Profiles

Lizthechef

by:
February 28, 2011

Lizthechef  Spinach Gratin

Since September 2009, Lizthechef (at right in the photo above) has graced food52 with homegrown, honest recipes and advice inspired (and passed down) by her mother, grandmothers, and great-grandmother, whose collections of recipes she inherited in 2007 -- which must seem like yesterday after over 100 years of culinary history between them.

And did those talented women ever teach her well. From Lizthechef's kitchen come such crowd pleasers as her refreshing Impromptu Winter Salad (the perfect winter palate pick-me-up!), comforting Caramelized Onion Pudding (your roast's new best friend), contest-winning Creamy Cucumber "Side", and, lovingly passed down, Mama's Mango Chutney. We're big fans of her father-daughter favorite Dad's Day Turkey Tetrazinni, too.

Shop the Story

For more of Lizthechef's delicious recipes, see her profile page and fan her here.  Also, be sure to check out her blog, which she was inspired to start as a result of last year's Mother's Day-themed contest on food52.

Read Lizthechef's profile Q&A below:

What is the strangest food you have ever eaten?
Mystery stew in Marrakech

What do you cook when home alone?
Pasta and anything spicy - my husband thinks black pepper is HOT

Your most treasured kitchen possession:
My Great-grandma Norcross's bean pot. I use it to store utensils on the counter.

Your ideal meal:
Seafood cooked at home

Something you'd like a chance to eat or cook:
Truffles - the real thing, with a "coach" to help me in the kitchen.

The number of bottles of wine you own:
About a case

The ideal number of guests for a dinner party is:
6

Kitchen pet peeve:
Guests chatting with me as I try to "pull it together" last minute before sitting down.

Your favorite cookbook:
Favorite "go-to" is the Barefoot Contessa series. Sentimental favorites, my 1969 Alice's Restaurant Cookbook and the 1972 edition of Fanny Farmer that my Mom gave me when I left home.

See what other Food52 readers are saying.

  • Bevi
    Bevi
  • Stephanie Bourgeois
    Stephanie Bourgeois
  • betteirene
    betteirene
  • Daphne
    Daphne
  • monkeymom
    monkeymom
Food52 (we cook 52 weeks a year, get it?) is a food and home brand, here to help you eat thoughtfully and live joyfully.

35 Comments

Bevi March 2, 2011
I share your love of Alice's Restaurant Cookbook. Back in the day the little diagrams of putting together Chicken Kiev gave me no end of confidence, as did Alice's famous paraphrase about foreign cookery: "Tomatoes and oregano make it Italian; wine and tarragon make it French. sour cream makes it Russian; lemon and cinnamon make it greek. soy sauce makes it Chinese; garlic makes it good. Now you are an International Cook."

Belated congratulations on the Spotlight. I love your blog!
 
Stephanie B. March 2, 2011
Thanks for all your yummy recipes!
 
Lizthechef March 2, 2011
And thank you for testing them ;)
 
betteirene March 2, 2011
You had me from your recipe for Scottish Toffee. Good to see you here.
 
Daphne March 2, 2011
Liz, We loved meeting you in November and very happy to see you in the spotlight now! Your pictures with your Mom and relatives in the kitchen are priceless too!
 
monkeymom March 1, 2011
Liz, we love you. :) Thanks for making food52 a great place.
 
mcs3000 March 1, 2011
Congratulations, Liz - so well deserved! What an amazing recipe collection you have full of cherished family memories. Better than any cookbook. Now, I'm going to skip over to your blog.
 
Lizthechef February 28, 2011
Thank you again for making this a beautiful day for me. I am incredibly attached to our food52 family and never imagined the support that today's "spotlight" would bring. X0 Liz
 
lapadia February 28, 2011
Congratulations, this week the spotlight is on you, Liz, but I must say, that you are always shining here on Food52!
 
hardlikearmour February 28, 2011
Awesome to see you highlighted, Liz!
 
Sagegreen February 28, 2011
Great shout out. Your lovely support is a big part of what is so great about this site! You adopted me as your Hungarian sister, a lovely gesture! I am so honored to have gotten to know you through your recipes in this wonderful community.
 
dymnyno February 28, 2011
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!! You are the best!
 
Jaynerly February 28, 2011
Liz! Congratulations, I'm delighted to see you in the spotlight! So well deserved!
 
healthierkitchen February 28, 2011
so nice to hear more about you lizthechef!
 
Sunchowder February 28, 2011
Congrats to you Liz! I love to see you in the spotlight!!!
 
MyCommunalTable February 28, 2011
You deserve the spotlight, Elizabeth. Your recipes and contributions are wonderful. Keep inspiring!
 
JoanG February 28, 2011
Congrats to you Lizthe chef!
 
Jestei February 28, 2011
a great gal and a fab-o recipe writer!
 
Kitchen B. February 28, 2011
Nice to learn a bit more about you Liz - may your light shine brighter!
 
TasteFood February 28, 2011
Hooray! It's so nice to see you in the spotlight Liz!!
 
mrslarkin February 28, 2011
Hurrah for Lizthechef! So nice to see you in the spotlight Liz!