Marion Cunningham's crusade to preserve the time dinner came the night of his concern that without it, children never learn table manners, or the give and take of conversation at dinner. Not only was concerned that the traditional American dishes such as grilled chicken, lettuce and strawberry cake, became endangered.
His devotion to the American standard rate was a revered figure in the world of food, the revised edition of "The Fannie Farmer Cookbook," a basic text for home cooks since 1896, has led the philosophy back into the mainstream.
Published in 1979 and revised in 1990, "Fannie Farmer" regained its place as a classic, selling nearly 1 million copies and led the timid, hair silvery wonder Cunningham as a cookbook writer, columnist and speaker with his own television show.
"Marion Cunningham exemplifies fine cuisine" Judith Jones, his editor at Knopf for a long time, said in a statement on Wednesday. "He was someone who had an ability to make a dish, drink in the mouth and give it new life. In a time when Americans were taking all kinds of foreign cuisine, love Marion Cunningham and respect for the American food helped 'The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, once again earned a place in kitchens around the country. "
Cunningham, who had Alzheimer's disease, died Wednesday at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek, California, said Clark Wolf, a food consultant and old friend. He was 90 years.
He succeeded his late start in life as a protégé of James Beard, the chef and writer revered for defending the American culinary tradition.
"If the beard was the father of the kitchen, Cunningham became her mother," wrote the former Gourmet magazine editor Ruth Reichl of The Times in 1992, when he was editor of the food.
Despite his attachment to family foods and simple recipes, Cunningham won the affection of dozens of young people, the most famous chefs tastes leaned smoked pheasant salad and exotic way. The considered a mentor.
"Marion was a traditionalist, but an enlightened traditionalist," said Alice Waters, founder of Chez Panisse in Berkeley. "You could see every food imaginable, and can connect with every person imaginable."
Waters was first met Cunningham in 1974, when Beard has been a dinner at Chez Panisse. Soon after, the water and Cunningham took a Chinese cooking class in San Francisco and then traveled to France and China in shipments of food tasting. When Chez Panisse was taking off, Cunningham launched in search of new talent, hard as a cook, ran out of the kitchen.
His professional life, Cunningham was relatively quiet. Working in the compact kitchen of his ranch in Walnut Creek, with an electric stove and refrigerator add a Sears has examined thousands of recipes for his cookbooks and columns, has taught introductory courses for adults and prepare simple meals for visitors, many food critics and chefs of the restaurant.
His team fashioned kitchen including a blender, an electric mixer and two high strength plates for waffles. He had his cherry deshuesadoras, measuring spoons and other new appliances in the garage, because what mattered was "not what I do, but to cook in the kitchen and the food put together with others."
Marion Enwright born February 7, 1922, grew up in Glendale. In 1942 she married Robert Cunningham, who had known since kindergarten. He was a lawyer with a taste for pork and beans, canned red meat well done. When he resumed his culinary offerings in this way: "He does not like the homemade bread and vegetables not only loves the green says he likes the money" ..
During the first years of marriage, Cunningham lived in a small house near the sea in Laguna Beach. He served in the Navy, that the gas pump to earn extra money and then worked at a service station.
"I used to think it would be the master of my own station," he said in 1991 interview with The New York Times. "I know more than most women around the cars."
His modest income approach encourages brides Cunningham family style menus. "During the five years that we live in the lagoon," he wrote in an article in the house of entertainment for the Times in 1990, "came all the friends who knew of our school days to visit (and frequently maintain). order to supply this constant flow, made me casseroles, stews, soups and salad buffet with large creamy dressings thick. All good food and cheap to do. "
The prepared foods and frozen foods had already begun to appear in stores in 1940, "but were not for me," he wrote. "They do could afford."
After the war, Cunningham built a house in the suburb of San Francisco Bay Area in Walnut Creek, where they raised their two children and lived together until Robert died in 1988 after years of ill health. Her survivors are two sons, Mark and Catherine.
The eyes, the blue form of invitation that has defined the public image of Marion Cunningham in recent years almost suggested that the difficulties encountered in his young wife and mother. Through its 30 years, has struggled with alcoholism and phobias that made it impossible to ride in elevators, airplanes, and almost any other form of transport.
"I do not even have children until I could find a hospital with a maternity ward on the ground floor," he once said.
His friends say he was a witness to his determination that Cunningham stopped drinking completely overcome their fears to the point that he traveled the world to satisfy their curiosity about the regional food.
His indomitable will be seen in very small ways. When Cunningham and traveled to Paris Waters, Waters saw him burst into a restaurant in Paris.
"Marion has insisted to order a cup of coffee before dinner," said Waters. "I whispered, 'Marion, do not like the French, is coffee after dinner." But she wanted to hear. "He insisted on speaking English. There was no attempt at" real "crossed his lips." I told him, 'Marion, just to be friendly. "However, for it was,' thank you ' . "
Even close friends, rarely spoke with Cunningham about his personal struggles. "For their fears, Marion received professional help," said Waters. "But with his alcoholism, was more a matter of deciding who had had enough. He was not willing to live this way."
In 1972, at the age of 45 years, Cunningham went to Seaside, Oregon, to take a cooking class with a beard. For the rest of his life is considered a moral victory: had overcome his fear of travel.
"" It was my first trip outside of California and was a big problem, "he later recalled Cunningham. His love for food to take off." James Beard was my favorite cookbook author " said.
The two Westerners, both supporters of the kitchen, he struck up a friendship. Several years after Cunningham's beard was asked to be his assistant. She worked with him in his cookbooks and toured the country with him.
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