The Silver Palate Cookbook

The Silver Palate

by Julee Rosso, Sheila Lukins

Enriched with full-color photographs in honor of its twenty-fifth anniversary, The Silver Palate Cookbook is the beloved classic that brings a new passion for food and entertaining into American homes. Its 350 flawlessly seasoned, stand-out dishes make every occasion special, and its recipes, featuring vibrant, pure ingredients, are a pleasure to cook. Brimming with kitchen wisdom, cooking tips, information about domestic and imported ingredients, menus, quotes, and lore, this timeless book feels as fresh and exciting as the day it was first published. Every reader will fall in love with cooking all over again.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Nonfiction, Reference, Foodie, Food and Drink

1033 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 4, 1982

About the author

Julee Rosso is an American cook and food writer. In 1977 she and Sheila Lukins opened and ran a gourmet food shop in New York City called The Silver Palate. In the 1980s they wrote The Silver Palate Cookbook, The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook, and others. A 25th Anniversary update of the Silver Palate Cookbook was published in 2007.

Reviews

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am actually reading a cookbook from start to finish!!! The recipes have already won me over, but the tidbits, the quotes, the organization of this book are absolutely delightful! And no calories for reading about food!!

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

With it's sibling The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbookand big brother The New Basics Cookbook, these are the ones on my shelf that are completely dog eared with use.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

An essential classic! All the recipes work, but if you get this book for no other reason, the recipe for chicken Marbella will be worth it.

[John G · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great cookbook. Perhaps as much fun to read as to enjoy the recipes. Lots of good background on most recipes and lots of info on ingredients. Sometimes basic recipes have lots of variations suggested. The sections on salads were particularly great.

The tone is sort of 5th Avenue hippie. Largely because of the hand drawn B&W illustrations. And the friendly humorous narratives. Side boxes exhort the reader to enjoy food and life.

The recipes are simple and all of those which I have tried worked well and the seasoning is agreeable to my tastes. I have so many favourite recipes in this book I can't begin to recommend a best or even a top ten.

If you have not found this cookbook yet, you are in for a real treat.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my mother's cookbook and has more New York Sunday society classics than you can shake a stick at. Chicken Marbella, anyone? What about quiches galore? Heck, there's a whole section on "Brunch Drinks." Sometimes it can get a bit ridiculous (Herbed Caviar Roulade?), but it features genuinely good entertaining advice, such as, "schedule just enough time to relax with a quiet drink before the party begins; this way you may catch your breath," "The most successful hosts are those who welcome their guests by making them feel special; be sure that everyone is properly introduced" and the advocacy of "grand and unusual flowers." A winner.

[Moi · Rating 3 out of 5]

a flavor bomb of '80s cooking inspiration: think: lots of reductions and specialized vinegars and fussy cheeses. now, my love of cooking is FOUNDED on the stuff i ate from this era, so i can totally get on board. and one of my favorite lasagnas in the world was created by these ladies (an eggplant/chevre/bechamel BOMB that was LIFE-CHANGING and published in lukins and rosso's New Basics). but sometimes i notice the acid is a titch heavy-handed and not as subtly balanced as it can be with the best recipes.

that said, i still enjoy this cookbook and will often page through it when looking for fun sides to massive feasts.

on a production note, the line drawings are perfectly charming. but much more USEFUL would be totally glossy, full-color, perfectly tweaked photo food porn. that's massively useful to helping me figure out whether or not the end product of that recipe is what i'm searching for.

[Leona · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had heard so much about this cook book over the years, but for some reason never purchased it. After reading, Apron Anxiety: My Messy Affairs In and Out of the Kitchen, I decided to splurge, especially when I saw the kindle special sale. (The lemon cake recipe was referenced in the book.) I'm glad I did. It's well written, filled with great, interesting recipes.

[Lynn Hotalen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first got this cookbook years ago when I was first taking a real interest in cooking. Many of the recipes and ingredients seemed exotic to me then, but I learned so much and bought all the books by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins I could get my hands on. Those recipes no longer seem so exotic to me and many of them I now cook without a recipe, since I've made them so many times. But I still refer to this book often and love where it has taken me.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I want to cook a special meal, this is the first cookbook I turn to. At least one dish, often the whole meal comes from the recipes in this book. I have been using it since 1986, and over the years have tried the majority of the recipes.. some recipes 30+ times (like the chocolate mousse:-). The recipes have all been tasty, most are moderately complicated / time consuming, but executable by someone with basic skills. The biggest downside is that some of the ingredients can be hard to find.

