Product Description

Customer Reviews (7)

Goes way beyond most cookbooks
This cookbook is fantastic. Chef Gary's gregarious personality leaps off the pages: "Serves me and you (if you're lucky)." "Be warned, this slice of heaven is known to cause quickening of the heart and glowing of the soul." Be sure to read the part about how he got his start as a seafood chef. There are laugh-out-loud moments on every page.

The whole tone of the book is "helpful." Gary seems to sincerely want us home cooks to succeed. From to how to properly cut the cake you just spent hours preparing, to how to select scallops, to how ice cream scoops are sized -- he gives us the detail that ensures a flawless result. Many people are afraid to cook seafood: It's stinky, they don't know how to choose fresh fish, etc. Gary takes you by the hand and teaches you everything you need to know to prepare seafood with confidence.

I should note here that seafood recipes comprise about 90% of the book. The balance is side dishes and desserts. (One of the benefits of buying a chef's FIRST book is that it usually features his/her best recipes.) And a big plus: For every recipe, he suggests what to serve it with (which sides, which wine, or, if a dessert, which apertif). That's the big secret that other chefs never share -- or maybe they're just too lazy.

Finally, did I mention it meets the primary criterion of a great cookbook? You actually want to make everything in it. There's stuff for dinner parties, family style eating, or just a dinner for one (or two) at home. Nothing too hard or too elaborate, and everything eye-pleasing and delicious. A photo accompanies each dish, which seals the deal.

Excellant Book for experienced and beginning cooks
This is a great book that has recipes that anyone no matter what your cooking experience is can cook.The book is packed with delicious recipes that the whole family will love if they like fish.This is a must have book for all fish lovers.I use it often in my cooking to try new things.It is well worth the money.

Great recipes written with wit and charm!
I found this book to be down to earth, easy to follow and every recipe has been a success when served to guests or family.

Fantastic
This book is loaded with tips for anyone that loves to cook seafood. This book is a find !

A question! Barbecue/Marinara Sauces
First, I must say that I have just begun working with this cookbook.In reviewing it, I KNOW it has wonderful recipes that I am anxious to try! Yesterday, I made the barbecue sauce and served it over grilled salmon...it was fabulous! What I would like to know is the shelf/refrigerator life of the BARBECUE and MARINARA sauces...and the best way to store them (ie.jars, plastic bags, etc.).

My husband and I eat fish at least 3-4 time per week, so I am always happy to find more delicious recipes.Thanks for so many new, great
recipes for me to try!
... Read more

Product Description
In New Orleans, it's often been said that people don't eat to live; they live to eat. Famous for its culinary delights and the pride it takes in its diverse cooking heritage, this is a city of food and a city for food lovers. So, it makes perfect sense that New Orleanians, known for living in and savoring the moment, would glean such a multitude of delicious recipes enjoyed at thousands of dinner tables each night. In addition to dishes from today's best chefs, Wohl has added classic restaurants and establishments no longer with us. The inclusion of these establishments demonstrates how influential they have been and how favorite recipes continue to permeate today's menus, not only in New Orleans, but throughout the country. This gorgeously photographed book celebrates the city's renowned seafood and shares how to make these great recipes. The 45 recipes compiled feature signature dishes, accompanied by history, stories, and photographs to make cooking New Orleans-style just what dining New Orleans-style has always been-an unforgettable, unmatchable experience. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

I am addicted to this cookbook collection...recipes for the "signature" dishes at top restaurants, done easily at home
Okay, I don't have the full collection yet so maybe I shouldn't say I am addicted to the collection...but I have three now (Dallas desserts, Savannah Seafood, and New Orleans Seafood) and I consider them a go-to for gourmet. I chose the ones I did because 1. I spent most of my life in Dallas and can attest to the wicked desserts in restaurants there, 2. Seafood is my meat of choice and 3. see number 2.

So...back to this one. New Orleans, just like all the cities they chose to do the collection from, is known for some great cooking...fine seafood and fine food in general. So the author went to some of the most popular restaurants in the area and must be one smooth talker, because the book apparently contains the recipes to their "signature" dishes.

What's different about these recipes though is that often in my cookbooks I'll see someone get a signature dish and it just has some crazy ingredients or difficult prepartion steps or something else that just makes the reader certain the restaurant didn't REALLY want you to cook it on your own. Not true here...easy to follow, normal ingredients but gourmet enough that this is a reach-for when planning a dinner party or just a really tasty family night in.

A sampling of some good ones:
Melange Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes
Galatoire's Crabmeat Maison
Franky and Johnny's Crawfish Pie
Arnaud's Restaurant Oysters Bienville
Emeril's Barbecued Shrimp
Upperline Fried Green Tomatoes with Shrimp Remoulade
Cochon Catfish Courbouilon
Commander's Palace Pecan Encrusted Trout
Grace Bauer Seafood Gumbo

and a whole chapter of seasonings!

That's just a sample.You get the idea.

Like photos? Then you are in recipe heaven. Every dish is shot up close like a peace of artwork. No need to use your imagination on how to serve a thing.

Know going in: For those who want nutritional information, it doesn't have that so you should know...but, at least for us, this is a gourmet night cookbook or dinner party cookbook because they really are restaurant quality dishes. But, really, the recipes are easy enough for any night, I guess. For that, and because no matter what sauce I use on seafood I don't feel quite so guilty because...it's just going on seafood afterall...(grin)I don't mind a bit not having nutritional in spite of the fact I am an obsessive calorie counter typically. I also, however, believe in moderation! :-)

Conclusion: With a focus primarily on crab, shrimp, crawfish, oysters, finfish and seasonings, if you are a lover of the above, (and we are) the food is five star. I love this one in my collection.

