Sheila Lukins
Cookbook Author
Sheila Lukins was one of America’s best-known and best-loved food writers until her death in 2009. She was also co-founder of the legendary Silver Palate in New York City. Her celebrated cookbooks—including The Silver Palate series and The New Basics Cookbook, both written with business partner Julee Rosso—introduced many Americans to Mediterranean and Eastern European cooking techniques. She championed rich ingredients and boldly seasoned cooking, in sharp contrast to the health-food movements of the 1970s. For 13 years, Lukins was the food editor of Parade magazine, taking over the position from Julia Child.
After her split from Rosso, Lukins published more books, including Sheila Lukins’ All Around the World Cookbook and Celebrate! When combined, Lukin’s solo work and the titles she co-authored sold 7 million copies by 2009.
Credited with creating the trend of upscale prepared foods dubbed “carry-out cooking,” Lukins may be most remembered for her signature recipe, Chicken Marbella. In 2017, we included Lukins and Rosso in our list of the 100 Greatest Home Cooks of All Time.
