Sheila Lukins
Encyclopedia
Sheila Lukins was an American
cook and food writer
. She was most famous as the co-author, with Julee Rosso
, of the The Silver Palate series of cookbooks, and The New Basics Cookbook, a very popular set of food guides which introduced many Americans to French, Southern and Eastern European cooking techniques and ingredients and popularized a richer and very boldly seasoned style of cooking to Americans in sharp contrast to the health-food movements of the 1970s. Together, their books sold more than seven million copies.
She was also the co-founder and owner of the popular Silver Palate gourmet shop in New York City
and, for 23 years, the food editor and columnist for Parade
, a position previously held by Julia Child
.
and Westport, Connecticut
. She studied art at the Tyler School of Fine Arts, the School of Visual Arts
and New York University
, where she earned a bachelor's degree with honor in Art Education. After graduation, she attended Le Cordon Bleu
in London
, England
, while working in graphic design. Her culinary education continued in France, where she worked alongside Michelin
-starred chefs in Bordeaux
.
In 1977 she returned to New York City and, with friend Julee Rosso
, opened and ran a gourmet food shop in New York City
called The Silver Palate at the corner of Columbus Avenue
and 73rd Street. In the 1980s they wrote, with Michael McLaughlin
, The Silver Palate Cookbook, which broke cookbook records by selling 250,000 copies in its first year and went on to sell 2.5-million copies, followed by The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook, and others. In 1986, she replaced Julia Child as the food editor for Parade
.
After 11 years working together, Rosso and Lukins split up in the 1990s in a widely-reported feud. The Silver Palate shop, which had been sold to new owners in 1988, closed its doors in 1993, although a brand of sauces and condiments bearing its name continues to be sold. During this period Lukins published her own successful series of books including Sheila Lukins' All Round the World Cookbook and Celebrate! In 2007 she reunited with Rosso to publish a new 25th-anniversary edition of The Silver Palate Cookbook.
In December, 1991, she suffered a cerebral hemorrhage which paralyzed most of her left side and nearly took her life. Some after-effects lasted for the rest of her life, but she was able to recover sufficiently to resume her position at Parade and to continue to write books.
She was married for many years to Richard Lukins, a security systems expert, with whom she had two daughters, Annabel and Molly.
In June 2009, at age 66, she was diagnosed with brain cancer. She died of the disease on August 30, 2009, at her home in Manhattan
, surrounded by her children.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
cook and food writer
Food writing
Food writing is writing that focuses on the topic of food, both widely and narrowly defined.-Definition:Food writer Mark Kurlansky gives the scope of food writing when he observes: “Food is about agriculture, about ecology, about man’s relationship with nature, about the climate, about...
. She was most famous as the co-author, with Julee Rosso
Julee Rosso
Julee Rosso is an American cook and food writer. In 1977 she and Sheila Lukins opened and ran a gourmet food shop in New York City called The Silver Palate. In the 1980s they wrote, with Michael McLaughlin, The Silver Palate Cookbook, The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook, and others...
, of the The Silver Palate series of cookbooks, and The New Basics Cookbook, a very popular set of food guides which introduced many Americans to French, Southern and Eastern European cooking techniques and ingredients and popularized a richer and very boldly seasoned style of cooking to Americans in sharp contrast to the health-food movements of the 1970s. Together, their books sold more than seven million copies.
She was also the co-founder and owner of the popular Silver Palate gourmet shop in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and, for 23 years, the food editor and columnist for Parade
Parade (magazine)
Parade is an American nationwide Sunday newspaper magazine, distributed in more than 500 newspapers in the United States. It was founded in 1941 and is owned by Advance Publications. The most widely read magazine in the U.S., Parade has a circulation of 32.2 million and a readership of nearly 70...
, a position previously held by Julia Child
Julia Child
Julia Child was an American chef, author, and television personality. She is recognized for introducing French cuisine to the American public with her debut cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and her subsequent television programs, the most notable of which was The French Chef, which...
.
Biography
Born Sheila Gail Block in Philadelphia, she grew up in NorwalkNorwalk, Connecticut
Norwalk is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of the city is 85,603, making Norwalk sixth in population in Connecticut, and third in Fairfield County...
and Westport, Connecticut
Westport, Connecticut
-Neighborhoods:* Saugatuck – around the Westport railroad station near the southwestern corner of the town – a built-up area with some restaurants, stores and offices....