Simply delicous to read and use!
The seafood dishes I've made are delicious with easy directions to follow, and wonderful flavors of New Orleans. The photographs are fabulous and let you see what the dish should look like - something I really appreciate. The little stories with each recipe about the restaurant and the chef make it fun reading even if you're not cooking. I bought one as a gift and enjoyed looking at it so much, I went back and bought one for myself.

The Very Best
My New Years resolution was to learn to cook the wonderful foods of New Orleans. I have purchased many cookbooks and tried many recipes. This is the greatest New Orleans cookbook ever. Kit gives the history of many restaurants and chefs before and after Katrina. You will find it fascinating. The recipes are wonderful. Pictures beautiful. This is a must if you enjoy New Orleans and New Orleans food.

A Fresh New Look at Seafood
Chefs from iconic restaurants - uptown, downtown, back of town - daily elevate fish and shellfish from basic boiled beauties to traditional (and untraditional) classics. Trout Meunière can make you sob. Soft-shell crabs seem like crispy clouds. Speckled trout, shrimp, pompano, and redfish come blackened, broiled, grilled, sautéed, steamed, sauced and sassy as all get out. These are their recipes refined to be made easily at home.

The recipes in this book demonstrate how the low, the high, and the in-between coexist in a dining world that ranges from blue jeans to black tie. With taste buds to match.The photographs make it easy to duplicate these dishes at home, they are fabulous and lick-the-page wonderful. A must for every kitchen. ... Read more

Product Description
As more and more people search for a healthy lifestyle and diet they are discovering the refreshingly simple cuisine of the Mediterranean. Depending on fresh produce, such as tomatoes, aubergines and garlic, combined with olive oil and herbs such basil, coriander and mint, the food of this region is exuberant, colourful and intensely beneficial to good health. From her extensive travels, Claudia Roden has collected over 150 of her favourite recipes, each one capturing the essential qualities of the region. The Mediterranean diet - high in fibre and low in saturated fats and sugars - emphasizes the use of a wide range of vegetables, grains and pulses. Claudia Roden's vegetarian recipes will satisfy every palate, while a chapter on Fish and Seafood will appeal to those who are not completely vegetarian. All Claudia Roden's recipes are infused with her lifelong passion for Mediterranean cooking - her selection of fruit desserts completes this inspired collection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Super cookbook
This is my third cookbook by this author. _The Food of Italy_ is very good, and I have several time-worn favorites in _A New Book of Middle Eastern Food_. But since getting these two, my daughter and I stopped eating meat, and we were looking for a bit of culinary inspiration. Well, we have it in _Invitation_. My daughter was especially thrilled since the book is geared to exactly what we eat: veggies and seafood. The recipes are elegant, creative, uncommon, but completely doable. (If only we could get zucchini here in Taiwan!) They tend toward the light side - we avoid stodgy food when we can - using fresh ingredients artistically. This book had me daydreaming of home entertaining again, the kind with style and flair. Some of the recipes that grabbed my attention: Lentil and Spinach Salad, Spicy Walnut Paste, Brown Lentils and Rice with Caramelized Onions, Couscous with Roast Vegetables, Eggplant Omelet, Salsa Verde, Fish Soup with Saffron and Cream. We try to avoid sweets, but there is a seductive photo of Sauteed Fruit with Almond Custard that sends out a siren call every time I open to that page (201, if you want to stop there first). The book includes expertly composed photographs, has generous margins and comfortable type, and is overall a high-quality volume as regards design, paper, printing, and binding. If any of this strikes a chord with you, this book should be a winner for you, too.

Very good but not completely Mediterranean
The book written by Ms. Roden is a very good book containing interesting recipes, but I do not consider it as Mediterranean. It is more North African. Olive oil, garlic and fish are the three thingns that symbolysethe region. They lack in the book. I hope that they will appear in the nextprintings. If needed; I am ready to assist with recipes.

Good but North African instead of Mediterranean
It is a very good book but it mostly reflects the North African kitchen. In the Mediterranean there are three things very common: olive oil, garlic and fish.These lack in the book. Excluding these it is very good.

Ifthere will be a secnd edition of this book, it must for sure be enrichedwith Mediterranean seafood recipes. It am ready to help.

Excellent Recipes, appetizing photos, reader friendly
This is one of the best vegetarian (mainly) books I have looked at lately.I haven't been cooking verymuch and this made we want to give a dinner party.In cookbooks, photographs are very important tome and the ones in this book are wonderful.I would give it an A+/ ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

the best ever-complete seafood cookbook
I stumbled upon this book at the library and decided I must own a copy.The book starts with an introduction to fish, moves onto scaling all types of fish and then teaches all types of preparation of fish. This is a complete cookbook which starts on the first course and on. If there is a way to prepare fish, this book knows it.There is not a fish missed in this book, even ones that I am not familiar with.The pictures are beautiful and very helpful.I am the type of person who loves to cook but needs pictures in cook books.I will always pass up cookbooks that have no pictures.I have found that sometimes the printed version is unappealing, but when accompanied with a picture, that actually changes my thoughts on trying that dish.

I would highly recommend purchasing this book for everyone who enjoys fish and those who don't, I think these recipes will change your mind! ... Read more

Product Description
From a star fishmonger, a unique cookbook and guide to healthful, eco-friendly seafood

Winner of the coveted IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals) "Cookbook of the Year" award!

