Malabar Hornblower Brewster

Malabar was born November 11, 1931, in Mumbai, India, and was raised primarily in New York City. She received her BA from Radcliffe College, where she studied literature, and went on to have a successful career in journalism, photography, and food writing. She authored many cookbooks including Do-Ahead Dining (1986), a menu-based cookbook organized by seasons designed to free the cook from all but minimal last-minute time in the kitchen, and the groundbreaking The New England Cookery Book (1990) that presented authentic 17th century colonial recipes, as well as indigenous foods and contributions by Italian and Portuguese immigrants. Her “Do-Ahead Dining” food column ran in the Boston Globe for two years, and her food and travel essays appeared in Gourmet, Town & Country, and The New York Times, among others. Malabar was also a tireless advocate for the Plimoth Patuxet Museums, where she served on the Board of Trustees (in roles including Secretary and Vice-Chair) from 1985 until 2006 when she became an Honorary Trustee.

Malabar was married three times: in 1960, to Paul Brodeur with whom she had three children; in 1974, to Henry Hornblower II, until his death in 1985; and in 1993 to William Brewster, until his death in 2013. She is survived by her son, Stephen Brodeur; her daughter, Adrienne Brodeur; her three grandchildren, Madeleine, Olivia, and Liam Brodeur; her stepchildren, Harriet Hornblower, Eleanor Sarren, Chris Brewster, and Holly Brewster; and her brother, Walter Slocombe.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations in Malabar’s memory be made to the Plimoth Patuxet Museums, PO Box 1620, Plymouth, MA 02362 or online at Plimoth.org.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.nickersonfunerals.com for the Brewster family.