Marion Cunningham, Home Cooking Genius, Dies

Home cooking legend Marion Cunningham (behind the revised Fannie Farmer Cookbook) passed away yesterday at the age of 90, The New York Times reports.

Cunningham, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease, was admitted to a hospital in Walnut Creek, Calif., for respiratory problems, sources say.

The California homemaker also published The Breakfast Book and Lost Recipes, writing, "There is nothing like the satisfaction of sharing with others something you have cooked yourself."

Similarly, Cunningham was an advocate of cooking with fresh ingredients, and eating around a dinner table with family and friends. "No one is cooking at home anymore, so we are losing all the wonderful lessons we learn at the dinner table," she reportedly said in a 2002 interview.

In a preview to Lost Recipes, Cunningham wrote, "We need to lure our families, friends, and neighbors back to the table, to sit down and eat together. It is important that we be in charge again of our cooking, working with fresh, unadulterated ingredients."

The food world is continuing to mourn Cunningham's passing, with David Lebovitz tweeting, "What a loss : (," and Jonathan Gold saying, "RIP Marion Cunningham. The most generous cook I ever knew."

Jessica Chou is an associate editor at The Daily Meal. Follow her on Twitter @jesschou.