Quotessence
Home / Quotes / Quote by Nora Ephron

Quote by Nora Ephron

“Every New Year's Day, my parents had a big party, and their friends came over and bet on the Rose Bowl and argued about which of the players on either team were Jewish, and my mother served her famous lox and onions and eggs, which took her the entire first half to make. It took her so long, in fact, that I really don't have time to give you the recipe, because it takes up a lot of space to explain how slowly and painstakingly she did everything, sautéing the onions over a tiny flame so none of them would burn, throwing more and more butter into the pan, cooking the eggs so slowly that my father was always sure they wouldn't be ready until the game was completely over and everyone had gone home. We should have known my mother was crazy years before we did just because of the maniacal passion she brought to her lox and onions and eggs, but we didn't. Another thing my mother was famous for serving was a big ham along with her casserole of lima beans and pears. A couple of years ago, I was in Los Angeles promoting Uncle Seymour's Beef Borscht and a woman said to me at a party, "Wasn't your mother Bebe Samstat?" and when I said yes, she said, "I have her recipe for lima beans and pears. " I like to think it would have amused my mother to know that there is someone in Hollywood who remembers her only for her lima beans and pears, but it probably wouldn't have. Anyway, here's how you make it: 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*. That's the sort of food she loved to serve, something that looked like plain old baked beans and then turned out to have pears up its sleeve. She also made a bouillabaisse with Swiss chard in it. Later on, she got too serious about food- started making egg rolls from scratch, things like that- and one night she resigned from the kitchen permanently over a lobster Cantonese that didn't work out, and that was the beginning of the end.”

Quote by Nora Ephron

Work

Heartburn

Nora Ephron's Heartburn is a witty and insightful exploration of the intricacies of love and marriage, offering a candid look at the challenges and triumphs of personal relationships. more

Author

Nora Ephron
Nora Ephron

Nora Ephron was an American journalist, screenwriter, playwright, and author. Born on May 19, 1941, and passing away on June 26, 2012, Ephron made significant contributions to the entertainment industry with her witty and insightful storytelling. She is best known for her romantic comedies, which often explore complex themes of love and relationships. more

You May Also Like

“How do you ignite your passion? It takes only a spark. A forward step, an inspired word, a bold attempt, a look, a nudge—anything that sets off a flicker of excitement. When it is your passion, the smallest thing can ignite it.”