Writer. Editor. Gourmet Guide.

At Reader's Digest, Elinor Griffith developed articles about people who face great odds, yet still experience astonishing results. These stories inspired millions worldwide. Now, as an entrepreneur, she translates her know-how into a thriving business.

As a writer and editor, Elinor works closely with authors to shape and enhance their emerging work. Griffith Editorial can help edit and self-publish your book. A dream come true....

Her exclusive Griffith Gourmet tours escort food enthusiasts to sought-out destinations: Julia Child's home in France, Italy's Amalfi Coast, Paris.... and Morocco is on her radar.

ELINOR GIVES MOTIVATIONAL TALKS FOR LIBRARIES, BOOKSTORES, FAMILY RESORTS, FINANCIAL GROUPS AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. Go to Contact to inquire about booking your event.

In 287 Secrets of Reinventing Your Life, a book by MORE magazine, Elinor is featured among 50 noteworthy women in America.  She reinvented herself and leads cooking trips to exciting places such as Julia Child’s former home in the South of France!

Writer

The Virtues of Cooking is Elinor's newest book. A family "keepsake," it can change your life! Each of its 28 chapters highlights a key ingredient for happy, resilient and thriving people. VIRTUES. Important qualities such as love, honesty and resourcefulness. Filled with delicious recipes (42 in all) and engaging stories, inspirational quotes, beautiful photos and whimsical original art. The book is part inspirational how-to, part culinary memoir, part cookbook. It's an unconventional recipe for a good life! For more info, see the book's website: thevirtuesofcooking.com.

Featured in Huffington Post (13+ million unique visitors), Guideposts (6 million readers) and around the world in Reader's Digest. 

"Every busy Mom needs this cookbook in her kitchen!" says actress Vanessa Williams 

For First Thing Every Morning — published by SimpleTruths, a publishing platform with 1.5 million subscribers and now owned by SourceBooks — Elinor conceptualized, co-wrote and edited this book for Lewis Timberlake, one of America's top motivational speakers. The book and its companion calendar have sold more than 30,000 copies. "How we begin our day determines and controls how we go through each day," he explained. "The book is like getting a handshake of hope when you start each day."

If you love history AND if you like being spooked, well, maybe just a bit, The Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow is wonderful reading. It's the story of the oldest church in New York State and is where Washington Irving situated his world-famous ghost story, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." For the church's 325th anniversary, Elinor and her two partners created:  the book, a website, brochures, the Old Dutch Gala with organist Kent Tritle AND an iPad walking tour (Apple's first tour-based app in the country).

“We're a week away from the final event at the Old Dutch Church," said Rev. Jeff Gargano. "You guys rock!  What you have provided to the church has far exceeded anything I ever dreamed about. You have brought focus, creativity, vision, integrity and expertise to what was just kind of an amorphous idea.  It is impossible to fully express my gratitude except to simply say ... thank you!”

"THE JULIA CHILD OF CHAPPAQUA!"

—DANNY MEYER, Restaurateur & CEO, Union Square Hospitality Group 

"I loved this book. I came to The Virtues of Cooking for the food but stayed for the stories. How Elinor used food as a family-connecting force is the real nourishment in this warm, wise and beautifully written book!"

—THOMAS O. RYDER, Amazon board and former CEO of Reader’s Digest

Editor

Need a story coach or editor for your book? An article written for your magazine? Publicity or marketing help? You’ve come to the right place, Griffith Editorial...

As an experienced writer/editor/marketer, Elinor has overseen the production of a wide variety of books, including riveting memoirs. Clients include the former President of Maxwell House and the Founding President of the National Crime Prevention Council. Of GREAT pleasure in 2019 was writing a new Introduction for my dad’s book, The Campus at Chapel Hill, published by the Chapel Hill Historical Society and with a Preface by UNC’s chancellor and an Addendum by Art Professor JJ Bauer.

What clients say....

John Calhoun, Hope Matters  “A model of depth and caring, Elinor pushed and prodded this book and deserves every kudo. Her humor, persistence and eye for quality never flagged.” 

Richard Laster,  And It Went So Fast  "As I thought about our work session yesterday, I realized how lucky I am to work with you on this project. You make it so easy for me... all with a lovely smile!"

