Celebrate!
DoesThe Silver Palate Cookbookring a bell? OrThe New Basics Cookbook? That's Sheila Lukins, with partner Julee Rosso, back in the days of making a major splash in the food world. What had been an upscale take-out shop became a brand, a series of books, and a line of specialty foods. Lukins went on to become food editor ofParademagazine. And she never slowed down on the cookbooks, producing on her ownAll Around the World CookbookandUSA Cookbook. Now her legion of fans can welcomeCelebrate!Like all the others, it's a big book: 350 recipes, 200 color photographs, 480 pages."I'm in the mood to celebrate," Lukins crows. "It's the kind of joyous mood that makes me happy to call friends and family and invite them over for good food, good conversation, and good cheer! It's the kind of mood that makes needing a reason to celebrate...." Should you find yourself banging around for a reason to celebrate, relax: Lukins provides 43 of them. She hits all the major holidays--Christmas, Mother's Day, Passover, Superbowl. And then she witches up come celebrations you probably wouldn't think up on your own--Celebrate India, for example, or Celebrate Fresh Blueberry Breakfast. This is a book of menus and clustered recipes, which is handy if you don't want to think through an entire meal. Nothing's too demanding, flavor remains the bellwhether, ingredients will be in easy reach. Piece of cake. Piece of Devil's Food Cake, for that matter. You'll find that along with Deviled Chicken Wings, Red Hot Short Ribs of Beef, Jicama Slaw, and Tangerine Sorbet when it comes time to Celebrate an Old-Fashioned Halloween.Sheila Lukins has always been one to point the way. Sure, celebrating with food and family and friends is obvious. But Lukins moves it all up to the next level, with bold splashes of color. If you make celebration a part of your everyday life, she's saying, you'll surround yourself with everything in life that's worth celebrating. Good food is certainly part of that living equation.--Schuyler Ingle