Cookbook author Mildred Covert dead at 88

MILDRED LUBRITZ COVERT, the silver-haired cookbook author, who in more recent years had a second career as a commercial model and television actress, died at night on Mother’s Day, May 10, at Vista Shores Assisted Living Facility. She was 88.

Mildred Covert

Beginning in 1982, Covert penned several Jewish-themed cookbooks – “Kosher Cajun Cookbook,” “Kosher Creole Cookbook,” and “Kosher Southern-Style Cookbook – along with her partner Sylvia Gerson of blessed memory. The two also wrote a children’s cookbook titled “A Kid’s Kosher Cooking Cruise,” in which recipes and stories geared to youngsters were printed. Gerson’s son, noted artist Alan Gerson, illustrated all four books, all of which are still published by Pelican Books.

Pelican’s publisher, Kathleen Nettleton, recalled the impression Covert made on her. “I remember her as a kind woman who was passionate about preserving the tastes of Creole, Cajun, and Southern food in a way that honored their traditions, yet kept the foods Kosher,” Nettleton responded to the CCJN.

“She began her cookbook career with her friend Sylvia, when many of their acquaintances requested the recipes for the flavors the ladies converted in their own households,” the publisher continued. “Their collaboration was truly a synergistic partnership comprised of equal parts love of the flavors of Louisiana, a desire to share the history of food culture in Louisiana and meld them with the Jewish tradition, and careful and conscientious research and attention to detail. Her joyous heart and generous spirit will be missed.”

Because of her work, the Newcomb College Center for Research on Women honored her in 2004 for her defining how modern, observant Jews adapted their cooking methods to enjoy traditional southeast Louisiana cooking. Besides cooking for family and friends, Covert was also an avid needlepoint artist in her spare time.
Covert had been featured in several local television commercials in the past decade. She was featured in a credited non-speaking role in the TV pilot of “Memphis Beat,” a TNT series that was shot in New Orleans.

A homemaker and mother, Covert was a former religious school teacher at Congregation Beth Israel, where she was an active and longtime member of its Sisterhood, serving as its president as well as serving on many other committees such as programming. She recalled that her grandparents, who had fled Poland because of pogroms, saw the last three of their eight children born in New Orleans.

Until a few years ago, when her health began to fail, Covert was an active member of the citywide Chevra Kadisha Committee, whose job it is to properly prepare members of the Jewish community for burial. She was selected as the Queen of Mardi Gras in 2014 at the Vista Shore Assisted Living facility.

Covert was predeceased by her husband of 60 years, David Covert, in October of 2009. Previously, they had shared an Uptown dwelling, where they raised their family. Later, the couple moved to the Whitney Apartments in Metairie before her final move to Vista Shores.

She is survived by daughters Susan Seiden (Jan) of Miami and Golda Spiers (Wayne) of Slidell, son Martin Covert (Cecile), sister Celia Katz, brother Abe Lubritz, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Graveside services were held May 12, at 3:00 p.m. at the New Beth Israel Cemetery, 4400 Elysian Fields Avenue. Rabbi Gabriel Greenberg officiated.

In lieu of flowers, donations are preferred to Congregation Beth Israel, 4404 W. Esplanade Ave., Metairie, LA 70002 or The Newcomb College Institute at Tulane University, 7025 Freret St., New Orleans, LA 70118. Tharp-Sontheimer-Tharp of Metairie was in charge of funeral arrangements.