RIP Sheila Lukins

[JeanneCake]

I was sad to learn of the death of Sheila Lukins, co-owner and chef at the now-defunct Silver Palate store, whose cookbooks have sold more than 7 million copies (as reported by the NY Times).

I have a copy of the first Silver Palate cookbook, with lots of notes in the margins and stains all over it. My brother gave me the anniversary copy for Christmas a few years back but I still have my old, well-used and well loved book.

Here's a link to the obit notice in the NY Times:Sheila Lukins Obituary Notice

[CaliPoutine]

The Silver Palate Cookbook was one of the first books I ever bought back when it was first published. I wish I could remember what I've cooked from it. Maybe its time to pull it out again. RIP Sheila.

[LindaK]

I'd also like to express my appreciation for what the Silver Palate contributed to my own culinary learning curve. Though the SP was about recipes and not fundamentals, nonetheless I learned a lot from this cookbook, maybe the first I purchased after college.

For one thing, there were some basic techniques in there, though never described as such--it was years later, for example, that I realized that one of my favorite SP recipes was a buerre blanc. No one would characterize the SP as a cookbook about fundamentals, but the recipes were careful and respectful of the basics.

Maybe more importantly, the SP was comfortable with an array of culinary genres in a way that was entirely new at the time. Today, it's easy to scorn the book's lack of focus or concern with authenticity, but for many people (me included) it opened many windows. It was recipes from the SP that prompted me to seek out previously unknown ingredients such as fresh ginger and sesame oil. However simplistic I may see the recipes today, I know the successes I had from the SP gave me the confidence to read and cook from Julia Child, Paula Wolfert, and others.

So, thank you Sheila. RIP.

[KatieLoeb]

That's tragic. Ms. Lukins taught quite a number of people to cook, and fed an entire generation indirectly while opening up their eyes and mouths to new flavors and exotic (at least at the time) ingredients.1 I'll never forget the revelation of chicken salad with apples, walnuts and grapes in it! The soup recipes and the ratatouille are amongst my most referred to recipes. My Silver Palate and More Silver Palate books are two of my most treasured and well worn volumes on a very full bookcase of cookbooks. Absolutely one of my first reference sources for what to do with _____, if I find a new ingredient at the farmer's market.

RIP Sheila. Rest knowing you changed the lives and yes, the palates, of an enormous number of grateful fans.

[Dave Hatfield]

As others have said I learned a lot from The Silver Palate Cookbook and it's successor.

At the time the recipes were unusual and to me a revelation. The lemon tart recipe is still one of my favorites. Just the other day I posted about the Seafood Salad with Basil puree. I still use the books and, yes, they're pretty dog eared & stained now.

RIP Sheila in the knowledge that you helped so many people.