Phyllis Louise Harris
It is with great sadness we announce
the passing of Phyllis Louise Harris (Née, Igo), 83, on
September 19, 2018, in Minneapolis, MN.
Phyllis was food editor of Asian Pages newspaper from 1991 to
2011 and wrote more than five hundred articles reaching 150,000 readers each
month in seven states. She wrote two cookbooks, was a contributor to Grolier’s Americana Encyclopedia, and
was the primary researcher on 6,000 years of spice history for 660 Curries. Phyllis also served as
executive director of the Midwest Asia Center from 1990-1992 where she created,
produced and managed the Center’s Kite Festival with kites and flyers from
China, Japan and the U.S., and brought in additional kites from India and
Malaysia — bringing kite making and kite flying to more than a million people
in Minnesota through twenty-six venues including the Minneapolis Institute of
Arts, Science Museum of Minnesota, Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Hennepin County
Libraries, and St. Paul and Minneapolis grade schools.
In 1994 she founded the Asian Culinary
Arts Institutes, Ltd. dedicated to the preservation, understanding and
enjoyment of the culinary arts of the Asia Pacific Rim. One of the Center’s
first programs was to bring in two chefs from China to teach culinary students
at the Hennepin Technical College and other venues in the Twin Cities.
Phyllis’ final book was “Asian Flavors: Changing the tastes
of Minnesota since 1875,” which she produced for the Minnesota Historical
Society Press with contributions from fellow Asian cuisine expert Raghavan
Iyer, designer Wendy L. Jedlička, and photographer Tom Nelson. Taking the “Asian
Flavors” project further she was the co-writer and consultant for the Minnesota
Public Television program based on the book, for which she and the show won an
Emmy.
Before launching the Asian Culinary Arts Institutes, Ltd., Phyllis
operated her own advertising and marketing agency, Communications Etcetera,
Inc. For thirty years her agency served clients in Minneapolis, New York City,
and London including 3M, Pillsbury, Jackson Graves, Creative Lighting, Gager’s
Handicraft, Bowery Bank, Metropolitan Life Insurance, Macy’s, Bergdorf Goodman,
JC Penny, Advertising Distributors of America, and Royal Mail Advertising. Her
work in business, retail, and financial advertising received a number of
national and international awards such as the Mail Advertising Service
Association John Howie Wright Cup (three-time winner), National Retail
Merchants Association Gold Award for Mail Advertising (two-time winner) and Silver
Award for Newspaper Advertising (two-time winner). In addition to her many
awards, Communications Etcetera, Inc. is recognized as one of the first
woman-owned advertising and marketing agencies in Minnesota. At a time when
women were only allowed membership in Ad Club as part of a separate women’s
group, Phyllis refused to be considered a second-class player, and relished the national awards she and her team won in
this male-dominated field.
Phyllis earned her bachelor’s degree in
broadcast/journalism from the University of Minnesota (1957), and was awarded culinary certificates from the Culinary Institute
of America, Chinese Institute in America (NYC), California Culinary Academy,
and Disney Institute. She had additional culinary training with master chefs in
China, and studied for over a decade under her mentor, Chinese cuisine master
Florence Lin. Phyllis also taught Chinese and other Asia Pacific Rim cuisines
for many years.
Phyllis joins her husband Roy Harris, parents Lewis Schee
Igo Sr and Phyllis Marie Igo (Née, Aeschliman), sister Claudia M. Jorgensen
(Don), and brother Lewis Schee Igo Jr (Karen).
Phyllis is survived by daughter Wendy L. Jedlička (Mark
McCahill), cousin Virgil Seifert, nieces and nephews Michele Jorgensen, Greg
Jorgensen (Melissa), Lewis S. Igo (Heidi), and Kristine Igo, as well as grand
nieces and nephews.
Photo: ©2012 Tom Nelson, tnphoto.com
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Read more
about Asian food in Minnesota and try more than 160 recipes
in Asian Flavors: Changing the Tastes of Minnesota since 1875, in
bookstores and on amazon.cm.
Buy online: Asian Flavors: Changing the Tastes of Minnesota since 1875
Watch the
EMMY® award winning “Asian Flavors” television show based on the book
on tpt MN. Check local TV listings for broadcast times or view the show
streaming online at:
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