OUR JOURNEY:
Our Love
Letter To Food
Simply put, Abby&Edna is our Love Letter to Food. Birthed from a friendship forged at Howard University, founders Jailyn Marcel and Cortni Spearman traded in late nights on “The Yard” for post-graduate jobs in food journalism — a path that further bonded the duo across time zones (Cortni resides in NYC, while Jailyn’s home base is Houston.) Quarterly check-ins and industry powwows, turned into weekly brainstorms and recipe swaps that eventually inspired the creation of Abby&Edna — their nod to the late Abby Fisher & Edna Lewis.
- COOKING •
- CULTURE •
- COMMUNITY •
The Founders
Jailyn Marcel
A Native Texan that believes in the healing power of sizzling fajitas, paired with a damn good margarita!
Our Hope
That this method of storytelling will demystify the doubts and fears that often surround the act of getting up-close-and-personal with food at home — whether that be making a full meal from scratch, or semi-homemade entertaining with friends. We hope every story we share inspires you to create meaningful relationships with food — The Conversations it Stirs. The Spaces it Manifests. The Flavors it Forges. The Lessons it Instills. And The Memories it Creates and Conjures because we believe that what we eat is who we are.
Our Purpose
To highlight the multitude of people, spaces and stories that bring recipes to life. We are bridging the gap between the dishes we love and the memories behind them in order to create a platform for self-discovery that is guided by food. With this in mind, the majority of our content will highlight regular people and home cooks, just like YOU! This approach will also allow us to amplify varied voices, which are often absent from mainstream food conversations.
Cortni Spearman
A lychee martini and sushi loving food enthusiast, eating and exploring her way through Bed-Stuy.
- COOKING •
- CULTURE •
- COMMUNITY •
The Prototypes
Edna Lewis
The Pillar of Southern Cooking
Born a slave in 1832 in South Carolina, Abby Fisher made a name for herself by making pickled goods and preserves — a pillar of southern cooking. She later went on to become a successful chef and her cookbook, What Mrs. Fisher Knows About Old Southern Cooking — captured in her own words — solidified her as one of the first African American cookbook authors in America.
The Mother of Farm-to-Table
The daughter of freed slaves, Edna Lewis is known as the mother of farm-to-table cooking and a champion of southern cuisine. Lewis published four cookbooks before her death in 2003, the most notable being The Taste of Country Cooking. She is recognized today for being a leading food voice in America.