Hans Rolfes, General Foods:  America’s Premier Food Company  "Without Elinor this book would not have seen the light of day. She whittled down my manuscript by more than a third and produced a much-improved version. And her familiarity with people in book publishing made my life a lot easier!”

Paul Dunion, Dare to Grow Up  “Elinor continued to see a place in the world for my creative efforts and held a light when the way darkened.”

Gourmet Guide

For over a decade Elinor has organized luxury cooking trips to standout destinations in Europe, such as Julia Child's former home in the South of France. Or to the much-acclaimed, Michelin-starred Don Alfonso 1890 near Italy’s Amalfi Coast. Or to Paris, for behind-the-scenes culinary and cultural adventures on the Left Bank or occasionally crossing the Seine to dine at places such as the Michelin-starred Le Meurice. Chef Alain Ducasse is known for having more Michelin stars than any other restauranteur in France,

Coming up next, in fall 2019, Griffith Gourmet will head back to POPUP at the Don Alfonso 1890, a Relais & Chateaux boutique hotel — the sixth trip to this “must-visit” destination for food enthusiasts. A secret to the restaurant’s success, proclaims chef-owner Alfonso Iaccarino, is his family’s organic farm, La Peracciole.  At the end of the Sorrentine Peninsula overlooking Capri, reached only via narrow, twisty roads built by the Romans high on the sun-kissed cliffs, this is the hotel’s fresh-off-the-vine pantry. Oranges and lemons, olive trees everywhere, artichokes, fava beans and plump San Marzano tomatoes… ready to be turned lovingly into elegant dishes. The family’s slogan is apt: “Quando il cibo è amore,” or when food is love!

And what an incredible week is planned:  2 gourmet meals -- a Degustazione and a Tradizione; breakfast, too, 3 cooking classes/lunches in the Don Alfonso’s state-of-the-art test kitchen and gloriously fun cultural activities. Such as a boat ride over to Capri.

One never knows who might be dining at the next table. Not long ago at the Don Alfonso, “Barefoot Contessa” Ina Garten was with her husband Jeffrey. 

Stay tuned for plans for Griffith Gourmet to return to Julia Child's French country home, La Pitchoune, or “The Little Thing.” This is where Elinor has taken groups for years. Meanwhile, for an armchair tour of this culinary paradise, click on this link!

The incredible story of how Elinor ended up bringing foodies to cook in Julia's cozy kitchen... think Salmon en Papillote and Pavlovas with Red Berries... can be found in her book, The Virtues of Cooking.) 

Griffith Gourmet will gladly organize custom trips to France, Italy, Morocco or elsewhere.

DESCRIBED AS "THE TRIP OF A LIFETIME," GRIFFITH GOURMET OFFERS A TASTE OF A COUNTRY'S BEST FOOD... IN ITALY, FRANCE AND ELSEWHERE.

Join Elinor in 2020....

May 10 - 16, Popup in Portugal, Cost $4200 pp/double

For starters, this is not your typical culinary and cultural tour…. You will stay at Casa da Calcada, a former 16th century palace, loaded with Portuguese history, that’s now a 5-star Relais and Chateaux property; this will be your luxurious base for 4 nights while exploring the historic city of Porto and the rich viniculture of the area. You’ll also dine at three very exclusive Michelin-starred restaurants:

• Jose Avillez’s Belcanto, in Lisbon, ranked #42 on the World Best 50 Restaurants

• The Yeatman, in Porto, with what’s considered the most incredible view over Porto and the Duoro River

• Also the Casa da Calcada's much feted, Michelin-starred restaurant, Largo do Pico

For more delicious details, including cool activities in Lisbon, check out the flyer.

Oct 13 - 19, 2019, Popup on the Amalfi, Cost $4200

Luxuriate for a week at the Don Alfonso 1890, a charming Relais & Chateaux property overlooking the Bay of Naples and Mt. Vesuvius, with a fabulous Michelin-starred restaurant. And guess what?  It was named Best Italian Restaurant 2017 by TripAdvisor's Travelers Choice Awards. 

To read more about the culinary adventures on the Amalfi Coast, click here.

“Meals Worth the Price of a Plane Ticket" and "10 Restaurants Worthy of Leaving a Ship For"

—The Don Alfonso makes The New York Times

In the News....

