Silver Palate Cookbook 25th Anniversary Edition

466 Pages·2007·24.99 MB·English

by  Julee Rosso

THE
SILVER PALATE
C(cid:129)O(cid:129)O(cid:129)K(cid:129)B(cid:129)O(cid:129)O(cid:129)K
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JULEE ROSSO & SHEILA LUKINS
M I C H A E L M L A U G H L I N
WITH C
PATRICK TREGENZA SUSAN GOLDMAN
PHOTOGRAPHS BY AND
SHEILA LUKINS
ILLUSTRATIONS BY
W O R K M A N P U B L I S H I N G | N E W Y O R K
Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 2007 Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins
Photographs copyright © by Patrick Tregenza: pages 6, 9, 24, 33, 37, 41, 56, 63, 69, 72, 77, 90, 97, 104, 122, 133, 138,
147, 156, 159, 162, 172, 180, 196, 206, 211, 215, 218, 223, 238, 243, 259, 260, 263, 266, 269, 288, 293, 301, 304,
324, 327, 336, 339, 343, 361, 364, 367, 377, 388, 391, 403; all silhouetted photographs
Photographs copyright © by Susan Goldman: pages 1, 12, 16, 27, 29, 44, 48, 51, 81, 85, 101, 111, 114, 119, 125, 143, 152,
169, 171, 172, 187, 192, 203, 228, 235, 249, 256, 272, 276, 281, 285, 309, 311, 317, 332, 346, 355, 374, 383, 398, 407, 412
Silver Palate is a trademark of Silver Palate Kitchens, Inc., used under license from its predecessors in interest.
All rights reserved.
No portion of this book may be reproduced—mechanically, electronically, or by any other means, including photocopying—
without the written permission of the publisher. Published simultaneously in Canada by Thomas Allen & Son Limited.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.
ISBN-13: 978-0-7611-4597-4 (pb)
ISBN-13: 978-0-7611-4598-1 (HC)
Cover design by Paul Hanson with Patrick Borelli
Front cover photograph by Arnold Katz
Author photograph by Gwendolen Cates
Cover food photograph by Patrick Tregenza
Book design by Paul Hanson and Lisa Hollander with David Riedy
Workman books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk for premiums and sales promotions
as well as for fund-raising or educational use. Special editions or book excerpts also can be created to specifi cation.
For details, contact the Special Sales Director at the address below.
Workman Publishing Company, Inc.
225 Varick Street
New York, NY 10014-4381
www.workman.com
Manufactured in the United States of America
First printing March 2007
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
CONTENTS
CHAPTER TWO CHAPTER FOUR
The Story of The Silver Palate
vii SOUP’S ON THE
MAIN COURSE
CHAPTER ONE Soups to Start
TO BEGIN A GREAT 54
EVENING
Soups of the Sea
60
Fancy Finger Food
4
Chicken Every Way
103
Sweet and
Savory Meats
118
Fork Suppers
128
Summer Soups
66 Game
131
Fresh from the Sea Sunday Night Soups
19 74 Catch of the Day
137
CHAPTER THREE Baking in Foil
PASTA PERFECT 146
The Stew Pot
Piping Hot Pasta
151
The Crudités Connection 82
25
CHAPTER FIVE
The Charcuterie Board GREAT GARDEN
29
VEGETABLES
Artichokes
173
Summer Pasta
96
Dazzlers
40
Asparagus Salads on the Green Hot from the Oven
176 277 358
Comforting Conclusions
CHAPTER SEVEN
373
CHEESES AND
BREADS
Beans
184
Carrots CHAPTER NINE
195
THE BRUNCH
Eggplant BUNCH
200
Rise and Shine
Mushrooms
385
207
Artisanal Cheeses
287
Potatoes Best Breads
214 297
Scallions, Leeks, Garlic,
Shallots, and Onions CHAPTER EIGHT
221 SWEETS
Tomatoes
The Cookie Basket
231
313
The Big Bread Sandwich
Vegetable Purées
American as Apple . . . 397
239
322
Brunch Drinks
401
CHAPTER SIX
SALADS
It’s the Berries
334
Mousse Magic
344
Essentially Chocolate
349
Signifi cant Salads CHAPTER TEN
245
BASICS
Summer Salads 407
260
Metric Conversion Charts
All-American Salads 422
266
INDEX
Salads of the Sea
273 423
vii
THE STORY OF
THE SILVER PALATE
“ There are three that has been beloved for two Sheila, the caterer, to help host
and a half decades. a press breakfast for a major
types of creatures
Looking back, it doesn’t fashion designer. The press
seem so long ago that we arrived at the designer’s lavish
that seem to be
opened our shop. It was the apartment (resplendent with
coming when they summer of 1977: Jimmy Carter nine-foot-tall suits of armor)
was in the White House, there and waxed ecstatic as we
are going and
were endless lines for Star Wars, served them fresh figs wrapped
Elvis had left the building, with prosciutto, Baked Ham
going when they
and we were all dancing to the with Apricots, warm croissants,
are coming— Bee Gees at a “Saturday Night cappuccino, and jewel-like
Fever” pitch. Julee, “a gal from bowls of lemon, blackberry,
diplomats, crabs,
Kalamazoo,” was working at her and raspberry mousses. The
dream job in the fashion indus- designer was lauded, but it was
and women.”
