I was in my early twenties when I discovered this wonderful cookbook and it redefined how I thought about cooking and food. My interest in learning to cook had already started at the elbows of my grandmother and my mother. My grandmother taught the basics of home cooking the intuitive way. She never used a recipe and just seemed to instinctively know the right measurements for her never-fail baked goods. She was a natural and it was fun to watch her and learn from her—I think of her skills with awe.
My mother was an inveterate recipe reader and collector. She also had the skills that she learned from my grandmother—but she built on them when she went on to live in Europe for a couple of decades and her life was filled with entertaining obligations. So many of her acquaintances have told me over the years what a delight it was to attend her dinners and parties—and I thought so too. I inherited her recipe boxes, files and cookbooks and have spent a lot of pleasant hours going through them—a great way to revisit family memories.
But the Silver Palate and the talents of authors Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins opened up a whole new way of thinking about food and recipes. This book lightened and brightened cooking for me. Its breezy style and casual illustrations made the classic, sophisticated food seem so doable for even the likes of me—a young cook just developing her tastes. I wore my copy out and had to buy the new edition that has been enhanced with color photographs. But the recipe favorites are still here—my short list includes their Salmon Mousse, New Potatoes with Black Caviar, Creamy Pasta Sauce with Fresh Herbs, Chicken Marbella, Skewered Shrimp and Prosciutto, Oil-Roasted Summer Vegetables, delicious new mousse flavors Lime, Peach Melba, Mocha and Ellen’s Apple Tart. I still turn to this book often, not so much for recipes these days, but certainly for inspiration—and I always find it.
If you would like more information about this book click here: Silver Palate Cookbook 25th Anniversary Edition
