parents; her original name was Lillian Gruskin. Her sister, Anne Fogarty, became a popular fashion designer during the 1950s. Some of her most popular designs exemplified the "paper doll" shilhouette, as seen in Fogarty's full skirted dresses supported by multiple layers of crinoline
petticoats. Author Laura Shapiro's research in "Something From the Oven" (see below) suggests that the two kept in touch over the years, but were not close.
Poppy Cannon was the second wife of the NAACP leader Walter Francis White
, at a time when such a marriage was viewed as scandalous, not least within the Black community, some of whom viewed White's marriage to a white woman as a betrayal. They married in 1949. At the time of White's death, Cannon was still living with him at their residence in New York City. http://www.hometoharlem.com/Harlem/hthcult.nsf/notables/walterfranciswhite She wrote a biography of White, Gentle Knight (1956). She died in a fall from the 23rd floor balcony of her apartment at 10 Park Avenue in New York City.
House Beautiful
House Beautiful is an interior decorating magazine that focuses on decorating and the domestic arts. First published in 1896, it is currently published by the Hearst Corporation, who purchased it in 1934...
, and the author of several 1950s cookbooks.
She was an early proponent of convenience food
Convenience food
Convenience food, or tertiary processed food, is commercially prepared food designed for ease of consumption. Products designated as convenience foods are often prepared food stuffs that can be sold as hot, ready-to-eat dishes; as room-temperature, shelf-stable products; or as refrigerated or...
: her books included The Can Opener Cookbook (1951) and The Bride's Cookbook (1954). Other books included The President's Cookbook: Practical Recipes from George Washington to the Present (1968).
Her writing style was distinctive and has been described as "relentless", calling as it does in recipes for such measurements as "a splotch of wine", "a flurry of coconut", or "a great swish of sour cream", and advising readers that they could "rassle a lemon pie in a jiff" with "the new wonderstuff called Clovernook".
She was a contemporary of James Beard
James Beard
James Andrew Beard was an American chef and food writer. The central figure in the story of the establishment of a gourmet American food identity, Beard was an eccentric personality who brought French cooking to the American middle and upper classes in the 1950s...
and Julia Child
Julia Child
Julia Child was an American chef, author, and television personality. She is recognized for introducing French cuisine to the American public with her debut cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and her subsequent television programs, the most notable of which was The French Chef, which...
, and collaborated with Alice B. Toklas
Alice B. Toklas
Alice B. Toklas was an American-born member of the Parisian avant-garde of the early 20th century.-Early life, relationship with Gertrude Stein:...
on Aromas and Flavors of the Past and Present.
She was born in Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
to Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
n Jewish parents; her original name was Lillian Gruskin. Her sister, Anne Fogarty, became a popular fashion designer during the 1950s. Some of her most popular designs exemplified the "paper doll" shilhouette, as seen in Fogarty's full skirted dresses supported by multiple layers of crinoline
Crinoline
Crinoline was originally a stiff fabric with a weft of horse-hair and a warp of cotton or linen thread. The fabric first appeared around 1830, but by 1850 the word had come to mean a stiffened petticoat or rigid skirt-shaped structure of steel designed to support the skirts of a woman’s dress into...
petticoats. Author Laura Shapiro's research in "Something From the Oven" (see below) suggests that the two kept in touch over the years, but were not close.
Poppy Cannon was the second wife of the NAACP leader Walter Francis White
Walter Francis White
Walter Francis White was a civil rights activist who led the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People for almost a quarter of a century and directed a broad program of legal challenges to segregation and disfranchisement. He was also a journalist, novelist, and essayist...
, at a time when such a marriage was viewed as scandalous, not least within the Black community, some of whom viewed White's marriage to a white woman as a betrayal. They married in 1949. At the time of White's death, Cannon was still living with him at their residence in New York City. http://www.hometoharlem.com/Harlem/hthcult.nsf/notables/walterfranciswhite She wrote a biography of White, Gentle Knight (1956). She died in a fall from the 23rd floor balcony of her apartment at 10 Park Avenue in New York City.
Further reading
- Laura Shapiro. Something From the Oven: Reinventing Dinner in 1950s America, Viking, 2004.
External links
- Walter Francis White and Poppy Cannon Papers. Yale Collection of American Literature, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.
- http://www.wellesley.edu/womensreview/archive/2004/06/highlt.html
- http://www.harpercollins.com/global_scripts/product_catalog/book_xml.asp?isbn=0066209730&tc=ai
- http://www.daguerre.org/resource/dagnews/1999/06-29-99.html
- http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B07E3DF1538F93BA25757C0A9629C8B63 -- contains birth date