(continued)

Julie:
I noticed that you didn't include a lot of fruit- or vegetable-breads, like banana bread or zucchini bread, which I think of as quintessentially American. Is that in the next USA cookbook?

Sheila Lukins:
There ARE breads! A wonderful zucchini-lemon bread and a banana bread with ginger bread spices - a brand new banana bread! Yes, yes, yes!

Jeremy(CuisineNet):
Did you notice any trends in American cooking that existed throughout the country?

Sheila Lukins:
For the trends, very high quality ingredients and tremendous pride in local ingredients...tremendous civic pride, consequently raising the quality of them. Lots and lots of farmers markets. Was there a biggest trend? Yes! One in particular -- at local and state fairs, country fairs, where I used to see many booths selling sodas and beers as beverages, now every other one was selling homemade fresh lemonade - that was the biggest trend! That's why I have three lemonade recipes in the book.

Ruby:
You really did your homework with the sandwiches in this book. Which are your favorites?

Sheila Lukins:
I have a number of sandwiches...which almost led me to open a luncheonette! Here's one: bacon, lettuce and fried green tomatoes. Another one has grilled Vermont cheddar, grilled tomatoes and thick-slice bacon drizzled with maple syrup grilled on rye bread! YUM! Then there's something called an aloha tuna club sandwich -- which is seared fresh tuna or grilled tuna and grilled pineapple instead of tomato and avocado between thinly-sliced peasant bread. And then you get a happy meal and a toy!

terryf:
Sheila, do you think of all the unusual ethnic ingredients that are available now throughout the US are having a profound impact on "American" cuisine? Which "exotic" ingredients do you like using in traditional American recipes?

Sheila Lukins:
Well, Terry, I'll tell you the truth -- I use them a lot in the All Around the World cookbook, but not in the USA Cookbook, where I tried to use American ingredients. I very purposefully didn't use them -- no lemon grass, no coconut milk. But I did use cilantro,because it's used in a lot of Southwestern cooking, in a lot of salsas -- so it was fair (it's the most ubiquitous herb in the world).

Kenny:
Sheila, I love your baked ham recipe with dried fruits and brown sugar in the Silver Palate Cookbook. Do you have new suggestions for baking ham?

Sheila Lukins:
For baking ham, I made a sweet raisin sauce, which is very nice.

Shanna:
Sheila, when you're in New York, do you have a favorite restaurant here?

Sheila Lukins:
I like The Lobster Club in New York, owned by Anne Rosenzweig, who also owns Arcadia. It's on 80th and Madison, and it's not really expensive. She's a great woman chef and her lobster club sandwiches are the best.