Since I collect cookbooks and have hundreds that will be a bit hard but what I decided to do was try to get the top 10 that appeal to me. Some of these books have several in a series that I collect all or almost all of . So what I decided to do was put the top book as my favorite for you then list the books in the series after with a lil bit about each too. This blog tho will count as one in a series of 10 blogs on cookbooks.


The Silver Palate Series

What I love about this series of cookbooks is that theres something here for everyone. Each one of these books covers a need. If you have them all your all set for anything. Theres lots of ideas for entertaining in them, tons of recipes and lots of creative uses of new ingredients. Even with every day cooking they put a lil twist on it and make it new. Anyone who cooks alot for parties and friends will appreciate the ideas in here and will get tons of praise for whatever you make from them. When I'm stuck for ideas for a dinner or party, these books are where I start looking.


The first one is "The Silver Palate Cookbook". I bought this one years ago when I first started cooking in a restaurant. I was looking for new ideas. This book is one Ive come to love over the years when I need to plan a class or plan a party. Its a good classic book for those who can cook but look for different things that are not over the top impossible to do but still will impress. Ive never made anything bad from it. Over the years they have put out a few more books too and I had to have them all. This series is a good basic series for those who just want a few books nothing more. There are thousands of great recipes and ideas in them all. I have the original but now there's a new 25th anniversary volume out.

SILVER PALATE COOKBOOK

First published in 1982, The Silver Palate Cookbook was an instant smash. It offered 350 stylish but easy recipes that reflected and helped cement America's burgeoning interest in quality cooking. It acquainted cooks with "gourmet" ingredients, just beginning to appear in our markets. And it helped many a host to shine.

The collection, whose recipes range from hors d'oeuvres to sweets, now arrives in a 25th-anniversary edition, which reproduces the original text and adds color photos throughout, often dropped into the text pages. All the old favorites, including Marinated Eggplant Livia, Chicken Marbella, Blanquette de Vaeu, and Blackberry Mousse are present, along with information about ingredients, menus, quotes, and other asides--all the things that help make the book such a pleasure. It's hard to imagine a cook--and especially one who entertains--not owning Silver Palate. This printing, which includes a retrospective foreword, offers more satisfaction still while reiterating the reasons for the book's enduring appeal.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THE NEW BASICS
While it won't tell you how to boil an egg, Lukins and Rosso's The New Basics has proved itself a modern classic, fit to reside on your shelves next to The Joy of Cooking and The Fannie Farmer Cookbook. Aspiring chefs can use this 850-page tome to plan their next cocktail party (try the Raspberry Dip with Crudites), make brunch for the in-laws (how about Smoked Salmon and Leek Frittata and a Chicory and Bacon Salad?), or even bake up a batch of Pinwheel Cookies for the office. The "basics" include tips for entertaining, a glossary of cooking and wine terms, suggestions for a well- stocked pantry, and instructions on how to pick the best seasonal ingredients. Menus and delightful culinary quotes are sprinkled throughout the book, and the chatty tone will inspire confidence in every kitchen.

Since they have sold the store, Rosso and Lukins could hardly call their new book The New Silver Palate Cookbook , but that, in essence, is what this is. It's a huge cookbook/reference work, filled with information on new ingredients and styles of cooking, practical advice on such subjects as entertaining and choosing wine, and more than 900 recipes. There are all sorts of dishes here, family favorites as well as company food, recipes that seem fresh and new but not, in general, overly trendy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GREAT GOOD FOOD
Julee Rosso, the co-author of The Silver Palate Cookbook brings us the cookbook for the '90s, focusing on today's number-one food-health concern: reducing fat. Rosso offers a broad collection of more than 800 delicious and easy, new recipes and a treasure trove of nutritional information, gardening and shopping tips, seasonal and international menus, and food history and lore.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THE SILVER PALATE GOOD TIMES COOKBOOK

From the authors of The Silver Palate Cookbook (2.2 million copies in print), here is The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook. This time the authors focus on entertaining company and making any occasion special with the right ingredients and imagination.
With the same spirit and culinary daring that catapulted the first Silver Palate Cookbook into over 700,000 homes, the Good Times Cookbook, brings to each season a sense of the memorable. Dinner a deux becomes a fireside clambake. Spring is heralded with early cherves, curry bread, glasses of Chablis. Summer sizzles with swordfish barbecue, while autumn refreshes with wild mushroom forays and the crunch of favorite nuts. And to round out the year, there's the splendid formality of Broiled Oysters with Arugula Purse and an elegant Dacquoise.