. She studied art at the Tyler School of Fine Arts, the School of Visual Arts
School of Visual Arts
The School of Visual Arts , is a proprietary art school located in Manhattan, New York City, and is widely considered to be one of the leading art schools in the United States. It was established in 1947 by co-founders Silas H. Rhodes and Burne Hogarth as the Cartoonists and Illustrators School and...
and New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, where she earned a bachelor's degree with honor in Art Education. After graduation, she attended Le Cordon Bleu
Le Cordon Bleu
Le Cordon Bleu is the world's largest hospitality education institution, with 35 schools on five continents serving 20,000 students annually. Its primary education focus is on hospitality management and the culinary arts...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, while working in graphic design. Her culinary education continued in France, where she worked alongside Michelin
Michelin
Michelin is a tyre manufacturer based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne région of France. It is one of the two largest tyre manufacturers in the world along with Bridgestone. In addition to the Michelin brand, it also owns the BFGoodrich, Kleber, Riken, Kormoran and Uniroyal tyre brands...
-starred chefs in Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
.
In 1977 she returned to New York City and, with friend Julee Rosso
Julee Rosso
Julee Rosso is an American cook and food writer. In 1977 she and Sheila Lukins opened and ran a gourmet food shop in New York City called The Silver Palate. In the 1980s they wrote, with Michael McLaughlin, The Silver Palate Cookbook, The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook, and others...
, opened and ran a gourmet food shop in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
called The Silver Palate at the corner of Columbus Avenue
Ninth Avenue (Manhattan)
Ninth Avenue / Columbus Avenue is a southbound thoroughfare on the West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Traffic runs downtown along its full length...
and 73rd Street. In the 1980s they wrote, with Michael McLaughlin
Michael McLaughlin
Michael McLaughlin was, for a time, a leading figure on the British far right.Born in Liverpool, he was the son of an Irish republican and socialist who was a veteran of the International Brigades....
, The Silver Palate Cookbook, which broke cookbook records by selling 250,000 copies in its first year and went on to sell 2.5-million copies, followed by The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook, and others. In 1986, she replaced Julia Child as the food editor for Parade
Parade (magazine)
Parade is an American nationwide Sunday newspaper magazine, distributed in more than 500 newspapers in the United States. It was founded in 1941 and is owned by Advance Publications. The most widely read magazine in the U.S., Parade has a circulation of 32.2 million and a readership of nearly 70...
.
After 11 years working together, Rosso and Lukins split up in the 1990s in a widely-reported feud. The Silver Palate shop, which had been sold to new owners in 1988, closed its doors in 1993, although a brand of sauces and condiments bearing its name continues to be sold. During this period Lukins published her own successful series of books including Sheila Lukins' All Round the World Cookbook and Celebrate! In 2007 she reunited with Rosso to publish a new 25th-anniversary edition of The Silver Palate Cookbook.
In December, 1991, she suffered a cerebral hemorrhage which paralyzed most of her left side and nearly took her life. Some after-effects lasted for the rest of her life, but she was able to recover sufficiently to resume her position at Parade and to continue to write books.
She was married for many years to Richard Lukins, a security systems expert, with whom she had two daughters, Annabel and Molly.
In June 2009, at age 66, she was diagnosed with brain cancer. She died of the disease on August 30, 2009, at her home in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, surrounded by her children.
with Julee Rosso
- The Silver Palate Cookbook, 1979
- The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook, 1984 (Winner of the James BeardJames BeardJames Andrew Beard was an American chef and food writer. The central figure in the story of the establishment of a gourmet American food identity, Beard was an eccentric personality who brought French cooking to the American middle and upper classes in the 1950s...
award in the "Entertaining" category in 1986) - The New Basics Cookbook, 1989
- Silver Palate Desserts, 1995
By Sheila Lukins
- Sheila Lukins' All Round the World Cookbook, 1994
- USA Cookbook, 1997
- Celebrate!, 2003
- Ten: all the foods we love and ten perfect recipes for each, 2008
External links
- Sheila Lukins biography on StarChefs
- Sheila Lukins, 66, Dies; Awakened Taste Buds, obituary by Julia Moskins in The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, August 31, 2009 - Obituary by the Associated PressAssociated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
- Sheila Lukins: Cookery Writer Who with Her Partner Julee Rosso Changed the Palates of Middle-Class America, The Independent, 10 October 2009