Helen Corbitt

Career

Helen Corbitt, an American chef and cookbook author, was born in rural Saint Lawrence County, New York, in 1906 and died in 1978. She spent nearly four decades in Texas, championing gourmet cuisine with unusual flavor combinations and specific serving temperatures. A frequent traveler for culinary inspiration, she was an early proponent of using the finest, freshest ingredients. In 1931, Corbitt left her dietitian role at Cornell Medical Center in New York City to teach and manage the tearoom at the University of Texas in Austin.

She later worked at the Houston Country Club and Joske's department store tearoom before starting her own catering business. The Driskill Hotel then brought her back to Austin. After an eight-year courtship by Stanley Marcus, she became Neiman-Marcus's Director of Food Services in 1955. Her Poppy Seed Dressing remains on the store's menu.

In 1969, Neiman-Marcus offered its Kitchen Computer, the first consumer computer, with an option to buy Corbitt's recipes for it. She left Neiman-Marcus later that year to write, teach, and consult.

Legacy

Corbitt authored numerous cookbooks and was the first woman to receive the Golden Plate Award, the highest honor in the food business. In 1969, she was presented the Outstanding Service Award by the Texas Restaurant Association for "her inestimable contributions" to the food service industry. A 1975 profile by the Chicago Tribune described Corbitt as "the Balenciaga of food and the best cook in Texas". In December 1999, Texas Monthly declared Corbitt to be the "Tastemaker of the Century". In 2009, the Los Angeles Times described her as "the Julia Child-esque cooking celebrity with a Texas twang".