Independent Documentaries

Fried Chicken and Sweet Potato Pie

This award winning documentary tells the story of Miss Edna Lewis, the granddaughter of freed slaves from Virginia.  It chronicles her life on the farm in Freetown, VA, and her exodus
to New York City where she became the adored chef for post-WW II artists, writers, scholars, and performers in Manhattan at Cafe Nicholson.  There she cooked simple but elegant meals based on her family's approach to food - fresh and local.

Her recollections of life on the farm and the meals her mother and aunts cooked are beautifully described in the recently reissued cookbook, "The Taste of Country Cooking"
(Knopf, 2006).

Late in her life, Miss Lewis became friends with Scott Peacock, an Alabama-born, white chef almost 50 years her junior.  Their friendship deepened into a unique relationship. They were called 'the odd couple' of the cooking world and co-authored a popular cookbook, "The Gift of Southern Cooking" (Knopf, 2003). 

As Miss Lewis grew older, Scott found a place where they could live together. He became her caregiver, helping her cope with a now frail mind and body. 

Edna Lewis died in February, 2006, but Scott Peacock insures her legacy lives on in his recipes as Executive Chef at Watershed Restaurant in Decatur, Georgia. 

21 minutes 8 seconds

	Winner CINE Golden Eagle, 2005
	Official Selection, 2005 Atlanta Film Festival