12 Delicious Throwbacks From Nora Ephron's Recipe Collection (2024)

12 Delicious Throwbacks From Nora Ephron's Recipe Collection (1)

Nora Ephron managed to sum up the relationship between human emotion and food in one tidy paragraph:

Nothing like mashed potatoes when you're feeling blue. Nothing like getting into bed with a bowl of hot mashed potatoes already loaded with butter, and methodically adding a thin cold slice of butter to every forkful. The problem with mashed potatoes, though, is that they require almost as much hard work as crisp potatoes, and when you're feeling blue the last thing you feel like is hard work. Of course, you can always get someone to make the mashed potatoes for you, but let's face it: the reason you're blue is that there isn't anyone to make them for you. As a result, most people do not have nearly enough mashed potatoes in their lives, and when they do, it's almost always at the wrong time.

Ephron wrote those words in the 1986 novel Heartburn, the story of a food writer who suffers through a marriage to a philandering reporter. The thing is, the story was based on Ephron's real-life marriage to journalist Carl Bernstein (yes, the one who reported on Watergate), so Ephron knew a thing or two about heartache.

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Another area of expertise for Ephron? Food -- and we mean big time. Though her passion for cooking was made most evident in Julie & Julia, Ephron's love affair with eating began long before then, and has since been well-documented. When asked what her signature dish is, she'll tell you: "If there is a Nora Ephron signature anything it is that there's slightly too much food."

She's outspoken about the finer details, too -- even butter. "… Yesterday I just had toasted sourdough bread with very good salted butter. I’m religious about salted butter. I don’t understand how it happened that everyone thought we should all have sweet butter. I blame the French."

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She has also cooked with Martha Stewart, who will attest to the fact that Ephron wields some serious skills in the kitchen.

Lucky for us, Ephron has left behind some of her best recipes to fill the hungry void that's left in our stomachs. We've collected 12 of her favorites -- many from her novel, some favorites from Julia Child, and a couple from her personal collection. We think you should dive into a buttery bowl of her mashed potatoes the next time you're feeling blue.

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What's your favorite food moment from Ephron's work? Share it with us in the comments below.

1

Crab Dip

12 Delicious Throwbacks From Nora Ephron's Recipe Collection (2)

Ray Kachatorian

11/25/2008
"This year, in keeping with the tenor of the times, I am making a recipe I got from the Internet, or, to be more exact, from the monthly email newsletter I get from the great Seattle chef Tom Douglas. It's for dip. I have been looking for a good dip recipe my entire life, and this is it -- Tom Douglas' mother's crab dip. It's not just easy and delicious, but it's loaded with crab, so it gives you the illusion that because it contains protein, it's good for you."
Get the recipe for Nora Ephron's Favorite Crab Dip

2

Key Lime Pie, from 'Heartburn'

12 Delicious Throwbacks From Nora Ephron's Recipe Collection (3)

EatingWell

Rachel (played by Meryl Streep) throws a key lime pie in her husband's face in one infamous scene from Heartburn.
Get the recipe for Nora Ephron's Key Lime Pie from A Common Sea

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4

Lima Beans With Pears, from 'Heartburn'

12 Delicious Throwbacks From Nora Ephron's Recipe Collection (5)

EatingWell

"That's the sort of food she liked to serve, something that looked like plain old baked beans and then turned out to have pears up its sleeve."

Take 6 cups defrosted lima beans, 6 pears, peeled and cut into slices, 1/2 cup molasses, 1/2 cup chicken stock, 1/2 onion chopped, put into a heavy casserole, cover and bake 12 hours at 200 degrees.
Recipe courtesy of Greasy

5

Mashed Potatoes, from 'Heartburn'

12 Delicious Throwbacks From Nora Ephron's Recipe Collection (6)

Ray Kachatorian

6

Poulet au Porto (Roast Chicken Steeped with Port Wine, Cream, and Mushrooms)

12 Delicious Throwbacks From Nora Ephron's Recipe Collection (7)

Flickr: yourhomebasedmom

One of Ephron's favorite recipes from Julia Child's Mastering The Art Of French Cooking ...

Get the recipe for Poulet au Porto from NPR
Photo from yourhomebasedmom, Flickr.

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Sour Cream Peach Pie, from 'Heartburn'

12 Delicious Throwbacks From Nora Ephron's Recipe Collection (8)

EatingWell

8

Vinaigrette, from 'Heartburn'

12 Delicious Throwbacks From Nora Ephron's Recipe Collection (9)

Kana Okada/Food&Wine

Mix 2 tablespoons Grey Poupon mustard with 2 tablespoons good red wine vinegar. Then, whisking constantly with a fork, slowly add 6 tablespoons olive oil, until the vinaigrette is thick and creamy; this makes a very strong vinaigrette that's perfect for salad greens like arugula and watercress and endive.
Recipe courtesy of Greasy

9

Brisket, from 'Heartburn'

12 Delicious Throwbacks From Nora Ephron's Recipe Collection (10)

Getty Images

Get the recipe for Nora Ephron's Brisket from Boston Bakes For Breast Cancer

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10

Navarin Printanier (Lamb Stew with Spring Vegetables)

12 Delicious Throwbacks From Nora Ephron's Recipe Collection (11)

Flickr: FinasZ

One of Ephron's favorite recipes from Julia Child's Mastering The Art Of French Cooking

Get the recipe for Navarin Printanier from NPR
Photo from FinasZ, Flickr.