try, doing marketing, publicity, the food that got the real raves.
and advertising. Along the way, That morning, a fantasy food
—JOHN M. HAY, SECRETARY
she taught herself how to cook partnership was born.
OF STATE, 1898–1905 by cooking, from start to finish,
through Julia Child’s The French
Chef. Sheila, married and the
I
n truth, crabs go sideways, mother of two very young
they sort of zigzag their way daughters, Annabel and Molly,
along. No doubt that’s how we had long enjoyed cooking and At the time, we confided to
must have looked in 1982 when entertaining. Sheila had gradu- each other that we both felt
this cookbook was first pub- ated from Le Cordon Bleu overwhelmed trying to juggle
lished. We were immersed in school in London, and had work, family, and the various
our little gourmet takeout shop become increasingly intrigued hobbies, interests, and obliga-
on Columbus Avenue in New by food during the family’s time tions that occupied our time. It
York City. One minute cooking, living in Paris. Back in New York, was all too much. And we each
the next catering. Our friends she created The Other Woman admitted, with some dismay,
thought we were crazy: If we Catering Company, with the that with so much going on, our
gave away our secret recipes, motto “so discreet, so delicious, shared passions of cooking
we’d be out of business. But lit- and I deliver.” Her business was and entertaining seemed to be
tle did any of us know the joy directed primarily toward bach- getting the short end of the
that writing a cookbook would elors, who struggled to enter- deal. It occurred to us that if we
bring to our lives. Now here we tain without a “little woman” in “good cooks” needed help . . .
are twenty-five years later, cele- the kitchen. One of those bach- well, we just couldn’t be alone.
brating with a brand new edi- elors was Julee’s on again, off That’s when Julee had the
tion that highlights our recipes again beau, who needed a idea for a food shop where
with beautiful color photo- cook when Julee was “off again.” people could pick up great
graphs. They add an exciting So we finally met: Julee, the food on a whim, for one or
new dimension to a cookbook advertising director, needed for many, to take home and
viii
graciously serve as their own. we know that the Philharmonic We glowed when our cus-
The concept was simple: a tiny was playing in Central Park that tomers came back with compli-
gem of a shop featuring the best evening—customers flooded ments. They learned to trust us
of our home cooking repertoire the shop wanting picnics, pic- when we surprised them with
—no pretense, just good, simple nics, and more picnics. Our air then-unfamiliar dishes such as
food with the bold flavors we conditioner promptly broke. seviche, pâté, and vegetable
both loved. We’d make it easy for Then we realized our little purées. They tried it. They loved
working people to have a picnic antique French scale and long- it. And people started bringing
in the park, take a break from hand computing weren’t going our foods back home to Mom,
restaurants, or serendipitously to cut it when someone wanted to show they were well fed in
invite friends home for a bite. a medium-size container of New York City. That’s when we
We were excited about Tarragon Chicken Salad, which began to wonder whether we
the idea and set the wheels was priced by the pound. Yikes! could package some of our rec-
in motion, but had difficulty We sold out long before closing, ipes for transport elsewhere.
