Sheila Lukins is one of America's most prolific cookbook authors. More than 25 years ago, she published The Silver Palate Cookbook, which introduced the boomer generation to upscale at-home cuisine. In addition to publishing other blockbuster cookbooks, Lukins has edited the food pages of Parade magazine for over 20 years.

I had a chance to enjoy breakfast with Sheila on a sunny Saturday morning, while she was on tour for Ten, her latest (and seventh!) cookbook. Over coffee, she offered her best tips for home cooks, and talked about the ever-so-controversial seasonality issue. To see more of what she had to say, read more

A girlie, rose-colored cocktail is the perfect way to kick-start a girls weekend getaway. If you're spending a couple of hours in the car, a drink upon arrival is necessary! Select a champagne cocktail — like this recipe for a Prosecco Royale — and make a toast to have a fabulous time together. A fresh cranberry-infused simple syrup provides the brilliant color. To allow time to chill, make the syrup the night before the trip. Don't be afraid to ask your friends to pitch in. Tell each girl to bring several bottles of a certain type of wine. That way, there will be plenty to go around. To look at the Prosecco Royale recipe, read more

Actress Gwyneth Paltrow's career may be headed away from the silver screen. The movie star is set to pen her first book, a cookbook, to be published in 2010.

Publishers Janklow & Nesbit have described the cookbook, entitled My Father's Daughter, as one that "focuses on the importance of togetherness at mealtime, emphasizing that cooking for your family is the ultimate expression of love."

In her tome, the movie star will undoubtedly pay homage to her late father, Bruce Paltrow. Last year, she told Us magazine that she was experimenting with favorite family recipes.

"My dad was an insane pancake maker," she said. "I'm just working on a recipe right now. I'm adapting it to make mine slightly more healthy."

Paltrow abandoned her famously stringent macrobiotic diet when pregnant with daughter Apple, and admitted that she "couldn't look at brown rice. It made me throw up." Last year, the actress starred in a documentary series, Spain . . . On the Road Again, with celebrity chef Mario Batali, and the two traveled the Iberian Peninsula, sampling regional Spanish cuisine. Around the same time, the actress also launched an online lifestyle newsletter, entitled Goop, which includes seasonal recipes and the star's favorite places to dine.

What do you think of the news? Would you pick up a copy of My Father's Daughter to try out some of the actress's original recipes?

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Recently I participated in a "quickfire challenge." I was asked to concoct an amuse-bouche for 20 people. However, I didn't know anything about the group I was feeding, so the bite had to be vegetarian with universally liked ingredients. It had to be easily transportable, something that could be made in advance, and was representative of my cooking personality. The kitchen where I was to prepare the appetizer has a microwave and small toaster oven.After much deliberation, I finally decided to make these Spanish olive and cream cheese canapes because the three components — crisp toasts, a cream cheese mixture, and grated Parmesan cheese — were easy to prepare the night before the challenge. Luckily my hard work paid off: the final result was excellent! The one-bite toasts were crisp, salty, cheesy, and delicious. They would be a scrumptious start to a cocktail party or romantic dinner. Learn how to make them when you read more

At the Food Fete that Party and I attended a few weeks ago, we ran into some representatives from Pizza Hut, who revealed that the fast food chain would be introducing yet another pasta to its delivery lineup: lasagna. After the intriguing taste test results of our Pizza Hut pastas, I was looking forward to giving the lasagna ($14.99) a try. It's impossible to go too wrong with any dish made of pasta, tomato sauce, and melted cheese. To check out more pictures and find out what I thought, read more

Calling all vegetarians who love spicy food: this recipe is for you. It combines Asian flavors like fresh ginger and soy sauce with crunchy vegetables and sautéed tofu. Red pepper flakes provide heat while lime juice adds tartness.

For a heartier meal, serve over white rice. If you are allergic to peanuts, simply omit them from the dish. Check out the recipe when you read more

Burger King is continuing its strategy of adding petite-sized, lower-cost items to its menu at a time when food prices have soared but consumers are strapped for cash.

The fast food chain announced today that it will roll out new burger and breakfast "shots," or burgers in miniature sizes.

The sliders will come in a two-pack ($1.39) and a six-pack ($4.09) and will consist of a flame-broiled patty, ketchup, mustard, and two pickle slices, sandwiched between a plain bun. The fast food chain is also revving up its breakfast menu with BK Breakfast Shots. The breakfast sandwiches, which are available in a two-pack ($1.49) or a four-pack ($2.89) during the store's breakfast hours, contain egg, a "smoky cheese sauce," and a choice of ham, bacon, or a sausage patty.

This is probably another attempt by Burger King to offer smaller portions at higher prices, but I'm a sucker for all things mini, so I'm bound to buckle and buy some of the breakfast shots. What do you think of this addition to the menu?

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We love Slashfood so much that every Thursday we round up their most delicious stories. Here are this week's finds:

• Reach for a homestyle garlic pickle: it might change your life.
• This printer — which recycles used coffee grounds — could be the wave of the future.
• Would you ever give balut a try?
• Take a virtual walk down the aisles of Genoa's Mercato Orientale.
• New chicken trackers clue consumers in on where their poultry came from.

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