'Martha Stewart of the Midwest'

ABBY MANDEL MEYER

Abby Mandel Meyer, a noted chef, cookbook author, food columnist and founder of Chicago's Green City Market, died of cancer Wednesday. She was 75.

Ms. Meyer wrote a food column titled "Turned On Kitchen" for the Sun-Times starting in the 1970s.

Fans of the city's 10-year-old sustainable and organic farmers' market in Lincoln Park extolled Ms. Meyer for her dedication and her foresight in giving Chicago a "green" and fast-growing resource of fresh fruits and vegetables.

"From the alley to the park, [Ms. Meyer] would skitter from stand to stand, pears to peaches to crepes to corn, inspecting, marveling and then luring the consumer into an understanding of this market's mission," wrote John C. Berghoff Jr., an executive director on the Green City Market Board in a note to the "market family."

STARTED COOKING AT 7

The market features 40 sustainable and organic farmers, educational programs and a volunteer network.

Ms. Meyer's daughter Holly Sherr of Scarsdale, N.Y., said of her mother, "She was the most incredible person -- so compassionate, so driven, so independent, and so gracious and elegant.

"She was the best mother ever. And she was incredible as a grandmother."

Ms. Meyer was known as the "Martha Stewart of the Midwest" for her entertaining skills and attention to detail, Sherr said.

"She not only made the meal, which she always did herself and loved every minute, but the linens and the flowers. It was the whole package. She loved every detail of entertaining," Sherr said.

Ms. Meyer, a native of Holyoke, Mass., started cooking at age 7 after her father died.

She majored in sociology at Smith College in Northampton, Mass., and earned a master's degree in social work at Wayne State University in Detroit.

SAW JULIA CHILD DEMO

But her love of food and cooking were enlivened in the 1970s when she saw famed chef Julia Child give a demonstration at a Chicago benefit for Smith College.

Ms. Meyer then discovered a Cuisinart -- the first model called the Magimix -- and started a relationship that included testing the Cuisinart models and serving as a spokeswoman.

Ms. Meyer's other survivors include son John Mandel of Highland Park, and six grandchildren. She was preceded in death by two husbands.

Ms. Meyer's funeral will be at 1 p.m. Friday at North Shore Congregation Israel in Glencoe. Burial will be private.

Obituary of Abby Mandel Meyer.

Photo: Abby Mandel Meyer started the Green City Market in Lincoln Park 10 years ago and was active in its operation. ;