describing it as simply as and collapsed, having learned The summer of 1978 found
we had envisioned it. About some lessons that we’d apply the us up to our elbows in our
a month before opening, next day, and the day after that. “Canning Kitchen.” We wanted
Florence Fabricant, writing an We cooked as we did at to present our wonderful food
article for New York magazine home, with fresh, seasonal ingre- in beautiful jars and bottles. So
on the renaissance of Columbus dients, no shortcuts ever. Every
Avenue, made it easy. She tasted day our menu included great
our food and said, instantly, breads and cheeses, and an
“Call it the Silver Palate.” Perfect. array of foods that were cooked
When we said, “Print it, we’ll in Sheila’s kitchen and carried
go national,” we had no idea down the street to the store: during yet another heat wave
where we were headed. Salmon Mousse, Cheese Straws, we found ourselves making
When we finally opened Saucisson en Croûte, Pâté Vegetable Mosaic, Damson
our doors at 4:00 P.M., on July Maison, Chicken Marbella, Plums in Brandy, Blueberry
15, 1977, the block had already Ratatouille, Torta Rustica, Vinegar, Winter Fruit Compote,
been abuzz. It was two days Moussaka, Nutted Wild Rice, Fudge Sauce, Lady Apples in
after the infamous New York Blanquette de Veau, Lemon Wine, and Sweet and Rough
City blackout, and despite the Squares, Giant Chocolate Chip Mustard. We tied bows on bot-
insistent 103°F heat, by 4:15 we Cookies, Blackberry Mousse, tles, put fabric atop jars, and
were jammed. We had stocked and on and on. Sheila’s doilies everywhere. We had
the store to the brim and our mother made carrot cake more tenacity than shelves.
food looked glorious. Little did in Connecticut and drove it Within days both the president
down to the shop. Julee made of Saks Fifth Avenue and the
gravlax at home in the early founder of Crate and Barrel
morning hours, then picked appeared in our shop, asking
up warm fresh croissants and to sell our products in their
cheeses in a taxi before stores that Christmas. We were
heading across the over the moon—and quickly
park. We were never back in the Canning Kitchen.
short of ideas. We wanted both stores to sell
out at Christmas, so we con-
vinced them to let us hold
tastings—-we knew no better
way to sell Blueberry Chutney
than to let people sample it for
themselves. It worked. One
taste of our Caramel Pecan
Sauce (made with real butter,
sugar, cream, and toasted
pecan halves) and people
ix
this book, in many places it was
difficult to find fresh herbs and
excellent produce, meat, and
seafood. Now, with the new
emphasis on seasonal, local,
artisanal, and organic foods at
farmer’s markets, and increas-
ingly, at supermarkets, the culi-
nary climate mirrors our begin-
nings in that tiny shop on the
Upper West Side.
Barely a day goes by that
we don’t bump into someone or
swooned. It was a very good book we envisioned—Sheila get a letter telling us of a recipe
Christmas! We were on our would illustrate it, Julee would of ours they’ve made, or how
way. Soon the Williams Sonoma write it, and we would use the much they’ve enjoyed our book.
catalog found us, Pat Wells of recipes from our shop. It would It’s always such a nice surprise.
The New York Times wrote a be the cookbook of our dreams. When we meet someone with
story, and New York magazine’s A modest number of cop- a food-spattered Silver Palate
Gael Greene described our ies were published for Mother’s cookbook held together by a
Blueberry Vinegar as “blueber- Day 1982 and we celebrated rubber band, we’ve found an
ries sailing like stars in a mid- with a book party at Saks. Later old friend. We speak the same
night sky in vinegar more pre- that summer, the mother of language, we’ve cooked together
cious than vintage wine.” What one of our colleagues called for years, and we’ve laughed
fun! Imagine our delight when from Lake Tahoe, California, to together along the way.
we saw our products say that food from our The publication of this
on shelves in stores cookbook was being exciting new edition with its
across the country, served at every zillions of color photographs
and then overseas. dinner party she gives us an opportunity to make
As awareness attended. Soon even more new cooking pals.
of our business we saw our cook- Thank you for enjoying our
grew, awards arrived. book published book, and for making our jour-
We were invited to in French, Japanese, ney so fulfilling. We hope we
speak on entrepreneur- and Dutch, and we meet you again, or for the first
ship at business schools were making friends time, as we come and go along
and food and wine sympo- around the world. We were our way.
siums. We cooked on Today and included in the James Beard — Julee Rosso,
Good Morning America, and at Who’s Who of American Food, Saugatuck, Michigan
Mondavi’s Great Chefs Cooking and this book was inducted
— Sheila Lukins,
School. Mike Wallace even into the Cookbook Hall of Fame.
New York, New York
interviewed us for a 60 Minutes Who would have thought that
segment. It was all beyond our following our passion would
wildest fantasies—we were lead to all this? We literally
having a ball. danced in the street on
Then, in the spring of 1981, Columbus Avenue.
an editor from Workman Though we sold our busi-
Publishing suggested we write ness in 1988, today we “girls” are
a book. “Send me the outline,” as passionate about good food
she said. Book?! Outline?! Who as ever. Over the past few
knew? We figured she’d forget. months we’ve spent wonderful
She didn’t. Three weeks later times reflecting on the journey
found us at Sheila’s with a bot- we’ve taken together, both
tle of Scotch and a legal pad. through our shop and this
We outlined the kind of cook- cookbook. When we first wrote