Few people know more about fish than Paul Johnson, whose Monterey Fish Market in San Francisco supplies seafood to some of the nation's most celebrated chefs, from Alice Waters, Thomas Keller, and Michael Mina to Todd English, Daniel Boulud, and Alain Ducasse. Now, Johnson at last shares his peerless seafood expertise. Written for people who love seafood but worry about the overfishing of certain species as well as mercury and other contaminants, Fish Forever pinpoints today's least-endangered, least-contaminated, best-tasting fish and shellfish species. Johnson provides in-depth guidance on 70 different fish along with 96 stylish international recipes that highlight the outstanding culinary qualities of each. In addition to teaching readers about sustainable fishing practices, Johnson will be donating a portion of his royalties to Save Our Wild Salmon, an organization that works to restore wild salmon runs. Complete with over 60 beautiful color photographs, how-to tips, and fascinating sidebars, Fish Forever is a must-have kitchen resource for seafood lovers everywhere. A mutiple award winner, this great book also won the IACP's "Best Single-Subject Cookbook." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Great Resource
This book is invaluable for the knowledge you will gain about so many species of fish, and seems to be written with a very fair and balanced approach towards the importance of preserving the eco-system and not over-reacting.While I prefer my cookbooks to be a little more photo/lifestyle oriented, there is no doubt that the intent here is to inform, and it does a fabulous job of that.Great writing, and the recipes look good, if complex.

Great Recipes and Informative
This is a very informative, interesting book which includes excellent recipes for fish.My husband found this in the library and couldn't stop reading it.He finally requested his own copy for the recipes which we use frequently.The author is very knowledgeable and gives practical tips on purchasing and preparing fresh seafood.

Changed the way we eat...
I think of this as a food book more than a cookbook.It is a book about fish that has a few favorite recipes for each type of fish discussed.The recipes are very good.For example, I am known for my salmon glazes.But the simple tomato basil relish that Paul Johnson recommends has been requested by my wife every time we have had salmon since we got this book.But the philosophy of how to eat fish (which fisheries and and aquacultures to avoid) has changed how we buy fish as well (starting with the humble tuna fish salad sandwich).The index could be improved (e.g., try finding his discussion of farmed vs. wild salmon), not every type of commercial fish is listed and some of the species he discusses have never been seen at our local fish market.But the writing and recipes are both great. Now we just have to wait for the rest of the species to come into season.Highly recommended!

If you like fish you will love this book
Hated fish as a kid, but love it as an elderly guy.
I was fortunate to have an opportunity to fish commercially for salmon before the decline of the fishery.I steadily developed a great appreciation for seafood and the industry. I have not met the author, but I have heard about the good things he has done to support the fisheries.
I have his book, "Fish Forever" and have used this quide to prepare a variety of seafoods. It is a favorite reference.

Nice addition to culinary library
Would love to have seen more photos.Pleasant to read and to be used as a resource. ... Read more

Product Description
From the renowned food pages of The New York Times comes this authoritative, varied, and delicious seafood cook-book. Featuring more than 250 recipes for nearly 100 kinds of fish and shellfish, the book includes recipes for appetizers, soups, stews, salads, and main courses, along with essential techniques for poaching, steaming, roasting, frying, sauting, braising, and making stocks and sauces. Shopping tips are also included, along with sixteen pages of stunning photographs. Recipes come from the Times's veteran food writers, as well as Mario Batali, Tom Colicchio, Dave Pasternack, Mark Militello, Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, and other top chefs. Ranging from simple to sublime, recipes include: -Oysters with Asian Dipping Sauce -Malaysian-Style Ginger Crab with Chili Sauce -Red Snapper with White Asparagus -Smoked Eel with Warm Potato Salad -Classic Fish Chowders -Bouillabaisse -and many more.Amazon.com Review
Over the years, New York Times cookbooks have won fans for their wide and winning recipe range. The New York Times Seafood Cookbook, edited by New York Times food writer Florence Fabricant, upholds the tradition, offering more than 250 recipes for nearly 100 kinds of fish and shellfish, presented alphabetically, from anchovies and barnacles to squid and yellowtail tuna. Additional chapters treat caviar and smoked fish and mixed seafood dishes, such as bouillabaisse, gumbos, and noodle preparations. The recipes come from contributors including chefs Mario Batali, Tom Colicchio, Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, and Fabricant herself.

From a vast recipe selection, dishes like Malaysian-Style Ginger Crab with Chile Sauce, Saucy Scallops with Spicy Bacon Corn Relish, and Roasted Cod with Niçoise Vinaigrette typify the "modern" dishes, while Corn and Lobster Chowder, Southern Fried Catfish and Hushpuppies, and a particularly nice seafood paella, exemplify more traditional fare. This is food that works for many occasions and that most readers can prepare pleasurably. Particularly useful, however, is the book's introductory material, which presents a wide range of topics--on today's expanded seafood market, environmental concerns, and acquaculture, among them--in concise, up-to-the-minute form. The usual rules concerning shopping, portion size, cooking techniques and the like are here too, but receive particularly sensible attention. (The wise shopper, says Fabricant, knows how to substitute one species for another when the market lacks a planned-on choice, finding substitutes that behave similarly in the pan to unavailable types.) The book's alphabetical organization (each entry also features a species "profile") allows readers to find specific information without hunting. Illustrated with color photos, the book offers truly useful information as well as that wide recipe range, as welcome now as ever. --Arthur Boehm ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

very good
I took one star off the rating because although it is an excellent book for gourmet recipes, they are specific, usually more for intermediate to advanced cookers. I was more interested in everyday recipes, when I got this one. I wish someone wrote that it contains gourmet, distinct recipes. If you want good recipes for special days, this is excellent. Not exactly hard to make, but uses ingredients that we don't usually have in a regular house.

Very Good source of lots of standard fish recipes.
`The New York Times Seafood Cookbook', edited by Florence Fabricant, is easy to dismiss, as I was about to do when I saw the absence of any photographs and the thin material on general technique. This is especially true since there are so many excellent fish cookbooks available today, ranging from the concise, such as Mark Bittman's `Fish' and `James Beard's New Fish Cookery' to the profusely illustrated `Rick Stein's Complete Seafood' and the authoritative `Fish & Shellfish' from James Peterson, not to mention Alan Davidson's encyclopedic three volumes on fish of the Mediterranean, the North Atlantic, and Southeast Asia.

