Ellen N. Brown

BROWN, ELLEN N.
Age 72, died on January 14, 2021 at Rhode Island Hospital after a brief illness. A graduate of Mt. Holyoke College, Ellen was an internationally recognized journalist and author, who had written more than 40 cookbooks. As the first food editor for USA Today, she traveled the country meeting chefs, sampling cuisines and writing about emerging new food movements. This work led to her award winning book, "Cooking with New America Chefs", followed by cook books focused on a variety of cuisines. Her innovative approaches to developing cookbooks made them popular both for beginning cooks and experienced chefs. For example, in preparing a book on ice cream, she wrote to contacts around the country to identify their favorite ice-cream stores and flavors. At her request, the stores shipped ice-cream samples and recipes that she then tested and formatted for her cookbook, "Scoop".
Ellen was a member of the Rhode Island chapter of the Commanderie de Bordeaux, where her knowledge of great wines and wonderful food was greatly appreciated; she served as regent, program chair and on the executive committee for more than a decade. Her international travel provided inspiration for new recipes for her cookbooks and newspaper pieces. She also constructed a network of friends around the world, including Nantucket, where she ran a catering company for several years.
In addition to cooking, Ellen was a loyal Patriots fan, unless they were playing the Giants. Her at-home football game viewing parties involved "tail gate" food upgraded to perfection, including "pigs in a blanket" made with homemade bread and sausage from her cook book "The Sausage Cookbook Bible".
Ellen was a skilled gardener, decorating her home with beautiful flower arrangements and serving home grown veggies all summer long. As a cat lover, she shared her house with the feline "Boyz", Rufus and Patches.
Ellen is survived by her sister and brother-in-law, Nancy and Walter Dubler; niece Ariela Dubler and her husband Jesse Furman; nephew Joshua Dubler and his wife Lisa Cerami; nieces and nephews, Ilan, Mira and Lev Dubler-Furman, and Zahir and Charlie Cerami; and a network of close and loving friends. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to No Kitty Left Behind (https://www.nokittyleftbehind.com/).