The Silver Palate Cookbook

This is not a new cookbook, but there is a reason why it is has remained popular since it first appeared in 1982. As far as I’m concerned, the main reason is the cakes. Yes, the ratatouille is wonderful, and the Tarte Saint-Germain is delicious, but who offers cake recipes like this in these calorie conscious times? That is to say, it does not exactly seem like you could eat a lot of their cakes without showing some effects, but if you just exercise self-control (ha ha, a little humor there) you won’t regret it!

For example, ordinarily, I wouldn’t pick banana cake out of a pile of cake. But their banana cake is moist and lush and covered in scrumptious cream cheese frosting. The same frosting goes on their carrot cake, which is the show more best I’ve ever had, even though I omit two of the ingredients, coconut and pineapple. (You can easily find the recipe from the cookbook for this popular cake online, such as at this site. And by the way, it calls for pureed carrots. As if I would use, and therefore have to wash, the food processor. I buy baby food carrots. That counts as pureed, right?)

Most of the recipes are accompanied by something extra: a color photo, a suggested menu, or a quote (“...I had but one penny in the world, thou shouldst have it to buy gingerbread” from William Shakespeare’s “Love’s Labor’s Lost” and my sentiments exactly. Well, maybe not the sharing part, but definitely the gingerbread part.) There are also intermittent sections with background information about food, such as an explanation of the different kinds of olive oil, or a review of the differences among various mushrooms or salad greens. Occasionally there are anecdotes by the authors about a recipe or advice on cooking techniques, such as cooking bacon or making the perfect omelet.

Evaluation: There is a wealth of information in this colorful cookbook, and everything I have tried in it has been outstanding. show less

As a newly married wife, I learned a great deal from this classic 1980s cookbook. The recipes had a knack for introducing unfamiliar dishes through familiar flavors, great for cooking for children or unadventurous adults. The instructions are clear, and every recipe I tried turned out great. I loved the raspberry chicken (needs raspberry vinegar that you can make or buy from Whole Foods. Get one that has more fruit than vinegar in the ingredients.). Also really liked the lime mousse and the potato soup.

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.

This made for pleasant reading and lots of ideas for entertaining. Too bad I'm past the age where I want to entertain. I haven't tried the recipes yet. Many of them are for basic foods but with some flair. They seem easy enough, and I will no doubt try some of them in the future. Some depend on one's locality. In my rural area, I do not have access to the food shops the author's take for granted in New York City, so many of the cheeses, specialty meats, etc. are not available to me. That's ok, I know how to make substitutions for many of them, and if I want to pay large prices, I'm sure I could order some from my local grocery or online. I think much of this book is geared toward up and coming young folks in the city who want to show more entertain and make a show of it to impress their coworkers or bosses. show less

I'm usually very weary of "classic" cookbooks as I believe we should be moving forward with our palates not backwards, but this has some legitimately great recipes.

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.

Full review posted on Rose City Reader.

Fabulous. The first book to use spices with abandon, as if we weren't counting the peppercorns before we went to bed. Rich, luscious, changed the way I think about food. Incredibly well-tested.