Throughout, Sheila Lukins's charming illustrations highlight the more than 450 recipes, menus, and unexpected pairings. Sidebars and marginalia resolve the dilemmas of modern entertaining-whether Beaujolais is lusty enough for lamb, which cheeses start a meal and which end it with a flourish, how to make the presentation of food as lush as the taste.
This is a great accompaniment to the original Silver Palette Cookbook. The emphasis here is on entertaining, so the recipes are frequently more formal and serve larger quantities. The book is arranged seasonally with proposed menus (i.e. a Kentucky Derby party, mid-winter skiing holiday). You'll get great ideas for parties just looking through the book. Plus, there are lots of great tips on planning a party and cooking for a crowd.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CELEBRATE!

There are 43 themed events with 350 recipes all showing color photos organized into two main sections: A Year of Celebrations, with a dozen of the more classic events e.g. New Year, Seder, Mother's Day, etc., and the second: Celebrating Our Lives, bridal shower, graduation, cuisine & culture outings, e.g. India, morocco; and ingredient feasts such as a blueberry breakfast. There are also adequate sources, bibliography, conversion tables and a nice index. The servings are hefty, sometimes for 24, 8, 2, 16. Buffets, pool party, sit down dining room, beach, etc. venues well covered as well.
This book by veteran cookbook author Sheila Lukins is an excellent cookbook for the home cook who likes to cook and to entertain, but who is not a foodie who does not want to spend a lot of time pulling recipes from books by celebrity authors or the `Joy of Cooking'.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SHELIA LUKINS ALL AROUND THE WORLD COOKBOOK

Turn the more than 500 pages of this latest cookbook by Lukins ( The Silver Palate Cookbook ), and one grows almost giddy. From Argentinian barbecue to Mexican zarzuela, she includes nearly every incarnation of the international and edible. True, many cookbook writers are well-traveled, but few set out, as Lukins did, to create a cookbook with the feel of a travel album: illustrations and sidebars along make the volume a fascinating jaunt. Through conversations with home cooks and professional chefs in 33 countries, Lukins researched the ways that people cook and eat abroad, adapting cross-cultural recipes to American kitchens with flair. The table of contents clues us in to the breezy, chatty style of its author: breakfast foods are clustered under "Room Service," while appetizers and aperitifs fall under "Wish You Were Here." No attempt is made to cluster all the recipes from a region together, which helps to give the text its considerable charms. Chicken soup, for example, is presented in a chart, tabulating 22 countries' versions of this classic.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

USA COOKBOOK
Sheila Lukins's USA Cookbook celebrates American cooking as seen through the enthusiastic eyes of one of the nation's most popular cooks and successful cookbook authors. The 600-plus recipes in this hefty book include exuberant versions of American classics like tomato soup and chocolate pudding, and updated takes on classics, inspired by dishes Lukins sampled at food festivals, restaurants, and in homes she visited all over the country. Lukins also shares recipes gathered from eateries whose specialties are the gold standard, including Sonny Bryan's Onion Rings from Kansas City, Missouri, Goode's BBQ Mop from Houston, and Blue Wally Pancakes from Al's Breakfast in Minneapolis, to name a few. Shaker Cranberry Brisket, Chili Chicken Salad, and Low Country Bread Pudding are more examples of Lukins in top form, adding her own creative yet comfortable and crowd-pleasing twists to classic regional dishes.
Use this book when cooking for company and to add a lift to family meals. Without leaving you buried in the kitchen, whatever you make will add a soupcon of sophistication--and gain compliments for the cook.

******************************************************************************

ASPARAGUS WITH TOMATOES AND PINE NUTS

I decided to post one of my families favorite asparagus dishes. I found it in this cookbook many years ago. I tried to find it online to show you the cover but apparently its been reprinted so many times. My cover, I couldnt find online so I had to scan my own copy. Then I looked thru it. OMG Ive been using it and writing in it and messing it up for yrs and now I find out I HAVE A FIRST EDITION!!!!!! grrr Oh well theres nothing I can do about it now. This was printed in 1985, the yr. after I moved here. This is one of those cookbooks that has simple Italian foods but tons of flavor. I love it.

ASPARAGUS WITH TOMATOES AND PINE NUTS Serves 6-8 as a first course


2 lb. thin asparagus
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced fine
1 shallot, peeled and minced fine
2 tb. pine nuts

Simple Virgin Dressing:
1/4c fruity olive oil
1tb. balsamic vinegar
2 tb. roughly chopped basil
Coarse salt

Blanch the asparagus in a lg. amt. of boiling water in a lg. pot for 5-7 min. or till tender yet firm to the bite. Plunge immediately into a lg. bowl filled with ice and water. When asparagus feel cool to the touch, remove from water and drain. The asparagus may be cooked the day before serving. Refrigerate covered with a damp cloth.

