Ten

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

On Tuesday, I revealed what Barack Obama would be eating for his last supper before the big day. Many of you were impressed by the elegant-sounding menu — but in particular, you were dreaming of the dessert, a warm sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream.

Our stars must be aligned: for my favorite uncle's birthday last weekend, I made this dream of a cake from a recipe in Sheila Lukins's stellar new book, Ten. In case you didn't know, sticky toffee pudding isn't actually a pudding. Rather, it's a traditional British dessert that's made with date-flavored sponge cake and drenched in a toffee sauce. With its moist cake and gooey, syrupy caramelized sauce, this dessert is bound to catch on in the United States. To make this simple cake for yourself, read more

Sheila Lukins, food editor for Parade magazine and author of the The New Basics and The Silver Palate Cookbook, is known for her all-encompassing books, which are packed with reliable recipes for traditional American fare. Her seventh recipe collection, entitled Ten: All the Foods We Love and Ten Recipes For Each ($19.95), combines cooking expertise with an unconventional format: 32 chapters on her favorite foods, with 10 recipes for each. See what I thought of it when you read more