Before there was a Food Network, Iron Chef, or even a Martha Stewart magazine, there was The Silver Palate. Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins may not be classical chefs, and they did not revolutionize restaurant cooking like Alice Waters or Thomas Keller, but they did more to change the way Americans cooked in their homes than anyone since Julia Child first trussed a chicken on t.v.
While much of the text and many of the recipes seem dated, it bears remembering that The Silver Palate was in the vanguard of America’s food revolution. This book was first published in 1979, which explains why the authors had to advocate the use of olive oil and explain things like raspberry vinegar, Gruyere cheese, and pesto.
Silver Palate recipes are not wildly innovative. Rosso and Lukins used a lot of old-timey, Junior League-type recipes and gave them enough New York City gloss to appeal to a new generation of home cooks. They simplified classics, gussied up gloppy casseroles, and tapped into the trend for high-quality fresh ingredients, creating a collection of recipes that are the kitchen standards of today.
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NOTE
This was my cookbook choice for the Spice of Life Challenge and my "silver" choice for the Colorful Reading Challenge.