When ready to serve , combine the tomatoes, shallot, and pine nuts in a small bowl and moisten with a bit of the Simple Virgin Dressing. To make the dressing whisk oil and vinegar together in a small bowl. Add basil and sprinkle the salt over . stir in.

Spoon the tomato mixture across the center of the asparagus in a stripe. Just before serving, pour rest of dressing over. Vinegar discolors asparagus so wait till serving to pour it all on.

***My own version of this: I double everything but the asparagus. We love the dressing, tomatoes and pine nuts but this recipe just didn't make enough to have a bite with all that asparagus. If theres any left , Ill eat it the next day for lunch, I don't care if the color isn't bright. It tastes yummy!

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE

I love Junior League cookbooks. They are usually well tested recipes compiled by the Junior Leagues themselves ,of course to raise money. But many of these have become award winners.

I chose this one because altho its an older book, many of the recipes are typically Californian and awesome.This is one of my favorite recipes from this book. Ive made it many, many times.
PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE MAKES 1 9in. cake

Crust:
3/4 c.graham cracker crumbs(about 12 single crackers)
1/2 c. ground pecans
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. butter, melted

Filling:
3/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. pumpkin puree
3 egg yolks
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground mace
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 lbs. cream cheese, softened
6 tb. granulated sugar
1 egg plus 1 yolk
2 tb. whipping cream
1 tb. sifted cornstarch
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. lemon extract

Whipped cream and whole pecans for garnish

To prepare Crust: Combine all ingredients and mix well, coating crumbs completely with butter. Pat crumb mixture firmly into bottom of a 9in. springform pan. Place in freezer while preparing filling. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To prepare Filling: Mix 3/4c. sugar, pumpkin puree, 3 egg yolks, cinnamon, mace, ginger and salt in a bowl. Set aside. With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and 6 tb. sugar till smooth. Add the egg plus egg yolk and the whipping cream. Mix again till smooth. Add cornstarch and blend well. Add vanilla and lemon extracts. Mix again till very smooth. Add spiced pumpkin puree to cream cheese mixture. Mix until no traces of white remain. (The smooth texture of this cheesecake depends on the thorough mixing.)

Pour filling over crumb crust in springform pan. Bake 45 min., or until sides have risen. The center will be somewhat soft. Remove from oven. Cool to rm. temp., then refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Run knife around edge of pan and release the sides. Remove cheesecake from pan bottom. Garnish with whipped cream rosettes and pecans.

A 9/11 Tribute from a foodies point of view

I'm tired of the sad and ugly side of all this. I wanted to remember good memories on this day. Long ago I bought the Windows on the World Cookbook because I had been there and it was such an awesome place. Its hard to come by this cookbook these days so apparently I have a collectible, but I would never sell it.

From Publishers Weekly This cuisine is as haute as the location of the restaurant complex known as Windows on the World, situated at the top of Manhattan's World Trade Center. Delicate portions of such fare as scallop of salmon with soy beurre blanc and azuki sprouts, and sauteed Hudson Valley duck liver with truffles, exquisitely presented in color photos, will delight the gourmet. Zraly, wine director of Windows on the World, which stores 60,000 bottles on its premises, guides the reader through the intricacies of wine selection with refreshingly down-to-earth humor. His Ten Commandments of Wine and Food include: "Thou shalt not take out a second mortgage on thy home to enjoy a good bottle of wine." The graphics are as fresh and light as the food, with New Yorker cartoons added for spice. Executive chef Reiner, who inflexibly uses ounces and pounds rather than cups and tablespoons ("Every serious cook has a food scale at home") may have a point: only serious cooks will attempt many of these dishes; others may prefer to make reservations at Windows.


I add this to my collection of my top ten favorite cookbooks. Apparently its not very available anymore. I couldn't find a picture online so I had to scan mine. I bought this cookbook many yrs. ago because I went to Windows of the World restaurant atop the World Trade Ctr. I simply adored that restaurant. It had a great view, great service, great food and wine. Yes it was expensive and yes it was a treat. But its a treat Ill never forget as long as I live. YES, this place was that SPECIAL. For those of you that have had the pleasure of eating there, you were lucky. For those of you who never got there......you missed one of the great wonders of the world.



I decided to do a special blog for 9/11. It of course saddens me like it does everyone for what happened. But its the day after my birthday and every yr. now they show days and weeks of the tragedy and it depresses me so much. I just cannot watch it. I cry still every time I see the buildings fall. My footsteps along with millions of others were there. I have seen other things happen in the world ,but this became personal to me. I have been there many times. I adored every meal I ate there. The views were none like anything I have ever seen. To eat dinner looking out a window that is so high up that airplanes fly below you is strange and beautiful. Looking out the window looking over all of NYC, especially lit up at nite was wondrous.


