In the end, 106 Palisadians contributed 158 recipes filling 160 pages! The cookbook is spiral bound, printed in black and white with a full-color laminated cover, and includes appetizers, soups, salads and vegetables, rice and pasta, main dishes, breads, and desserts. Several Palisadians sent in photos of themselves in their kitchens, and Marika Hahn shared with us some of her beautiful illustrations.

From Grace Knowlton’s elegantly simple Creamed Spinach (19 words of instruction and five ingredients) to the beautifully complex Veal Prince Orloff submitted by Don Bracken (874 words of instruction and 34 ingredients), Pots and Pans covers all levels of cooking expertise.

There are a number of recipes that celebrate our individual heritages as well: Linda Jouas’s French Apple Tart, Al Perlmutter’s Challah, Miki Hyun’s Korean Barbeque Short Ribs, Tina Kister’s Tyropitas, and Carol Knudson’s German Red Cabbage.

We have a zucchini pie bake-off, AND a parade of meatballs from Swedish (Ernie Quick) to Greek (Jim and Marie Michaels) to good old American (thank you, Tracy Garrison!).

The cookbook is dedicated to Joe Hyde and Simon Gerard who inspired us with their creative cookery over so many years.

Alice Gerard and I are happy to be helping the Palisades Community Center by donating the proceeds of the book to help in their restoration campaign.

And what better way to celebrate Pots and Pans than to have a cocktail party! Our book publication party will be held at the Community Center on November 1, where, for $20, you can buy your very own copy of Pots and Pans to treasure! We’re hoping that everyone who contributed a recipe might seize this opportunity to show off their culinary skills (and get $10 off the entrance fee of $20)!