Sarah Helen Mahammitt (c. 1873-1956) was famous for bringing European-style cooking to home kitchens across Nebraska. She was an entrepreneur and cookbook author who helped dispel the myth that Black food is unsophisticated.
Sarah Helen Mahammitt (c. 1873-1956) was famous for bringing European-style cooking to home kitchens across Nebraska. She was an entrepreneur and cookbook author who helped dispel the myth that Black food is unsophisticated.
Food has been a unifier for millennia, not just gathering people together to share a meal, but acting as a warm introduction to new histories and traditions. This February on Womanica, we’re celebrating Tastemakers - the Black chefs, cooks, and food historians who created new foodways and preserved important culinary stories of the past. The impact of chefs like Pig Foot Mary, Mama Dip, and Georgia Gilmore stretch far beyond the culinary scene - uplifting their local communities and inspiring those who came after them.
History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.
Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures.
Womanica was created by Liz Kaplan and Jenny Kaplan, executive produced by Jenny Kaplan, and produced by Liz Smith, Grace Lynch, Maddy Foley, Brittany Martinez, Edie Allard, Lindsey Kratochwill, Adesuwa Agbonile, Carmen Borca-Carrillo, Taylor Williamson, Ale Tejeda, Sara Schleede, Abbey Delk, and Alex Jhamb Burns. Special thanks to Shira Atkins.
Original theme music composed by Miles Moran.
Follow Wonder Media Network:
I'm a Florida born chef, writer, host and recipe developer. I served as an executive Chef of New York City restaurant Lalito at the age of 24 and became Cherry Bombe magazine's first Culinary Director at 25. Since leaving I've founded Kia Feeds The People, a budding mutual aid effort. I’ll be your guest host for this month of Womanica.
This month, we're talking about Tastemakers. We're celebrating the Black chefs, cooks, and food historians who created new foodways and preserved important culinary stories of the past.
Today’s Womanican is famous for bringing European-style cooking to home kitchens across Nebraska. She was an entrepreneur and cookbook author who helped dispel the myth that Black food is unsophisticated and Black cooks lack skill.
Let’s meet Sarah Helen Mahammitt.
Not much is known about Sarah Helen Toliver, who went by the name Helen, until she married her husband, Thomas P. Mahammitt, in 1904. The pair lived together in Omaha, Nebraska. Thomas was a caterer by trade, and soon, Helen joined him in the kitchen She got her start catering eventss at the Ak-Sar-Ben Race Track and Coliseum. In 1910, she attended Miss Farmer’s Catering School in Boston to hone her skills.
Helen’s career as a caterer was flourishing. But in 1926, she took a break and left Omaha. Helen wanted to see the world. She landed at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in Paris. There, Helen learned how to make soups, sauces, and pastries, all according to meticulous French cooking customs. Helen’s lessons were in French, but that didn’t stop her from filling an entire notebook with recipes and cooking tips and tricks. Of the experience, Helen said, “My biggest trouble was the measuring system. The French measure nothing. They weigh everything.”
After a year in Paris, Helen went back to Omaha and opened The Mahammit School of Cookery to share all her new knowledge She would run the school for 16 years.
Meanwhile, Helen and Thomas continued their catering business. Thomas managed the staff and clients while Helen managed the kitchen. Her most popular dessert was strawberry shortcake with vanilla ice cream.
The couple were involved members of St. Philips Episcopal Church, and Helen brought her cooking skills to her parish as well. Helen coordinated the semi-annual chicken dinners and hosted cooking classes for her fellow churchgoers. Her classes were always packed with people eager to learn new recipes
In 1939, Helen compiled all of her expertise into a book called “Recipes and Domestic Service.” It was neatly separated into sections for novices, advanced cooks, domestic workers, and caterers. The book focused on which foods to serve at various events, like weddings, bridge parties, and afternoon teas.
In addition to teaching readers how to braise veal and bake the perfect pie crust, Helen also shared insight on how to navigate the power dynamics of domestic work and catering. She warned about white women hosts who may feel threatened by their Black caterer’s expertise. “Remember to be tactful in bringing your superior knowledge into play. You must save her from error in the eyes of her guests as well as save your reputation,” Helen wrote.
In 1950, Helen’s husband, Thomas, passed away, and Helen retired from catering and teaching. She appeared frequently as a guest chef at L’Art Culinaire, a three-day French cooking class sponsored by the art museum in Omaha.
Helen passed away in November 1956. A service was held at her beloved St. Philips Church before she was laid to rest next to her husband in Forest Lawn Cemetery.
Helen’s life exemplifies cooking’s transformation from unpaid labor to a profitable business venture for Black women. And Helen dedicated her career to passing this knowledge on so others could experience the same success she had.
All month, we’re talking about tastemakers. For more information, find us on Facebook and Instagram @womanicapodcast.
Special thanks to co-creators Jenny and Liz Kaplan, for having me as a guest host.
Talk to you tomorrow!