So I wanted to do a different blog for this. One of good memories. Not all of us want to remember all that happened over and over again. It doesn't mean we forget. It doesn't mean we don't care but I believe in finding the positive in everything that happens. I cannot see the positive in reliving watching all this over and over. We must be the Phoenix that rises from the ash and move on ....even better. I have good memories of this building and NYC. I don't want to forget that.

I was there once when they tried to put up the inflatable King Kong on the Empire State Building. There I sat, it was across from me while I ate. And there was King Kong flapping in the breeze because they couldn't keep him inflated lol.



We have slipped the hostess extra cash to get us a seat by the windows. Its really high up.....I mean scary high up but I loved it!! We did this once and had a few others with us who .....didn't want to sit there after we gave them extra to get the seat. I took their seat then and we stayed. It didn't bother me. And I have a fear of heights too but somehow sitting there.....its like a picture .....or a movie. It didn't feel real so it didn't scare me. Ill always remember it.



We have taken clients there from other countries too for business, but we have gone there mostly for just the pleasure of it all. We went once in a limo with my brother and his girlfriend and his buddy and his girlfriend since all of us girls had a birthday the same month, as a special treat. We stopped to get champagne to drink on the way up. I remember the driver stopping for gas and as we opened the back door, champagne bottles were falling out. Too funny. We had the most wonderful dinner that nite, topped off by dancing in NYC at a club called Tuesdays. It was a special nite that Ive never been able to do like that again.



Ive always loved food altho I wasn't always a chef or maybe I was I just didn't know it! But one dinner there I had was Venison medallions with pomegranate seeds. I love venison so whenever its on a menu Ill order it. This was simply delicious, tender, with a sauce I thought was perhaps a demi glace and sprinkled with pomegranate seeds. I wanted that recipe. Now you have to understand this place wasn't like your every day restaurant. We had waiters and then a Capt. (and plan on tipping everyone too!) I asked the waiter if it would be possible to get the recipe for me. The poor man looked at me in Horror! He wandered off and I figured uh oh.........ain't gonna happen. ....sigh. The Captain returned and we talked. I told him Id like to know how to make this, I have an idea and its sooooooo yummy. Would the chef perhaps give me the recipe? The Captain also looked a bit freaky but said they were really busy at the moment and when there was a lull he would try to ask. Again I figured.......ain't gonna happen. But it did! It was sauteed venison medallions topped with a venison demi glace as I suspected. I thanked him for the info and told my ex better tip him good he just did battle with the chef, and then I laughed.

I don't live on the east coast anymore but my family does. Whenever I would fly home I would know I'm almost there by looking out my window on the plane looking at the skyline . When I saw those big towers I knew I was home. Newark airport is just across the water from it. The first time I flew home after all this .......out of habit I looked for it. There was this big gaping hole where it used to be and I started to cry. Even now as I type this ......I have tears. It meant home to me. Even tho I lived in NJ. you could see those towers from all around the area. My brother works in Newark, NJ. He was there that day and was horrified at what he saw. They sent all the employees home that day. Even my dad who lived an hr. from there could see the smoke from it where he lives.



This was a hard blog to write because while I was strolling online for great pictures of my memories all I could find were tons of the tragedy and it just brought tears and sadness. So enjoy the pictures because that is all gone now and all we have is pictures. And know that this was an awesome place in this world. So in honor of this tragic day I am posting the only chicken recipe I could find in this cookbook. I guess when folks came to the restaurant they wanted things that were very special and chicken didn't sell well.

(I do special Chicken Tuesday blogs on another site, this was todays blog there.)

SAUTEED CHICKEN WITH WALNUTS AND BROCCOLI SERVES 2-3

1 lg. stalk of broccoli
2 double chicken breasts (4halves)
salt and pepper
1 oz. butter
1/2 oz. shallot, finely chopped
1 oz. brandy
4oz. walnut halves
12oz. heavy cream
1 0z. unsalted butter

1.Trim the broccoli close to the florets; use only the florets for this dish. Steam florets for 1min. and refresh in cold water; set aside.
2. Wash and pat chicken dry. Cut into large chunks. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
3.In an 8-10in. skillet, melt the butter over med. to high heat. Add shallot and chicken and saute quickly, browning the chicken. Add the brandy, let it warm for a moment then flambe'.
4.When the flame subsides, remove the chicken to a serving dish. Arrange the broccoli around the chicken. Place the walnuts in the skillet and cook 1min.
5.Pour in the cream and cook at a quick boil till the sauce is reduced to half. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the remaining butter.
6.Pour sauce over the top. Serve immediately.