author
Rufus Estes
1857–1939
A pioneering African American chef, Rufus Estes turned a remarkable life in kitchens and luxury railway cars into Good Things to Eat, a practical 1911 cookbook filled with more than 600 recipes. His story connects culinary skill, travel, and the history of Black foodways in America.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born around April 1857 in Maury County, Tennessee, Rufus Estes was born into slavery and moved with his family to Nashville after the Civil War. He learned to read and write during a brief period of schooling and began his culinary career as a cook’s assistant before working in restaurants in Nashville and Chicago.
In 1883, Estes joined the Pullman Company, where he prepared meals and managed private luxury railway cars for prominent figures including Presidents Benjamin Harrison and Grover Cleveland, as well as other notable international travelers. He also worked aboard the Empress of China and later held a position with the United States Steel Corporation’s Chicago subsidiaries.
His cookbook, Good Things to Eat, as Suggested by Rufus, was published in 1911 and collected more than 600 recipes for meats, game, fish, puddings, pastries, and other dishes. It is recognized as one of the early cookbooks written by an African American chef and remains an important record of American culinary history.