Martha Stewart's Sweet Tribute Post For Diana Kennedy

Diana Kennedy, British writer of cookbooks about Mexican cuisine, passed away on Sunday morning of respiratory failure, reported The Los Angeles Times. She was 99 years old. Kennedy moved from England to Mexico in the 1950s and started writing cookbooks about regional Mexican food, eventually publishing nine throughout her lifetime, including the 2011 James Beard Award-winning cookbook "Oaxaca al Gusto: An Infinite Gastronomy" (via The Kitchn). "She was the first person to write in English about the diversity of Mexican food," Kennedy's friend and fellow chef Gabriela Cámara told the Los Angeles Times.

Tributes from other celebrity chefs have been pouring in on social media, including José Andrés who took to Twitter to share the message: "My friend! She loved Mexico, Mexicans, and Mexican cooking like no one! Her books open a window into the soup of Mexico! She gave voice to many Mexican cooks, [e]specially women. She was my teacher and already miss her. Will cook together one day again!" Padma Lakshmi also chimed in on Twitter, sharing a pic of the pair and memories of Kennedy's "feisty" personality while also recounting a time she made Easter dinner for the chef.

Perhaps one of the sweetest celebrity chef tributes to the now late Mexican cookbook author Diana Kennedy came from Martha Stewart who took to Instagram to share a stunning black and white photo portrait of Kennedy with the caption, "The great chef diana kennedy who de mystified mexican cooking for all of us, has passed away. condolences to her family and thank you diana for your inspiration and intelligence."

Followers of Stewart took to the comments to share their own thoughts, memories, and condolences. "She was truly an original, outspoken, and strong character. She commanded a room for sure," one Instagrammer chimed in, while another shared, "I learned how to make carnitas from her and I still make them all the time!" A third user wrote, "Rest in Peace Diana! Thank you for all your beautiful cookbooks and talent you shared with the world!" Finally, someone voiced their appreciation for Stewart's post writing, "I was waiting for you to acknowledge her. Thank you."