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I used my Silver Palate cookbook (the first one) until it fell apart. I learned to cook in south Georgia (under my grandmother's tutelage) with an an exceptional education in traditional southern cooking, but with extremely limited access to (what we considered then) exotic tastes and foods. I moved to Atlanta in the early eighties and started to learn how much more was out there. Then, when I received the original Silver Palate cookbook as a gift, I was completely blown away. It combined my burgeoning love of new foods with interesting, simple ways to prepare them. It totally changed my way of thinking about cooking.

I have since SO MUCH enjoyed her collaborations with Julie Rosso, and have bought every book. "The New Basics" is a bible for me.

Sheila Lukins will sorely be missed.

I'm posting late, because I just joined, but I'm gonna post here anyway in case someone is interested! There are a bunch of recipes for tomato pie on the internet, but I think I have perfected the recipe (at least to my taste!). I work with a bunch of men at a cemetery, and I live here, too. I cook for them all the time. This is one of the things that they ask me for constantly.

Mix one package of Bisquick cheese and garlic biscuit mix (do not use the Martha White brand!) with enough milk to make a thick mixture to press in a 9" pie pan (about 3/4 of a cup). Press this into the well-greased pie pan (I use bacon grease, that's what we do in the south! plus it adds good flavor.)

Place enough fresh sliced tomatoes on top to almost fill the pie plate. Use the best you can find. I have been blessed this season to have a great source of wonderful heirloom tomatoes, good tomatoes make all the difference in this recipe. Sprinkle this with a chiffonade of fresh basil to taste.

Mix a cup of good mayonnaise with at least a cup of sharp cheddar and some chopped green onions. Spread this mixture over the tomatoes and basil. Top with more cheese, if you like, and bake at 350 for about 25-30 minutes. Let rest five minutes before cutting.

Hope you enjoy this as much as I do!

I'm from South Georgia, and my grandmother made this at every family meal.

Onion Pie

1 - 1 1/2 stacks Ritz crackers (depending on how thick you want the crust part to be, I use 1 1/2)

1/2 to 1 stick butter melted, depending on how much crackers you use. I don't measure anything -- use enough melted butter to make the crackers stick in the pie plate like a graham cracker crust.

Press this into a 9" pie plate, bake at 350 or so for 8-10 minutes. No need to cool before adding the filling. You don't even have to pre-bake, but it's crispier if you do.

For the onions, saute 2 pounds (or more if you really like onions) of thinly sliced sweet onions (Vidalia are the best, slice from root to stem end, if you slice crosswise the cooked pieces look like worms!) in a stick of butter (or less, it'll work, just stir more often to keep from burning) on medium-low heat for a pretty long time, stirring a bit along the way, until they are very soft and a little caramelized. Add some fresh thyme or other herbs (I've done it with rosemary and basil, thyme is the best to me) Salt and pepper, of course, I always forget to mention that.

Spread the caramelized onions into the ritz cracker shell. Top with a couple handfuls of shredded cheese (your choice). Bake until the cheese is melted and brown.

I make this way too often because it's so good but so fattening. But I think about my grandmother every time I make it, and it is such wonderful memories! If anyone makes it, I would love to hear from you!

Pam from Georgia