RIP Sheila Lukins

Sheila Lukins died yesterday of brain cancer at the age of 66. She, along with her partner Julie Rosso, was one of my foodie inspirations. Their Silver Palate cookbooks, with their cute Lukins-drawn illustrations and boldly-flavored, gourmet-style recipes, were at least a cut above my mom's home library of Better Homes & Gardens staples. The recipes also seemed more accessible than the ones I read in Gourmet and Cuisine (my all-time favorite food mag, btw). They were among the first cookbooks I devoured as novels, absorbing all of their recipes into my burgeoning culinary mind. Although I don't refer to her books much anymore, they still occupy a proud place in my cookbook collection.

Thanks, Sheila, for helping to kick-start my imagination.