An imagined gathering
1988 · Long Island, New York
Bailey sets a relaxed summer table for Lukins and Colwin, and the three of them talk about cooking for friends.
Bailey's house on Long Island is arranged for exactly this kind of afternoon: a big table, a cold tomato pie, and nothing that needs to be rushed. Sheila Lukins, whose Silver Palate books have made her the country's authority on party food, has brought Chicken Marbella; Laurie Colwin has brought her chocolate cake and her opinions.
The three of them agree about almost everything that matters to them: that food is for friends, that a host should be relaxed, and that the best dishes are the ones that improve overnight. They disagree only about how much planning a party needs, and they settle it over a second slice of cake.
Host: Lee Bailey
Sheila Lukins — Silver Palate founder and author of the decade's most-used party cookbook.
Laurie Colwin — Essayist whose writing celebrates the ordinary home table.
Dessert
This gathering is an editorial recreation grounded in the biographies of those present; it did not necessarily take place as described.