Born to parents who defrosted, Elana began cooking as a young child because the kitchen was the only place in the house her mother couldn’t find her. Elana’s sense of adventure and desire to know the unknown has led her to the rural pueblos of Latin America, the war-torn Middle East and the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa. She lived in Italy for nearly five years where she was captivated by the cooking sensibilities of the Italian mammas and has been learning from them ever since. This passion for authentic Italian food, however, was met by food sensitivities. Thus, for the past 15 years Elana has been pro-actively educating herself about the impact of food on the body and with that knowledge has created coveted recipes that relish the healthy and triumph in flavor.
Elana holds a B.A. from Brown University and a M.A. from Middlebury College in Florence, both in Italian Studies. She has written and performed stand-up comedy and taught high school World History. Her mother has finally gotten over the fact that she never became a doctor.
Elana can be hired for private dinner parties.