The Silver Palate Cookbook (1982) by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins

This is a classic cookbook, first published in 1982. It was cool at the time, introducing a lot of Julia Child fans to an even more straightforward way of interpreting French cooking. It also had a sophisticated sort of Hamptons look and feel to it, presaging the rise of Ina Garten (in my mind). It’s the kind of cookbook you can flip through night after night, shelve it for a while and come back to it months or years later. Recently, I revisited the Chicken Marbella recipe (on this site) and was reminded what a great reference book this is. It’s got a decidedly 80’s vibe that remains surprisingly appealing today. These are good solid recipes that anyone can make but they speak to the experienced cook too. I have substituted a bit of my experience for some of the instructions… an asparagus souffle doesn’t take 40 minutes to cook, for example. Among the recipes I have cooked from this book are chocolate mousse, tuna nicoise salad, coq au vin, smoked chicken salad, chicken Marbella, leeks nicoise, black bean soup and asparagus cheese souffle. If you don’t already have this cookbook, you should. Or gift it to an unsuspecting friend too young to remember how groundbreaking this book was. This would make a great gift for a teenager learning to cook… hummmm… I think I might know one.