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By Brian Benefield
Elizabeth Hodges Weaver has deep roots in Marietta, so much so that she is considered OM (Old Marietta), and her legacy thus far can attest to this.
Her Grandfather owned Hodges Feed and Seed store on Marietta Square in the early 1900s, where Mac’s Chophouse is currently located. Elizabeth grew up with a passion for food handed down from several generations of family, who taught her the love of serving others a meal that makes them smile.
She worked for Cobb County Government in the Cultural Affairs Division until retiring, but that didn’t last too long as she told me, “I don’t sit still very well.” She learned about being a personal chef and knew this gig was right up her alley, so she began cooking family meals each week for clients in their homes and has evolved into something much more significant over time, doing business as Elizabeth’s Edibles.
I had the pleasant opportunity to cook alongside Elizabeth in our Les Marmitions cooking club.
The way we made biscuits in a cast-iron skillet could be considered a Southern right of passage for some and the only way to fix them, according to Chef Elizabeth.
Rest assured, she knows her way around a kitchen and is a patient teacher who can inspire confidence when you may be unsure about a recipe. She helped Due West church acquire a commercial kitchen permit, became the kitchen manager, and had a much better space to cook and package her meals for clients as her business grew.
Always seeking to help others, she has prepared many meals for non-profit agencies as well as local ministries and has the philosophy that “everyone deserves a good, safely prepared meal.”
The chef published a cookbook named Generations of Edibles in 2017 that not only has scrumptious Southern recipes but tells stories of how these dishes came about and why they are special to her. A few highlights from the book are buttermilk biscuits, potato salad, Mom’s reunion salad, and of course, fried chicken.
Because of the use of the church kitchen, her company thrived in 2020 during the height of the pandemic because she had access to proteins, produce and was able to continue to cook and service her customers.
Always creating, she began experimenting with making chocolate bombs in late 2020 for her regular clients, which are spheres of tempered chocolate filled with cocoa mix, marshmallows, and elaborately decorated to compliment any season or occasion.
It is very satisfying to pour heated milk over these in a mug while watching it explode and then sip the warm, delicious yumminess!
These became extremely popular seemingly overnight, and she began selling them to local shops such as Little Red Bird Gifts and The Local Exchange.
In early 2021, the Atlanta Merchandise Mart came calling to ask Elizabeth to allow them to wholesale her bombs, and of course, she jumped at the opportunity. Word got around the neighborhood, and she did research that showed there wasn’t a specialty chocolate shop anywhere in the Northwestern burbs.
So, she and her faithful husband Dick began seeking a retail location to provide the confections to the masses.
And so Elizabeth’s Delightful Edibles retail shop was born recently and opened to a big, warm hug by the community.
I visited the clean, well-stocked store, and while I’m sure they get used to the divine smell of high-quality Belgian chocolate, I was in heaven. Elizabeth is a kind, generous, and very culinarily talented lady, and if you have the opportunity to meet her in the shop, I think you will agree wholeheartedly.
The shop is located at:
3894 Due West Road, Suite 235
Marietta, GA. 30064
https://www.facebook.com/myelizabethsedibles
https://www.facebook.com/EDEChocolates