[Hallie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I still have my well loved duo of original silver palate cookbooks. A beloved Christmas gift from a boyfriend in 1987. I refer to these often even though my library of cookery spans an entire wall; floor to ceiling. Simply classic, relatively easy and delicious. Many menu ideas and tips for easy entertaining with style. Nothing pretentious or "foodied" about the recipes - just wonderful and timeless.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely little cookbook, written by the friend of a friend, and given to me by another friend. I've used many recipes from this one, but particularly liked the chicken marabella (which sounds bettern than chicken with prunes), which was easy to prepare when serving large groups. Most memorable dinner was out at Sunset Beach, NC at a beach house there for 10 of us.

Packing away now as we declutter the house, preparing to put it on the market.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back in the 80's before there was FoodTv and the internet, gthis WAS the cookbook if you entertained. This was the cookbook that inspired me to start a small catering business back in the early 90's. I went to a dinner party lately and the hostess served chicken Marbella. A classic! I have not used it lately but it is time to revisit some of these recipes.

[Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE classic. This book started it all. The shop was purely new in the late seventies, and the book changed how the USA cooked. Remember, this came out when no one would ever consider making something strange like "Ratatouille" When I need a tasty morsel for my family or a party, this is my go to book. Enjoy and live in a time where butter was king!

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh, the eighties. What marvelous, ridiculous foodie ideas you had. *sigh* Back when capers were an adventure.

That said, this is the first place I encountered the idea of using aluminum foil instead of parchment paper for cooking en papillote, and I will never not be grateful for that.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book as gift many years ago when I asked some one where did you learn how to cook chicken like this? I get rave reviews when I make the coffee cake from this cookbook and many other yummy treats. Check it out for sure!

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who knows me ---well they know what joy a cookbook can bring to me. Inspiration for great food is everything. Ketchp is the little black dress of our generation---why not make it gourmet ketchup?

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

An inspiring cookbook that really celebrates food and makes you want to plan dinner parties. The recipes are a little outdated for being high fat, high calorie, so it's not one I use much in my everyday cooking.

[Alisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Love Love!!! I've made several things and all have been superb.

[Keith Wagner · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite cookbook ever. Recipes are clearly written and just about foolproof. Lots of tips and ideas. Great first cookbook for the new adult just hitting out with on their own

[Laurie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I actually looked at the hard copy of the 25th anniversary edition. I was curious to see how color plates added to the book since I have successfully cooked so many things from the original cookbook that my copy is dog-eared.
I was pretty disappointed. There really aren't that many photos to enhance the text and I didn't think the tastiness of the food was truly captured visually. For me, the photos detracted from the original charm of the cartoon illustrations. I'm still a fan of Silver Palate recipes but I prefer my original book.

[Cleo · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was thrilled when I got this cookbook for $1 at a used book store. Now I know why someone had given it away! I've tried four recipes in it, and they were all wrong. I know how to cook; I have enough experience to know when a recipe is "not my taste" and when it's just plain wrong. The recipes I tried were clearly not well tested. The food came out disastrous. After four bad ones, I stopped trusting the book enough to try any more.

[Austen to Zafón · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was in high school when I got this book. My friends and I used to host tea parties and picnics for each other and this was a great source for fancy little dishes for that kind of party. It was a one-of-a-kind, innovative, indulgent book at the time. But I only used it for a few years. It's pretty dated now and although I still have it, I never use it.

[epg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even I, who really don't know how to cook, have had success with lots of these wonderful recipes. Makes me feel comfortable with dinner parties. Love the Beef Stroganoff(pg 128)and Eggplant Parmiigiana (pg 168).

Also recommend THE NEW BASICS COOKBOOK by the same authors.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting book and will bring back memories to anyone old enough to remember it's first printing. Many of the recipes create delicious meals however, the list of ingredients can appear daunting by today's standards.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book on a shelf at a vacation rental and it is such a great book that I didn't read some of the books I brought with me. The recipes have become classics at our house. It's a lovely book with recipes for the beginner cook and inspiration for the advanced.

[Kathy Hoss · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good cookbook, but not a great I one. Many of the recipes call for ingredients that one might not necessarily have in their cabinets. This is the kind of book to buy someone who wants to get into a little gourmet cooking.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is no recipe in this book that is imperfect.

I love how a good cookbook can give you such an impression of the culture/time it came from.
Take a trip in the time warp machine back to shoulder pads and print newspapers and get cooking.

[Bethwareham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am the former editor of 2 editions of the Joy of Cooking and this is still my favorite cookbook BAR NONE. The flavors are huge and the dishes easy to make. This book has made me a culinary rock star over and over.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so-so for me. There were recipes that were beyond fantastic and I will see myself making for meals/entertaining. Some were a bit too extravagant for my level of entertaining. The pasta/veggies/desserts sections were just yummy and those were the ones that stood out the most for me.

[Violet · Rating 3 out of 5]

I made the Grandma Clark’s Soda Bread Page 246