In spite of all this competition, our trusty newspaper of record has given us a very nice reference for many of the world's standard fish dishes. The book is comprised almost entirely of recipes published in `The New York Times' culinary columns over the last 40 years, with Times staffer contributions from the likes of Craig Claiborne, Pierre Franey, Mark Bittman, Amanda Hesser, Marian Borros, and a great many from Ms. Fabricant herself. There is also a special treat in the form of sidebar articles by the Times reporter extraordinare, R. W. Appel who, like so many other mainstream newspaper writers, most famously including H. L. Mencken, wrote more than a few articles on culinary matters.

The remaining recipes and articles have been contributed by a long list of famous chefs and culinary writers. One surprise is to find so many done by the team of Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby, most famous for their books on cooking meat, especially on the grill. Behind these, there several from Jacques Pepin, plus a smattering (one or two each) of recipes from Mario Batali, Tom Colicchio, Eric Ripert, Thomas Keller, Dave Pasternack, Mark Militello, and Nobu Matsuhisa.

As with so many books of this type, it is first divided into fin fish and shellfish chapters, further divided by species (or genus) of critter. Added to the recipes about particular beasts, there are very nice summary articles on fish cooking technique. These general articles tend to be oriented toward the experienced cook, due to the total absence of photographs. The whole tone of the book is addressed to someone who knows their way around the kitchen, as when the description of a `buerre blanc' takes just a few sentences, while the recipe fills over two pages in James Patterson's great text, `Sauces'.

While there are several very nice sidebars, the book is not overly chatty. The headnotes, when they appear, tend to be pretty terse.

One may think that the book may be just a bit dated, as it obviously contains material going back close to 30 years. And, some sidebars are dated, such as when the article on salmon says that farmed salmon has depressed the price of wild salmon. This is certainly no longer true, and it may have been wise for a copy editor to footnote these out of date statements. On the other hand, virtually all cooking advice is quite reliable. For example, while James Beard proclaimed the well-publicized Canadian research findings of cooking all fish for 10 minutes per inch of thickness, this book warns us that this is quite unreliable, and can lead to overcooked fish. Of course, it accurately points out that the entire American culinary world is especially careful to not overcook fish these days.

As I cited above, the primary virtue of the book is that it includes articles for many standard fish dishes, such as bouillabaisse, cioppino, blackened catfish, shrimp cocktail, clam chowder, gravlax, frutti de mare, Cobb salad, and nine (9) variations on mayonnaise as used in seafood dishes. In fact, the book has such an authoritative feel about it that it makes me feel much more at home with seemingly autre ingredients such as eels and bottarga.

Even though there are lots of standards, there are also lots of less common dishes, which prompt us to work with seafood in many more interesting ways. Of course, the very best thing about fish dishes is that they are almost generally quick and relatively easy, even the ones with the very long ingredient lists, such as bouillabaisse and cioppino.

If one wants a good general fish cookbook, one could do much worse than relying on this one, especially if you know your way around the kitchen. What is especially nice is the fact that it devotes itself exclusively to what you are most likely to find in your better fish stores and supermarkets. It does not spend much time on, for example scaling, gutting and butchering whole fish. For that, you can go to Rick Stein's book.

Why did I leave this book on my sehfl for so long?
I dont remember when I purchased this book... but I guess when I did, its lack of pictures didnt pull me in and it collected dust on my bookshelf.

Two days ago, I was going through my books and decided to thumb through it.I have since read it word for word cover to cover.The recipes all sound accessible, and wonderful.I have yet to make any, but can tell already that most will turn out wonderfully.(My first will be a salmon and beet tartar).

It has a nice introduction to each type of fish, followed by a couple of recipes for that type of fish.A couple of photos of a few of the finished dishes would have been nice, hence the 4 star rating instead of five.

There are some recent releases along the same vein as this book.. ie fish encyclopedia and what not, with lush photographs etc... but the New York Times recipes really seem to shine even without photos.But, if a photo heavy book is to your liking, then you should look elsewhere.

One other note I should point out, is that this book does tend to be 'East Coast' centric.. which would make sense considering its source.It is only noticeable because I live in los angeles, and you cant be further away from that side of the country than me.With the vast array of fishes in the book, you are sure to find a fish you would want to try.


So this book is a must buy for a person who loves different ways of fish cookery!

Breath-taking delicious book of recipes and hints
This book has some of the best recipes and hints for seafood and fish that I have run across in years. I am no expert in the kitchen (yet .. but this book may change that, at least when it comes to fish and seafood!) but I found the recipes to be simple, straight forward and easy to follow. (and their tips for what wines to serve were a bonus!)

Accompanied by articles and tidbits about the seafood or fish the book was a fascinating and informative read.. I first took it out of the library and by the time I was half-way through the book I was ready to go to this site and buy it ... which I did immediately.

Any novie or expert cook will find this a MUST HAVE on their shelf of cookbooks ... it will make you want to east fish daily (as I already do... but now in a more tasty fashion!)

