Elizabeth Passarella

Elizabeth Passarella is the author of the essay collection Good Apple and a contributing editor at Southern Living. A former editor at Real Simple and Vogue, she has spent more than 20 years writing about food, travel, home design, and parenting in outlets including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Parents, Martha Stewart Weddings, Coastal Living, Airbnb, and The Kitchn. Elizabeth grew up in Memphis, Tennessee and now lives with her husband and three children in New York City.
5 Uses for Half-and-Half (Other than in Your Coffee)
Try one of these five ways to use up a little or a lot of half-and-half.
Elizabeth Passarella
Nov 30, 2023
Two-Minute Creamy Salad Dressing
Take a plate of greens from blah to ooh-la-la.
Elizabeth Passarella
Nov 14, 2023
Light & Easy Broccoli Salad
The result is easy, lightened-up, and still oh-so-crunchy.
Elizabeth Passarella
Aug 24, 2023
Fluffy Ricotta Pancakes
Extra-fluffy with creamy, custard-like middles — ricotta pancakes are something you need to try tout suite! They make an elegant alternative to your usual Saturday morning fare, and are a good excuse for adding ricotta to your shopping list. Most ricotta pancake recipes have you separate the eggs and whip the whites, folding them into the batter at the end.
Elizabeth Passarella
Aug 8, 2023
Bacon-Wrapped Potato Bites with Spicy Sour Cream Dipping Sauce
If you're on appetizer duty for the Super Bowl party, this is what to make!
Elizabeth Passarella
Aug 5, 2023
Roasted Potatoes with Bacon & Brussels Sprouts
Perfect for a cold evening.
Elizabeth Passarella
Jun 20, 2023
A La Mode: Ice Cream Flavors That Go Well with Pie
For a lot of us, no slice of pie is complete without a melting scoop of ice cream. And we firmly believe that If you are serving ice cream on top of your slice, it should complement — not clash with — the flavor of the pie. Stick to simple, smooth ice creams without a lot of bells and whistles. A classic vanilla ice cream works with just about everything, but something with a single nut flavor (like pistachio) is also great with a fruit galette.
Elizabeth Passarella
Jun 14, 2023
This Make-Ahead Pancetta and Gruyère Breakfast Casserole Is a Fancy Take on Classic Ham and Cheese
It's got pancetta, cheese, eggs, and unending delight for everyone.
Elizabeth Passarella
May 4, 2023
This Is the Best Way to Peel an Apple
Use the vegetable peeler to keep as much flesh on your apple as possible when removing the skin.
Elizabeth Passarella
Nov 11, 2022
Easy Party Recipe: Lemon Spongettes
These spongettes are exactly the kind of dessert I am craving right now. They’re cool and creamy with a whisper of lemon in each spoonful. They’re also a hoot to serve a dinner parties as guests discover how the soft pudding layer gives way to tender sponge cake beneath. Topped with a handful of berries or a dollop of whipped cream, these little treats make the ultimate springtime dessert.
Elizabeth Passarella
May 13, 2022
Munch & Mingle: Grill Food You Can Eat with Your Fingers
We’ve talked about melamine plates and other alternatives for paper plates, but what about no plates at all? Especially at a barbecue, when it’s okay to drop things on the ground, finger food is very welcome. But we’re not talking tea sandwiches. These finger foods are hot off the grill.Speaking of… let’s not go grabbing things right off the grates. Let these things cool a few minutes before you offer them to your guests.
Elizabeth Passarella
May 13, 2022
Glorious Grits by Susan McEwen McIntoshBook Reviews 2009
If you think grits are, indeed, glorious, then this is a book for you. But even if you’re not sold, hear us out. This book veers way off the breakfast path, with recipes for savory polenta main dishes (very popular right now), desserts (grits pecan pie, anyone?) and a bunch of things to do with plain old cornmeal. We’re loving one super easy cornmeal-jam cookie right now.
Elizabeth Passarella
May 12, 2022
Huge Chocolate Chip Cookie Baked in a Cast-Iron Skillet Recipe Review
Remember those chocolate chip cookie cakes you used to buy at the mall? It’s like that, only better. Crispy on the edges, soft in the middle, and so quick, we may never make individual scoop-and-drop cookies again.Here’s how we ended up with our giant cookie: We wanted a hot, straight-from-the-oven cookie for dessert the other night and had all the ingredients on hand. But something about scooping balls of dough made us tired.
Elizabeth Passarella
May 11, 2022
What Are Pie Weights? And When Should I Use Them?
Tips from The Kitchn
You probably have a suitable alternative in your pantry already!
Elizabeth Passarella
Oct 25, 2020
25 of Our Favorite Foods to Pack for the Beach
Don't forget the treats.
