Old-Fashioned Wedge Salad, one of Marion’s favorites
Most people recognize Julia Child’s name, but Marion Cunningham was another quiet giant who shaped American home cooking. A native Californian, Marion combined elegance with a warm, unpretentious manner. She passed away recently, and with her gone the culinary world has lost a treasured mentor and friend.
Marion’s mission was simple and heartfelt: encourage people to cook at home and bring families back to the dinner table. She worried that modern life was eroding the traditions of polite conversation and basic table manners passed down through generations.
She loved teaching others to cook and was remarkably generous with her time. Marion invited anyone with recipe questions to call her at home; her number was publicly listed. That openness feels rare today, but it exemplified her belief that cooking should be accessible and shared.
Marion’s favorite Roquefort Dressing
I met Marion through The Baker’s Dozen, a group of professional bakers and enthusiasts she helped found. She wanted an open forum where people could share techniques and solve baking problems. At the first meeting everyone baked the same angel food cake recipe; when the cakes were placed side by side, none looked alike. That display of individual technique and interpretation captured her spirit.
Marion overcame difficult personal challenges, including alcoholism and agoraphobia, and transformed her life into a lasting career. She conquered her fear of flying and, at 45, left California for the first time to take a class from James Beard in Oregon. That class began a lifelong friendship and led to Marion working as Beard’s assistant.
Above all, Marion was a home cook who favored straightforward, classic American dishes rather than elaborate presentations. She was modest and warm: silver hair pulled back in a neat ponytail, never taking fame too seriously yet commanding attention when she entered a room. To many she was family—a mother, grandmother, teacher, and friend.
Her most notable work was revising the Fannie Farmer Cookbook, the authoritative American cookbook first published in 1896. Marion updated that classic to keep beloved recipes and fundamental techniques alive. She authored several cookbooks of her own and collaborated on more, always focused on preserving dishes like meatloaf, roasted chicken, and angel food cake along with the skills passed from parent to child in the kitchen.
Garnishes for Wedge Salad – Scallions, Bacon and Tomato
Marion was also one of the most encouraging people to aspiring cookbook authors. She reminded me that Julia Child waited ten years to publish her first book and encouraged persistence. Her belief in others helped many writers find the confidence to pursue their projects.
Although I mourn her loss, Marion left a rich legacy of books that will continue to inspire cooks and chefs. If you haven’t yet experienced her practical, warm approach to cooking, her books are a worthwhile addition to any kitchen library. They celebrate simple ingredients, careful technique, and the pleasure of sharing food with loved ones.
Some of Marion’s books that I own
Marion’s Cookbooks
Fannie Farmer Cookbook
Fannie Farmer Baking Book
The Breakfast Book
The Supper Book
Lost Recipes
Learning to Cook with Marion Cunningham
Good Eating
Cooking with Children
The Greens Cookbook (collaborator)
The San Francisco Chronicle Cookbook (collaborator)
The Fannie Farmer Legacy
To honor Marion’s legacy, here are some of her approachable recipes: Potato Bacon Pie for breakfast, a classic Wedge Salad for lunch, Roasted Chicken with Vegetables for dinner, and Orange Sour Cream Cake for dessert. These recipes reflect her philosophy: comforting, reliable dishes made with care.
Thank you, Marion, for your passion, generosity, and unwavering kindness. Your books and teaching will continue to nourish kitchens and families for years to come. You will be missed.
- Butter, at room temperature, to butter the pan
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
- 4 cups cooked potato, grated or crumbled into small pieces
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 12 slices bacon, fried, drained and crumbled
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter an 8-inch pie pan.
- Melt the 1 tbsp butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
- In a bowl, combine the potatoes, generous black pepper, and salt to taste. Add the milk, sautéed onion, and crumbled bacon; mix thoroughly and spread evenly in the prepared pie pan.
- Bake 40 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.
- Remove from oven, slice into wedges, and serve—poached eggs make a great accompaniment.
- Makes one 8-inch pie.
- 1 head iceberg or 2 hearts romaine, washed and cored
- 1/2 cup Roquefort or blue cheese dressing (or any creamy dressing)
- 3 tbsp chopped fresh chives
- 4 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
- 1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
- If using iceberg, remove the core and cut the head into halves and then into wedges. For romaine hearts, cut each in half lengthwise.
- Arrange wedges on plates. Drizzle with dressing, then sprinkle with chives, bacon, and diced tomato. Serve immediately.
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
- 2 oz Roquefort or blue cheese
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tsp vinegar
- 1 tbsp milk (more to thin)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Crumble the cheese into a bowl. Add mayonnaise and sour cream and mash together with a fork. Stir in vinegar, milk, and salt. Adjust milk for desired consistency. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Yield: about 1 cup.
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cut-up chicken (8 pieces), about 2½–3 lb
- 3 medium red onions
- 8 red potatoes
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tsp dried rosemary or several sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 large garlic cloves
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Spread 1 tbsp olive oil over the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking pan.
- Rinse and pat the chicken pieces dry.
- Peel and quarter the onions. Wash and halve the potatoes; no need to peel. Season potatoes and onions with salt and pepper.
- If using fresh rosemary, chop the needles to yield about 1 tbsp. Peel and finely chop the garlic.
- Place potatoes in the center of the pan, sprinkle with rosemary and garlic. Arrange chicken pieces on top and surround with onions.
- Drizzle remaining 2 tbsp olive oil over the chicken and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Roast 45–50 minutes, until the skin is golden and the chicken is cooked through.
- Transfer to a platter, spoon off excess fat from the pan, and pour the pan juices over the chicken and vegetables. Garnish with fresh rosemary if desired and serve hot.
- 1 tbsp butter, room temperature
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour (for pan)
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ tsp orange extract
- 2 tbsp grated orange zest
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- Powdered sugar for serving
- Preheat oven to 325°F at least 15 minutes before baking. Butter an 8½ x 4½ x 3-inch loaf pan or an 8-inch round pan and dust with 2 tbsp flour, tapping out excess.
- Cream the 1/2 cup butter with the sugar until smooth. Add eggs, beating until blended. Stir in orange extract and zest.
- Whisk together 1 cup flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add half the flour mixture to the batter and beat. Add half the sour cream and beat until smooth. Repeat with remaining flour and sour cream, blending thoroughly.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
- For a loaf pan, bake 40–50 minutes, checking after 35 minutes. For a round pan, bake 20–25 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
- Cool in the pan 10 minutes, run a knife around the edge, invert onto a plate, and cool completely. Slice and dust with powdered sugar before serving.
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings.
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Thank You!