The New York Times Seafood Cookbook: More Than 250 Recipes C
Excellent recipes; many more complicated than realistic for the home chef on a budget, but inspiring and mouthwatering never-the-less. ... Read more

Product Description
Mediterranean Seafood3rd Editionby Alan Davidson

Mediterranean seafood is a topic as vast as the riches of that fabled sea itself. Written by distinguished food historian Alan Davidson (author of The Oxford Companion to Food), MEDITERRANEAN SEAFOOD is a seminal work of culinary scholarship. The new edition catalogs edible marine life and provides identifications in a dozen languages and over 100 line drawings. Davidson puts knowledge into practice with 240 skillfully presented recipes, culled from cuisines throughout the region. Davidson’s work possesses the quixotic charm of the true enthusiast; his practical discussions are enlivened by touches of witty erudition that will delight those new to the subject, as well as readers steeped in the biology and culinary traditions of the Mediterranean. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great Reference, Great Read, Great Recipes. Buy it Now.
`Mediterranean Seafood' and `North Atlantic Seafood', both by noted culinary writer Alan Davidson, the author of `The Oxford Companion to Food' are reference books which a serious cook must have in their library where time is spent deciding on what to eat rather than time spend actually cooking. These books belong to a rare breed of books in English such as Elizabeth Schneider's `Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini' or `Bruce Cost's Asian Ingredients' which thoroughly cover a broad single subject or the `Larousse Gastronomique' which gives an overview of virtually every culinary subject, at least from the point of view of French cuisine.

Both books are organized in the same way that gives primacy to information on the aquatic species and secondary coverage of recipes.

Biological family, genus, and species organize the first part on the catalog of species in order that the biological similarity of the fishes is clearly shown. Each article gives the most common English name, the two part Latin scientific name, the scientist who assigned this name (most commonly the great inventor of biological Taxonomy, Linnaeus), the biological family name, and the common name of the fish in virtually every language of the major fishing nationality bordering the relevant body of water. The North Atlantic species, for example, are named in Portuguese, Spanish, French, Dutch, German, Polish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, and others such as Gaelic (Irish). The Mediterranean species' names are given in French, Spanish, Greek, Italian, Tunisian, Turkish, and others such as Bulgarian, Romanian, and Russian if, for example, the species is most commonly found in the Black Sea, which is included in the coverage of the Mediterranean. These names in themselves are entertaining to the linguistically inclined, as it is interesting to see the similarities and differences from country to country. For example, even though the Turks came to Asia Minor from central Asia, most of their names for fishes are very similar to the Greek name, making a lot of sense, as a traveling people is likely to name things new to them based on the names given by the indigenous population. The articles on every species also have a highly detailed black and white drawing of each animal. The great value to these is that it makes comparing the appearance of different fishes very easy, as every species is depicted in a similar style. It is too bad they could not be depicted to scale, but this would have had the sturgeon filling two pages while the anchovies would be the size of a period. Instead, the remarks on each fish give the average market length and a description of the typical color and markings.

The catalog entry also gives a paragraph or two on cuisine, which is a discussion of the culinary desirability of the species and typical ways in which the animal is prepared. For most fish, this includes methods by which the fish is butchered. The catalog entries also include a list of recipes and page numbers for these recipes in the second major section of the book.

The second major section divides recipes by country. The Mediterranean volume has chapters of recipes from Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, the Black Sea, and Northern Africa. The North Atlantic volume has recipes from Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Russia, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Canada, the United States, Scotland, England, Ireland, and Wales. France merits two sections, covering the southwest and the northwest. The US merits four sections, covering New England, the Middle Atlantic States, the Chesapeake, and the Carolinas and Georgia.

Other books, such as `Fish' by Shirley King seems to have copied this scheme, but seems to be much less successful in that not enough valuable information is packed into the catalogue to make it interesting enough reading to outweigh the annoyance of doing a two step search for a recipe on haddock, for example. The other side of the coin is that if you live in Maryland, you are much more likely to be interested in recipes from the Chesapeake than in recipes from Maine.

One is tempted to expect these recipes to be very generic and not as interesting as those you may find in books of `haute cuisine' from a fish specialist such as Eric Rippert. This is partially true. Davidson is less the great cook than he is a great writer on food. This means that while his recipes may come from common sources, he gives us much more information on the background of the recipes than the chef may do. Two perfect examples of this case are the recipes for bouillabaisse (French fish stew) and Maryland crab cakes. Davidson confesses to giving us something simpler than the `de luxe version', yet this simple treatment is entirely appropriate to the simple origins of the dish, before the gourmets got their hands on it. Similarly, the crab cake recipe has very few ingredients, mostly just crabmeat, seasonings, breadcrumbs, and enough egg to hold it all together.

The supplementary information tells much about the fish cuisine of both regions. The most interesting information is on the fact that while the Mediterranean is very shallow, it has relatively little continental shelf while the North Sea is practically all shelf, suitable to the spawning of young fish in shallow water. This does much to explain the popularity of the North Atlantic cod in peninsular Italy, virtually surrounded by water.

The bibliography shows that the author has based most of his material on local sources in native languages such as Polish, Turkish, and Portuguese. This may only help the multilingual scholar, but then it is the rare English culinary work that does this. One of the greatest things about these volumes is that all of this great material is available in trade paperbacks, which list for no more than $25.

These are must have books for devoted foodies!

A must-have classic
Just before his untimely death, this year, Alan Davidson received the highly prestigious Erasmus Prize for European culture, for his publications on food. This book, along with his Companion and other publications, is a classic. It is crammed full of useful and necessary information. The fish section describes a species, its latin name, and the names in various other languages in the region. The recipe section deals in an intelligent way with regional knowns and unknowns, such as a sencible discussion on bouillabaisse. Any serious library of cookbooks has to have Davidson's books, including this one.

Wonderful cookbook and reference
All the commonly-eaten fish and shellfish of the Mediterranean are coveredin this wonderful reference and cookbook.As in his Atlantic Seafood, eachanimal's entry includes an old engraving (better than a photo foridentification -- except for color), its scientific and common names invarious languages, a description of the animals habit's and culinaryqualities, and a reference to recipes.

Recipes are organized by country,and are well chosen and edited.The only criticism I might offer is thatit is hard to find recipes by type.That is, it's very easy to findrecipes for mackerel or recipes from Italy, but it's hard to find all thebaked-fish recipes suitable for a dark-fleshed fish.