Elizabeth Passarella
Jul 10, 2020
What to Do with Overripe Fruit Like Peaches, Cherries & More
And possibly make them even tastier!
Elizabeth Passarella
Jun 15, 2020
Everything You Need to Know to Get Rid of (and Prevent!) Pantry Bugs
Cleaning Tips from The Kitchn
Some grain beetles can crawl AND fly! Here's how to prevent them and get rid of them (in case you have them).
Elizabeth Passarella
Jun 15, 2020
The Best Place to Buy Cedar Planks for Grilling
Shopping
Our answer might surprise you!
Elizabeth Passarella
Jun 8, 2020
Easy Dinner Recipe: Baked Fish, Spinach, and Tomatoes in Foil Packets
I often have very mediocre results when cooking fish (consider it my very own kitchen nemesis). But I was inspired by Faith’s review of Emeril’s Fish Provencal, which seemed foolproof in its simplicity. That recipe gets cooked on the grill, however, and I wanted something easy to pop in our oven. Inspiration, thy name is foil packets. This is really a template for any type of baked fish.
Elizabeth Passarella
Feb 3, 2020
Recipe: Greek Chicken Pasta with Olives and Feta
There’s more to this pasta dish than just chicken, olives, and feta. There are some artichoke hearts, fresh oregano, and a lemon vinaigrette — a whole mess of salty, tangy flavors. The idea for this recipe started with a leftover container of olives. I was imagining a pasta that mimicked a Greek salad, so we shopped for some feta cheese and a few fresh (pitted) olives to supplement the ones we had (which we had to pit — whew).
Elizabeth Passarella
Feb 3, 2020
Appetizer Recipe: Flatbreads with Goat Cheese, Caramelized Onions, and Basil
Here’s a recipe that can easily work both as a party-worthy appetizer or as a light supper, perhaps served with a salad dressed in a sharp, mustardy vinaigrette. The sweet caramelized onions, sharp goat cheese and pungent fresh basil work together beautifully, especially when supported by a crisp but chewy flatbread. Basil isn’t exactly in season right now but it’s pretty easy to find wherever you go.
Elizabeth Passarella
Jan 29, 2020
Recipe: Easy Turkey Chili with Kale
This turkey chili is one of my favorite recipes, and not just because I’ve made it a hundred times (at least). It was one of the first things I created on my own, starting with a version I made in my first minuscule apartment in New York City ten years ago. It has evolved over the years, but this is the recipe I’ve stuck with for quite some time — I just wanted to wait for the perfect winter day to share it.
Elizabeth Passarella
Jan 29, 2020
Recipe: Spaghetti with Mascarpone, Meyer Lemon, Spinach, and Hazelnuts
We had two encounters with mascarpone cheese in pasta recently. One was seeing this tagliatelle with spinach, mascarpone, and Parmesan over on Jamie Oliver’s website; the other was catching the tail end of a British cooking show where the host was making mascarpone-lemon spaghetti. (We’re sensing an English theme.) This is our version, which borrows a bit from both but has the bright flavor of Meyer lemon plus toasted hazelnuts, which turned out to be the best ingredient of all.
Elizabeth Passarella
Jan 29, 2020
Recipe: Potato, Squash & Goat Cheese Gratin
This is an easy, rustic recipe that makes a great vegetarian meal or a pretty side dish for summer or autumn. It’s so simple: yellow squash layered in a jumble with sliced red potato and goat cheese. No cream needed at all. For this gratin, I didn’t bother layering the vegetables in a pretty scalloped pattern. I practically threw the potato and squash slices in the pan, all mixed up together. Tastes the same, right? The only complicated part is slicing the vegetables paper-thin.
Elizabeth Passarella
Jan 29, 2020
Modern French Bistro Style: 19 Chalkboards in the Kitchen
It didn’t take long to round up 19 examples of chalkboard walls (and cabinets…and refrigerators…). What is a simple, humble, utilitarian accessory in so many European restaurants has become a trendy design element in American kitchens. However, just because they’re everywhere doesn’t mean they aren’t cute.Our number one concern whenever we see chalkboards in the kitchen is: What happens to the dust?
Elizabeth Passarella
Dec 19, 2019
12 Cozy, Charming Breakfast Nooks
Why are these called breakfast nooks? Sure, sipping coffee and enjoying toast while reading the paper in the morning light seems the fitting activity in one of these smallish spaces. But we’re sure the owners of these homes tuck in to meatloaf there, too. Either way, we love nooks. The nearer they’re nestled to the kitchen, the better.By the standards of some apartment dwellers, some of these nooks could classify as dining rooms.
