Elle Simone Scott, a chef and cookbook author best known for her work on “America’s Test Kitchen,” has died. She was 49.
Describing her as “one of [the organization’s] brightest stars,” “America’s Test Kitchen” chief content officer Dan Souza confirmed in a statement Thursday that Scott died Monday after a long battle with ovarian cancer. The news was first announced Wednesday on ATK’s Instagram.
“Scott brought warmth and a vibrant spirit to everything she did,” Souza said. “Friends and colleagues will remember [her] for her ability to create community and provide opportunities for others, both inside and outside of work … Her legacy will live on at America’s Test Kitchen and in the homes and hearts of the millions of home cooks whose lives she touched.”
A Detroit native, Scott joined “America’s Test Kitchen” in 2016 and became the first Black woman cast member on the popular PBS cooking show. In addition to authoring cookbooks “Boards: Stylish Spreads for Casual Gatherings” and “Food Gifts: 150+ Irresistible Recipes for Crafting Personalized Presents,” she hosted “The Walk-In” podcast and worked as a food stylist.
In a tribute on Instagram, friend and fellow TV chef Carla Hall praised Scott for being “a force” and “a trailblazer.”
“At America’s Test Kitchen, Elle helped open doors that had long been closed —becoming one of the first Black women audiences saw in the test kitchen, and doing so with grace, authority, and joy,” wrote Hall. “Her voice mattered. Her work mattered. She mattered.”
According to WBUR, Scott, who lived in Boston, pivoted to a career in food in 2008 after she lost her home, car and job as a social worker during the recession.
“The thought occurred to me, ‘if I have to do something for the next 25 years of my life, it better be something I love,’ ” Scott said during a 2019 radio segment. “The only thing I could think of was cooking. It was the one thing that brought me peace and joy.”
She became an advocate for representation in food media and the culinary world, co-founding SheChef Inc., an organization for women chefs of color that provides mentorship to young women pursuing a career in the field, in 2013.
“I thought it would be a great way to create a network to bring those underrepresented people together to see how we could support each other, create a network where we can help each other grow professionally — also to just deal with the angst of being women in kitchens where we are the only women in the kitchen,” Scott told WTOP News in 2019.
Scott was first diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2016, according to the Detroit News, but told the outlet she was cancer-free in 2020.
“Elle faced ovarian cancer with courage and honesty, using her platform to educate, advocate, and uplift even while fighting for her life,” Hall said in her tribute. “We honor you, Elle. Your legacy lives on in every kitchen you inspired and every cook who finally saw themselves reflected back.”
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