WCHL Interview: The Campus at Chapel Hill, Aaron Keck interviews Elinor Allcott Griffith

Daily Tar Heel: “Book Relaunch Honors Town of Chapel Hill’s 200th Anniversary.” And also this wonderful article on UNC’s site, “225 Years of Carolina Architecture.”

CAROLINA ALUMNI REVIEW:  "Comfort in Food," wherein the "author recalls her family's kitchen aromas as therapy."

GETTING ON TRAVEL:  "A Novice Turns "Chef" at the Don Alfonso 1890 Cooking School," by Laura E. Kelly. As the Don Alfonso's hotel manager commented:  "What great job made Ms. Kelly!!! Congratulations!!! All of us are very happy about the article and very proud to have transmitted the soul of our house and of our region 😊!!! "

GRIFFITH GOURMET: CULINARY AND CULTURAL ADVENTURES AT THE DON ALFONSO 1890, NEAR THE AMALFI COAST:  YouTube videos produced by Laura-e-Kelly.com

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA:  "The Life and Legacy of Professor John Allcott:  Art, Food and a Carolina Family," Nov. 1 - 10, Hanes Hall, including readings by Elinor Allcott Griffith from her book,The Virtues of Cooking, which is illustrated with works by her father, John Allcott

READER'S DIGEST INTERNATIONAL (3 million readers):  "Virtues of the Off Season:  A mother and daughter find the joys of travel minus the crowds"

HUFFINGTON POST (13 million unique visitors):  "An Unconventional Recipe from Julia Child's Kitchen"

GUIDEPOSTS MAGAZINE (6 million readers): "Meals with Meaning"

GUIDEPOSTS VIDEO:  Elinor Making Couscous Salad

MORE MAGAZINE:  MORE website feature on Griffith Gourmet trips to Julia Child’s: “Toujours Bon Appétit! How I Cooked Up Gastronomic Tours to France”

READER’S DIGEST Europe:  "Quinoa: Miracle Food or Fad Food?"

BLURB:  “Author Spotlight: Elinor Allcott Griffith” and “How to Get Media Exposure for Your Publication.”

CHAPPAQUA, NY, LIBRARY: Book talk on The Virtues of Cooking

RJ JULIA, Madison, CT, book talk: one of the best-known independent bookstores in the country... on the same week as Chef Jacques Pepin rolled out Heart and Soul in the Kitchen

MERRILL LYNCH Client Presentation, Ridgefield, CT: book talk and lunch using recipes from The Virtues of Cooking

MomZette: "Why Muffins Are Good for a Laugh. And pancakes suggest spontaneity, says a family-focused cookbook."

THE WAG (Westchester and Fairfield County lifestyle magazine): “Continental Cooking:  Cooking with Julia (So to Speak)"

INSIDE CHAPPAQUA: "Up Close and Inside with Elinor Griffith"

FOOD IN ATLANTA: “Organic Buffalo Mozzarella on the Amalfi Coast of Italy"

CHICAGO TRIBUNE: “More Travelers Seeking Out the Best Kitchens in the World"

MORE TIME TO TRAVEL:  “A Culinary Tour Leader Dishes On: What Travelers Need to Know About Cooking Tours”

NEW CASTLE NOW: “It All Started at Julia Child’s”

Contact

Elinor Griffith is a writer, editor and gourmet guide. She graduated from the University of North Carolina and worked for years as a Senior Editor at Reader’s Digest, first in Montreal and then in Chappaqua, N.Y. Recently, she moved to Connecticut, where she bikes, kayaks and clams on the Long Island Sound for her dinner. Elinor is passionate about FOOD, FRIENDS and FRANCE. Well, actually, just about any place in the world with delicious food....

To reach Elinor, please submit this form. 

Home  Madison, Ct.

Education  UNC-Chapel Hill, Political Science (honors) and French

Volunteer Activities

• New Castle Community Media Center Board, Chappaqua, N.Y.

• Open Door Board, providing health care to 40,000 Westchester, N.Y., residents 

• UNC Medical Journalism Advisory Board, Chapel Hill, N.C.

• Chappaqua Antiques Show, Publicity Chair

• Chappaqua Interfaith Council