Elizabeth Passarella
Dec 19, 2019
A Food-Lover’s Guide to Manhattan Eat This Town! Markets, farms, artisans, and best shops for cooks
City: New York City, Manhattan Population: 1.6 million Local specialties: Bagels, bread, smoked fish, cheese, and local produceMost people come to New York City to eat… in restaurants. And man, there are a lot of great restaurants. But the city is a wonderful place to cook, too, even if you are fighting a postage stamp-sized kitchen and the absence of a car to haul home your groceries.
Elizabeth Passarella
Jun 6, 2019
Seasonal Inspiration: Raw Beet Salads
We’ve whined enough about wanting spring to get here already. So, in the interest of turning the page, here is a fresh, happy take on beets that might tide you over until the farmers’ markets get colorful again.We love beets. Love ’em. And yet we almost always roast them in the oven. Why? We’re not sure — it’s so wintry. We just hadn’t thought of beets as a crunchy, eat-them-like-an-apple kind of food.
Elizabeth Passarella
Jun 5, 2019
The Cocktails of Mad Men The New York Times 8.12.09
Mad Men returns this Sunday. Do you have your Manhattans, Old Fashioneds, and Pink Squirrel Martinis ready?Food is a distant relative who barely comes to visit compared to liquor on this show. And since booze is such a crucial in-office prop—maybe second only to cigarettes—the drinks had better be authentic.
Elizabeth Passarella
Jun 4, 2019
Weekend Getaways: Best Foods for Car Trips
Chances are, you’ve read about what foods to carry on the plane (it’s been quite a popular post for some time now). But in the summer, we find ourselves in a car even more than an airplane. So, what should we snack on?In the backseat of your own car, you don’t have to worry about TSA regulations or fitting your food in the side pocket of your carry-on bag. But other rules apply…. Here are our thoughts:No tiny pieces.
Elizabeth Passarella
Jun 4, 2019
Look! Individual S’Mores Bags
With apologies for such a blurry photo (it was late and dark), we wanted to pass on this cute idea we saw firsthand at a wedding last weekend. It would be fun for a fancy outdoor dinner or birthday party—especially if you had theme-printed bags, like these. See more photos, below…We realize this is more time-consuming and fussy than is necessary for a casual camping trip.
Elizabeth Passarella
Jun 4, 2019
Spring Cocktail Recipe: Rhubarb Basil Cocktail
With warmer weather inching its way into New York, I felt inspired to make a fresh spring cocktail. Well, I did some experimenting, and while my first inclination was to use strawberries, I found piles of rhubarb at the farmers market — and came up instead with this lovely pink concoction. Rhubarb definitely needs to be sweetened up from its natural state, especially for a warm-weather cocktail, so I cooked it down with some sugar and made a purée.
Elizabeth Passarella
May 3, 2019
Recipe: Asparagus & Prosciutto Crostini
I love asparagus just about any way I can get it: roasted and eaten straight from the pan, chopped into a hearty lunchtime salad, or even simply blanched for a quick side dish. But for a change of pace, this time I thought I’d go creamy. Quick and easy to prepare, these two-bite bruschetta toasts make the perfect start to Easter dinner or Mother’s Day brunch — or both!
Elizabeth Passarella
May 3, 2019
Recipe: Cold Peanut Sesame Noodles with Chicken
We don’t need any reminders that there’s a serious heat wave washing over much of the country right now. How about I just give you something cool to serve for supper? Cold may be a strong word to use for this dish — it’s really more room temperature if you serve it right away, but it tastes great leftover, straight out of the fridge, so change the name as you wish. Chilly Peanut Sesame Noodles just didn’t sound quite right to me.
Elizabeth Passarella
May 3, 2019
Top 5: Uses for Arugula Besides Salad
In our CSA pick-up this week, we got plenty of greens — specifically, arugula. And while we love arugula salads (especially salads with fruit), we need other uses for the big bag that’s sitting in our fridge.Click below for five good, non-salad ideas…Some of these dishes make use of the fact that arugula has a very sharp, distinct (everyone always calls it peppery) flavor and showcase it. Others mellow it out and tone down its bitterness. Here are our picks:1. Put it on pizza.
Elizabeth Passarella
May 3, 2019
Recipe: Strawberry-Yogurt Popsicles
Summertime! Is there anything better than a cool, creamy popsicle on a scorching hot afternoon? Or for that matter, a scorching hot morning? These fruity yogurt pops can serve as both breakfast and afternoon snack, a fact to which I can personally attest. I recommend having a batch in your freezer at all times. I love how the fresh strawberry flavor mingles with the tanginess of the yogurt in these popsicles. It’s a perfect balance.
Elizabeth Passarella
May 3, 2019