American specialty food and cooking
1942–2009 · United States
Sheila Lukins was born in New York in 1942, cooked in Europe, and worked as a food stylist before opening the Silver Palate shop on Manhattan's Upper West Side with Julee Rosso in 1977. The shop specialized in prepared foods and quickly became a neighborhood institution.
The Silver Palate Cookbook (1982) sold in the millions and introduced dishes such as Chicken Marbella to American kitchens. Lukins went on to write a long-running column for Parade and many more books, always with an eye for bold, generous, party-friendly food.
She died in 2009. Her recipes are still passed between friends, which is the audience she cared about most.
Chicken roasted with prunes, olives, capers, and oregano in a sweet-sour marinade of wine and brown sugar.
A quick sauce of tomatoes, olives, capers, anchovy, and garlic tossed with spaghetti.
Rich, dense chocolate brownies with walnuts, underbaked just enough to stay fudgy.
A tasting at the Silver Palate · 1986 · New York, New York
A long lunch on Long Island · 1988 · Long Island, New York
Home cooking in a small kitchen · 1989 · New York, New York