"[1] Greene was born in Detroit, where her father owned a clothing store,[2] and graduated from Central High School in 1951,[3] then from the University of Michigan.

[1][8] Greene famously went to great lengths to conceal her identity from restaurateurs, reserving and using credit cards under other names and wearing hats that covered her eyes.

The first, Blue Skies, No Candy, a best seller in both hard cover and paperback, explores the fantasies and adventures of an adulterous heroine;[2] it was unpopular with critics[3] and ads for it were removed from New York City Subway cars after complaints about their suggestive imagery.

[14] Doctor Love received some negative reviews,[15][16] including Jonathan Yardley's verdict of "terminal tackiness" in The Washington Post.

[6] In 2006, Warner Books published her memoir, Insatiable: Tales from a life of Delicious Excess, about the 40-year revolution in dining, what she ate, and what she did between meals.

[20] In 1981 she co-founded Citymeals-on-Wheels, along with the teacher and food writer James Beard, to help fund weekend and holiday meals for homebound elderly people in New York City.