11

Bacon Hash, from 'Heartburn'

12 Delicious Throwbacks From Nora Ephron's Recipe Collection (12)

Flickr: Edsel L

Get the recipe for Nora Ephron's Bacon Hash from Food.com
Photo from Edsel L, Flickr.

12

Cheesecake, from 'Heartburn'

12 Delicious Throwbacks From Nora Ephron's Recipe Collection (13)

Flickr: MShades

Get the recipe for Nora Ephron's Cheesecake from Food.com
Photo from MShades, Flickr.

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12 Delicious Throwbacks From Nora Ephron's Recipe Collection (2024)

FAQs

Does the book Heartburn have recipes in it? ›

Although Ephron was never a food writer, her protagonist, Rachel Samstat, is, and Rachel's account of her husband's affair — which she discovers when she's seven months pregnant — and the subsequent implosion of her marriage is punctuated by 15 recipes, three of which are for potatoes.

Did Nora Ephron write a cookbook? ›

But the author, screenwriter and director, who died Tuesday at age 71, also had great enthusiasm in her largely private work in her Manhattan kitchen. And she left behind a self-published cookbook, by turns droll and earnest, memorializing the zeal.

How do you make Nora Ephron's vinaigrette? ›

Ephron's is a simple formula: “Mix two tablespoons Grey Poupon mustard with two tablespoons good red wine vinegar. Then, whisking constantly with a fork, slowly add six tablespoons olive oil, until the vinaigrette is thick and creamy.

What foods should you avoid before bed with acid reflux? ›

Avoid foods that trigger your heartburn.

Common foods and drinks that can cause heartburn and interrupt sleep include alcohol; caffeinated drinks like colas, coffee, and tea; chocolate and cocoa; peppermint; garlic; onions; milk; fatty, spicy, greasy, or fried foods; and acidic foods like citrus or tomato products.

Which Nora Ephron book should I read first? ›

Every Nora Ephron Book That Should Be on Your Shelf

Beginning with I Feel Bad About My Neck.

What is the oldest cookbook still in print? ›

The first recorded cookbook that is still in print today is Of Culinary Matters (originally, De Re Coquinaria), written by Apicius, in fourth century AD Rome. It contains more than 500 recipes, including many with Indian spices.

What is the most of Nora Ephron about? ›

This collection, initiated before her death in 2012, covers all aspects of her brilliant career: a chapter of Heartburn, her fictionalised account of the collapse of her marriage to Carl Bernstein; scenes from When Harry Met Sally, her redefinition of the romcom; journalism and profiles, and her thoughts on beauty, ...

What is Nora Ephron's heartburn dressing? ›

A Perfect Vinaigrette, courtesy of Nora Ephron's Heartburn

Mix 2 tablespoons Grey Poupon mustard with 2 tablespoons good red wine vinegar.

What's the difference between balsamic vinegar and balsamic vinaigrette? ›

Balsamic vinegar is pure vinegar. Balsamic vinegar is dark brown in color and has a very robust, slightly sweet flavor. Balsamic vinaigrette is a mixture made with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, sugar, salt and/or other spices. It is typically used as a salad dressing but has other uses in the kitchen as well.

What's the difference between balsamic vinaigrette and regular vinaigrette? ›

A balsamic vinaigrette typically involves adding oil, sugar, and/or mustard to balsamic vinegar, along with seasonings like garlic, salt, and pepper. While it can be made in a way that makes it healthier than several other salad dressing options, it can't compare to simply using the vinegar and oil.

What is the recipe for heartburn relief? ›

Drink Ginger Tea

Ginger can help relieve nausea and reduce acid production. Try it as a tea – either using store-bought herbal tea or by steeping sliced fresh ginger root in just-boiled water for around five minutes. Add a teaspoon of honey if it needs sweetening, and sip it slowly.

What is the summary of the book heartburn by Nora Ephron? ›

Rachel is a food writer who is seven months pregnant when she finds out his husband has been having an affair with a tall, plain woman. It's a jolt straight to the heart and Rachel takes off for New York. It's a bumpy ride that involves family history and broken friendships (but overall, it's still very funny).

What is the number one food that causes heartburn? ›

Citrus fruits and juices are very acidic, which can trigger heartburn, especially if consumed on an empty stomach. Tomatoes are also highly acidic, so eat them occasionally if they give you symptoms. Garlic and onion can cause pain in some people, but researchers aren't sure why.

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