Sheila Lukins

Sheila Lukins (November 18, 1942 – August 30, 2009) was an American cookbook author and food writer. She was best known as the co-author of The Silver Palate series of cookbooks, an influential trilogy that helped define the gourmet cooking style of the 1980s.

Early Life and Education

Lukins was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She attended the University of Michigan and the London School of Economics. After her studies, she moved to New York City, where she began her culinary career.

Career

In 1977, Lukins co-founded The Silver Palate, a gourmet food shop in Manhattan, with her business partner Julee Rosso. The shop was a success, and in 1982, they published their first cookbook, The Silver Palate Cookbook. The book was a bestseller and is still considered a classic in the field of gourmet cooking.

Lukins and Rosso followed up with two more successful cookbooks, The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook and The New Basics Cookbook. In 1990, Lukins published her first solo cookbook, All Around the World Cookbook, which was also a bestseller.

In addition to her cookbooks, Lukins served as the food editor for Parade magazine from 1986 to 2009.

Personal Life and Death

Lukins was married to Richard Lukins, with whom she had two daughters. She died of brain cancer in 2009.

Legacy

Lukins' work has had a lasting impact on American cooking. Her cookbooks introduced many Americans to a wider variety of ingredients and more complex flavors than were common in American cooking at the time. Her influence can still be seen in the popularity of gourmet cooking and the continuing success of her cookbooks.

See Also

• List of cookbook authors
• American cuisine

External Links

• The Silver Palate
• Sheila Lukins at Parade Magazine