A great book likethis should never be out of print!It's one of my favorite gifts forfriends in Greece and Italy.... ... Read more

Product Description

Meals that are naturally delicious, low-fat,and diabetes-friendly!
Naturally low in fat and packed with protein andhealthy omega-3 fats, seafood is a perfect choice forfresh meals that fit well into a diabetes meal plan.Unfortunately, most seafood cookbooks on the markettake what’s naturally a healthy ingredient and add heavycream sauces, fatty oils, or fried batters. The results areunhealthy meals packed with fat and cholesterol thatcould potentially wreck a diabetes self-care plan.With The Diabetes Seafood Cookbook, author BarbaraSeelig-Brown has put together over 100 meals thatdeliver seafood’s nutrition-dense benefits withoutskimping on taste. Brown has refined the art of coaxingdelicious meals from healthy ingredients, while keepingthe process simple and approachable. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Great cookbook!
The recipes in this book are excellent! The steps are very easy to follow and all ingredients are practical not those unusal impossible to find ingredients. The author puts the nutional values and exchanges - perfect for a diabetic. I especially like the "Cook's Tip's" throughout the book! The recipes I've made so far are all delicious.

Easy and delicious
I am not a gourmet cook but I really enjoy these recipes because they
are simple and straightforward.You can get the ingredients at any
grocery store and the author gives great tips on short cuts and substitutes.My husband and I love the Sole Genovese.

Fantastic Cookbook!
Fantastic book but misnamed.This is a book for everyone, not just diabetics.With excellent, healthy, tasty, easy to follow recipes, this book provides much needed diversity to cooking seafood.My only regret is that I have not had enough time yet to try all the recipes.Kudos to the author and the Diabetes Association for coming up with such a wonderful resource for the kitchen.

This is wonderful collection of healthy seafood recipes!
This cookbook packs in over 100 great seafood recipesand side dishes for people with diabetes, as well as those just looking to eat healthy food.

As a Registered Dietitian and Cerified Diabetes Educator I encourage my patients to include at least 2 fish meals per week.Many are intimidated to cook fish at home or are unsure of how to prepare it.I finally have a great reference to guide them to!!

You'll find the "Cook's Tips" packed with alternative ideas on how to prepare, purchase or serve the dish. Many of the recipes contain ingredients which are found in your pantry or fridge so it is easy to cook up a meal quickly.

Allof the recipes include nutritional information in exchanges as well as the carbohydrate grams for carb counting. Calories,fat, fiber, protein and sodium values make it easy to use these recipes when following any meal plan.

I have had the pleasure of tasting many of these delicious recipes in Barbara's cooking classes and my own home. EnjoyKathy Tigue, RD,CDE,MPA ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

For Those Who Love Seafood But Don't Cook It At Home
This is definitely more a technical manual than a cookbook. It's friendly writing style kept me interested while learning about the wide world of seafood though.

On the whole, this is a delightful book for anyone who wants to add more seafood to their diet. Where it lacks is on subjects that would make a good addition to the appendix. Substitutions are probably the one area I wish they covered more thoroughly. A table is listed in chapter 1 that does give you a good idea of which fish have the same texture. This comes in handy when selecting a fish that needs to stand-up to grilling or other types of handling. As for taste, I know you should always experiment and discover tastes of your own, but a table mentioning which fish were similar in taste would have been nice. Certain fish do mention in their individual descriptions what they can be substituted for but this is not always the case. I found the mention for substituting Tilapia for Snapper under the Tilapia description but not visa versa.

If you enjoy seafood and want to make it regularly at home, this is a good book to get you started. It's an enjoyable read with truly useful information.

Seafood Cooking For Dummies
I found this book lacked so much on seafood, shellfish type.It seems it was only written about the type of fish they liked.I believe it only has one or two recipes for scallops.When I got the book, I regreted buying it.

Not a Book for "The Rest of Us"
This is a bad book. I am a big collector and user of cookbooks and I find this one greatly lacking. The authors wrote about the seafood they like, mainly salmon and shrimp. They cover other seafood but in a very limited way. Recipes for ordinary fish like catfish, orange roughy, and flounder are all lumped together. Ordinary recipes are mostly ignored, and some of the recipes use weird and hard to get items. There is too much emphasis on novelty items like 100 gallon crawfish boiling rigs that only restaurants would have much use for. If you're looking for a quick and easy catfish stew recipe, you won't find it here. Nor a recipe for curried shrimp. If your supermarket stocks such things as sambal oelek, you're in luck. If you like recipes with 17 ingredients, here's where you'll find them. This seems to me to be an elitist, fancy cookbook for yuppies. If you're looking for a cookbook with easy, quick recipes to cook the seafood you can actually buy, this isn't it. Definitely not a seafood cookbook for "the rest of us," as the cover promises, unless you're a chef in an upscale restaurant.

Incredible
My wife and I had the pleasure of taking a seafood cooking class given by Leslie Beal Bloom in Memphis recently.She prepared six dishes from this book, each better than the one before.Naturally, we purchased this bookand now prepare seafood at least three times a week.I was recently toldby a physician that I needed to restructure my diet to lower mycholesterol. This book has made my new diet regime not only tolerable, butextremely enjoyable.I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants tolearn how to make healthy, tasty and incredible dishes that will impressall.

