Projo Food Blog

Gail Ciampa is on vacation again, so I'm stepping in to note, Sheila Lukins dies at 66; co-author of 'The Silver Palate' cookbook. L.A. Times:

Sheila Lukins, an influential cookbook author whose "The Silver Palate" demystified and helped popularize gourmet cooking in America's home kitchens, has died. She was 66.

Lukins, who also operated a pioneering gourmet takeout shop, died Sunday at her home in New York City, announced Parade magazine, where she had been food editor.

Lukins was diagnosed with brain cancer three months ago.

"The Silver Palate" is one of the top 10 best-selling cookbooks of all time. She wrote it with her business partner, Julee Rosso, in 1979, two years after they opened one of the nation's first gourmet takeout shops, in New York City.

Here's some of her work, her recipes:

The cookbook link above at B&N includes her signature Chicken Marbella, Salmon Mousse and Pecan Squares. You can browse the first chapters of The Silver Palate at this Google Books link.

Epicurious has an index of more than 100 Lukins recipes, mostly from her days at Parade.

Big Oven offers 58 Silver Palate recipes

The Silver Palate's Brownie Recipe

Sheila Lukins's Rib Eye with Wild Mushroom Ragoût at House Beautiful.

And two for tomato-harvest season: Penne with Red and Yellow Peppers and Fresh Ricotta Cheese and Linguine with Tomatoes and Basil at WowOWow.

And, for the season just ahead, The Silver Palate Smoky Pumpkin Soup, Silver Palate Gingerbread, Molasses Cookies.

As you might expect, food bloggers are all over this.

Sidebar: There's a flap over the Times' obit: The NYTpicker complains, in Today In NYT Obituary Errors: Dining Reporter Julia Moskin Misses Key Facts Of Sheila Lukins's Fascinating Life:

In June of 1993, NYT reporter Catherine Manegold wrote a 1,977-word NYT home section cover story about the ultimate food fight -- a fued feud between former cookbook collaborators Sheila Lukins and Julee Rosso, who wrote the bestselling >Silver Palate Cookbook.

Yesterday, Lukins died of brain cancer at the age of 66. And Julia Moskin's by-the-book obituary curiously leaves out the part of Lukins's story everyone remembers -- her split with Rosso -- and generally doesn't do justice to the famous cookbook writer's life.

 Tags  Sheila Lukins Silver Palate

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