Nice to Meet You!
Hi there. I’m Brooke Eliason (pronounced “e-listen”), a Salt Lake City native who’s simply obsessed with all things food. I started Female Foodie in 2010 when I was living in the little touristy town of West Yellowstone, Montana, and decided to document my experiences trying every single restaurant in town.
Fourteen years later, I’ve published hundreds of restaurant guides and restaurant-inspired recipes alongside my trusty team of talented women that helped me fuel a dream to be the leading female-powered food publication in the U.S.
But now it’s time for something different.
I’m launching a substack to go back to the beginning. The entire reason I started Female Foodie in the first place. Nothing to do with SEO, no more unnecessary headers and text just because they’re “good practice”. After 14 years of highs and lows in the traditional blogosphere, I’m putting all of my best effort and time into continuing to create swoon-worthy recipes, but this time with notes and stories that actually mean something.
Our motto at Female Foodie is “Life’s too short to eat bad food.”
As I deliver a new weekly recipe straight to your inbox on Tuesday morning, and share anecdotes as a Mom of three young children (that may or may not include some of the joys and sorrows), I hope that you know how passionate I am about eating great food and sharing it with those that you love.
It is an honor and privilege to engage in the “work” that I do every day. Whether you’re trying out a recipe that I share here on Substack or attending one of my Female Foodie Tours to Italy, I hope that you know how appreciative I am of your time.
My perfect day includes throwing together a decadent breakfast sandwich with James Taylor playing in the background, followed by a long, scenic hike in the mountains, and ending things with a slow, sit-down dinner (pizza or pasta) with my family outside while the sun sets. Don’t forget dessert—a crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside chocolate chip cookie is the GOAT in my book.
I’m married to my best friend and the love of my life, Cody Eliason, and we love being parents to our three energetic kids George, Freddie, and Eleanor. As a family, we have lived in SLC, Austin, and now the Portland area, and we even spent 18 months on the road, traveling our way through the U.S. and Europe. I have made lifelong friends through this foodie adventure and hope to meet you too!
Why subscribe?
My best content (that means recipes, recommendations, and anything and everything that I feel is important) will go into this substack. But because I love a good bullet list, here are a few more nugget-sized incentives:
weekly subscriber-only recipe, thoroughly tested & vetted by yours truly
detailed notes that will give you the confidence to pick brands wisely, make substitutions with confidence, and learn the “non-negotiable” portions of each recipe
weekly updates with things like my new favorite cookbooks, memes that I sent to my family, and anything I’d recommend to my best girlfriends
prioritized access to me in the comments and chat whether it’s a question about a recipe or something you simply want to chat about
early access to spots on my female foodie tours before anyone else (spoiler alert: they sell out instantly—a reason alone to subscribe!)
How Substack Works
Never miss an update—every new post is sent directly to your email inbox. Don’t hang in your inbox much? Get the Substack app.
I Can’t Wait To Hear From You
Developing recipes is fun and all, but hearing from our community is more motivating to me than anything. Here are a few messages I’ve received over the past few years that made my efforts for Female Foodie 100% worth it:
“I made enough that I thought my family of 8 would have leftovers… and everyone from the 87 year old to the 6 year old licked their plates clean. My grandma always orders enchiladas when we go out to eat at Mexican restaurants, and she was smitten.” -Erica, on our Enchiladas Suizas
“I just made this, first time making and trying an olive oil cake, I wish Instagram allowed photo comments because it’s the best thing I’ve ever made besides my children and I’m so proud of it.” -Leah, on our Olive Oil Cake
“[Brooke’s] focaccia is so so so good. So good. The recipe is easy to follow and so simple. Don’t skimp on the salt flakes on top! I added fresh rosemary on top before the bake and it was *chef’s kiss. I will make it again and make a couple batches because ours was gone in minutes!” -Hannah, on our Focaccia
Bottom line: I absolutely love hearing from you.