This book takes the fear out of cooking fish!
Finally! A cookbook that not only takes the fear out of cooking fish, but has lots of easy tips and techniques that puts some fun into it.We live on the Ottawa River near Pembroke, Ontario and it is renowned as one of thelargest wild catfish fisheries in Canada.This book provides someexcellent recipes - like Cornmeal Coated Snapper(or Catfish) with FreshCorn Salsa - that are absolutely delicious - and easy enough for even me.I've also made the Roasted Red Pepper Velvet and Mom's Basic Barbecue Sauceand have written out both recipes for our guests whohave requested them.That's success! A good, basic, easy to follow guide that's become a primaryreference in our kitchen. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Real Gulf Coast Cooking, Real Doggone Good
Gulf Coast Cooking is one of the five best Florida/Gulf Coast cookbooks out there. Well, that's my opinion. I've been updating my Amazon "So You'd Like to Guides" and I have one on Key Lime Pie. Take a look at it if you want. Anyway, I've included fifty cookbooks (the maximum Amazon will allow) in all my guides, so I've had a chance to go through my collection. And quite a collection it is, I've got hundreds of cookbooks and I go through them all the time. That's my problem, how to organize them. While going through what I wanted to include in my guides, I started separating them into piles, the ones I couldn't live without and the ones, if I absolutely had to, I could give away as gifts, you know, like if we moved into a very small place.

Gulf Coast Cooking is one I could never part with. I love the food and the atmosphere of Florida and the Gulf Coast, have spent a lot of time there, as I'm a sailing lady. I'm also somewhat of a gourmet chef. I spend a lot of time in the kitchen, or galley, depending if I'm at home in the States or on our boat in the Caribbean. The recipes here will make your family, or even just yourself, if you live alone, drool. They are mouthwatering good and that's the truth.

The BEST seafood cookbook ever!
I gave this cookbook to my mother as a gift shortly after it was published. Initially I thought it was just a beautiful coffee table book- the pictures are that good, but the recipes are even better. Over the years it has been borrowed by friends and family members constantly. Some of the recipes have even made their way to our favorite restaurants! A few of the recipes are time-consuming, but well worth the effort. One of my personal favorites is the last chapter on fish basics, rubs, sauces, and dressings. If there is one negative, the recipes are not categorized by main ingredients (like shrimp recipes), but by regions. Except that is the forte of this book, to highlight how different areas influence taste and flavor. If you're looking for a gift for that special someone who enjoys seafood and cooking, you just found it- period. It will be a instant treasure in their collection of cookbooks. Maybe there is one more negative, I can't seem to buy enough of them!

Gulf Coast Yum!!
I was standing in line to buy shrimp in Port Aransas and asked the lady next to me what she was going to make. She picked up a copy of Gulf Coast Cooking: Seafood from the Florida Keys to the Yucatan Peninsula that they had in the store and showed me a recipe for Shrimp with a green pepper sauce. I bought the cookbook on Amazon and have tried a new recipe every weekend since. This is the best seafood cookbook ever. Lots of different ways to cook shrimp and fish, sides, and many sauces. I can make something different every week and never get tired of seafood and we are eating something that is actually good for you. Well, unless you make some of the desserts like frozen key lime pie(really good), but gotta splurge sometimes.

Excellent source for authentic regional seafood recipes
A beautiful book filled with mouth-watering recipes and gorgeous photographs.One which will be treasured in your library for years to come. ... Read more

Product Description
This compendium of crawfish information offers biological facts and scores of home-style recipes. The Louisiana seafood industry--past and present--is discussed and a fascinating essay about a day in the life of a crawfisher is included. Jerald Horst has worked in the seafood industry and he and his wife have collected and tested crawfish recipes for decades. From the birth of the crawfish industry in the 1800s to present-day obstacles to commercial fishing, this encyclopedic cookbook provides an abundance of history as well as recipes, health information, and Louisiana culture. Highlights include the mudbug's popularity explosion in the 1950s, an illustrated guide to peeling the crustacean, and "Four Star" recipes for Crawfish Omelets and Delta Crispy Crawcakes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Excellent History of Crawfish
Everything you need to know about the history of crawfish as well as tried and true recipes. Must Have.

Louisiana Seafood Bible, The Crawfish
Very good book about everything crawfish from the begining of how they are raised, the process to bring them to market and finally recipes that end their lives being consumed. Great Book. Good recipes. I found the best seasoning to use in the recipes I cooked some crawfish in. I purchased their All Purpose Seasoning which is similar to Zataran's Creole Seasoning but much better. Their Steak seasoning cannot be beat. Check out [...]

An absolute must for any and all crawfishing cuisine enthusiasts!
Cajun country has always enjoyed a well deserved reputation when it comes to seafood in general, and crawfish-based dishes in particular. In "The Louisiana Seafood Bible: Crawfish", a 224-page, superbly illustrated compendium of 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes compiled by the husband and wife team of Jerald and Glenda Horst, also provides readers with an informed and informative essay on the history of the Louisiana seafood industry from its origins in the 1800s down to the problems and conditions confronting commercial fishing in the opening decades of the twenty-first century. Of special note is the wealth of information specific to crawfish as a species and the basic instructions concerning their handling and preparation. The recipes themselves range from Marinated Crawfish with Ginger; Corkern's Crawfish Cornbread; Crawfish Steak Sauce; and Crawfish Ragout; to Crawfish Medallions; Chinese Crawfish; Crawfish-Squash Dressing; and Microwave Crawfish Scampi. "The Louisiana Seafood Bible: Crawfish" is an ideal and highly commended addition to personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections -- and an absolute must for any and all crawfishing cuisine enthusiasts!
... Read more

Product Description
Fish and seafood are naturally full of vitamins and essential oils, making them a healthy substitute for meat.Fish is also quick to cook, making these dishes excellent for our busy, modern lifestyles.What's Cooking: Fish & Seafood contains 120 recipes, collected from around the world, offering mouth-watering ideas from a lunchtime snack to a tasty evening meal. ... Read more

Product Description
People travel from far and wide to taste the fresh and delicious seafood served at Uncle Bubba s Oyster House in Savannah, but now you can stay home and let chef and owner EarlBubbaHiers treat you to his famous Southern hospitality.His first-ever cookbook tells you how to prepare both the dishes that made his restaurant famous and the home cooking that he and his older sister, Food Network star Paula Deen, grew up eating in their Granny Paul s kitchen.
Learn how to make the finger-lickin , Dixieland favorites like Low Country Boil, Lip-Smackin -Good Chicken Casserole, Salmon and Grits, and Oyster Stew. Right off the restaurant s menu are dishes like BBQ Shrimp, Gumbo, and Shrimp and Grits. And because good cooking seems to run in Bubba s family, recipes like Raised Biscuits, Kathy s Dig Deep Salad, and Cheesy Squash Casserole come straight from the recipe boxes in the authentic Southern kitchens of Bubba s grannies, aunts, and friends.
Desserts are Bubba s favorite, and there s no shortage. Try Aunt Glennis s version of the classic Dixie staple, Red Velvet Cake, or the Lemon Cheese Cake, which true Southerners know is not a cheesecake at all. There s also Chocolate Almond Pie, Butterscotch Pound Cake, Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie, and three recipes for truly scrumptious desserts that are Paula s gift to her baby brother. Plus, along with the recipes, you ll get family stories and photographs that bring Bubba and Paula s Georgia childhood to life.
Like his restaurant, Bubba s recipes are casual perfect for summer cookouts and picnics where paper napkins and plastic forks are just fine, and the card playing andstory swapping begins when the Chargrilled Oysters are put on the table and doesn t end until long after the last bite of Georgia Peach Cake is cleaned from the plate. Soon, just like Bubba, you ll be spending long afternoons around the grill, bragging on your barbecue and waiting for the Beer Rolls to come out of the oven.

EARLBUBBAHIERS is the chef and co-owner of Uncle Bubba s Oyster House in Savannah, Georgia.Before joining his sister, Paula Deen, in the restaurant business, he operated a highly successful landscaping and grounds-keeping company in his hometown, Albany, Georgia.In 1999, Bubba got his start when he moved to Savannah to help Paula and her sons, Jamie and Bobby, renovate a historic downtown building as a new home for their popular restaurant, The Lady & Sons. Bubba lives with his family in Savannah.

POLLY POWERS STRAMM is a native of Savannah, Georgia. Her articles have appeared in magazines and regional newspapers and her weekly column,Polly s People,runs in the Morning News. She lives with her family in Savannah. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Uncle Bubba's
I really like this cookbook.I think his recipes are better than Paula's.He has a great restaurant called Uncle Bubba's Oyster House Down on the Way to Tybee Island in Savannah.Great spot to eat.

Uncle Bubba's Savannah Seafood
I have tried baked Macaroni and cheese and Cheesy Squash Casserole and they were yummy.

I am enjoying reading about the family and seeing pictures of the family.

I look forward to making other recipes from this Cookbook.

The book was in excellent condition I buy a lot of books through Amazon.com.

UM, UM, GOOD
I ate at the restaurant recently and the book really has all of the recipes for the items on the menu.Fast shipping and great price.

Not just seafood!
The title is a little misleading with the Savanna Seafood part. There are a LOT of Southern recipes that are not seafood. It has great illustrations, and excellent recipes from the restaurant and Deen family. The book is fun to read and easy to use. I like it.

Thank you, Bubba! I love this man!
OMG! I am SO thrilled that I found this book! We just came back from Savannah and we ate at Uncle Bubba's restaurant, we even had the pleasure of meeting "Bubba" and he was so gracious! His food is MUCH better than Paula Deen's, although Paula's food was good, but Bubba's has a much mor personal feel. Especially when he comes easing out of the back and sits behind the front counter. I think he likes the look of surprise on the customer's faces. I know my expression was priceless. The chargrilled oysters had the most sensual of flavors, so much so that it is almost an outer body experience. Thank you Bubba, you are the reason that I am going back to visit Savannah! ... Read more

Product Description
The only professional seafood reference book available anywhere, The Seafood Handbook contains over 100 species of finfish and shellfish from around the globe. It offers details on sourcing, cooking, nutrition, product forms and seasonal availability for each species and is formatted to be a quick and easy-to-use reference tool. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

seafood handbook
Great book for novices and professionals alike. It is packed with cooking and buying information for many commonly sold seafood products.

Concise if not exhaustive
This publication provides a cursory overview of some of America's most popular commercial fish and seafoods. It's easy to read and a good quick reference for chefs and restauranteurs. Readers seeking more than a few paragraphs for each fish should look to a more comprehensive tome such as A.J. McClane's "Encyclopedia of Fish Cookery." The illustrations and charts are colorful yet provide little meaningful information. I recommend it to any novice cooks who seek to expand their knowledge of fish and seafood.

Great product for food professionals
Contains all the information your aspiring fishmonger needs.Also great for chefs.Contains background information about fish species, cooking suggestions, serving suggestions, and other valuable information.If you want to meet new and interesting fish, this book is for you. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the new definitive seafood cookbook from writer and chef Jay Harlow. West Coast Seafood addresses the finfish and shellfish, ocean and fresh water catch available fresh from California to Alaska, with over 250 recipes, both basic and lavish.

This important new cookbook introduces the up-to-the-minute selection of fresh fish and shellfish available on the West Coast and furnishes 250 wonderful recipes that bring out the most in albacore, spot prawns, black cod, salmon, rainbow trout, petrale sole, skate, oysters, and more. It includes color photographs.Amazon.com Review
Picture yourself standing before the fish monger's displaycase with the day's catch all nicely laid out on gleaming shaved ice,the price tags and labels in place, the fishmonger's retail smileintact. He's waiting, patiently, for you to make up your mind. Troubleis, you're shopping for a specific fish, and it's not for sale. Sowhat do you do, fall back on old tried-and-true recipes for theseafood you recognize in the case? You can hear your family yawning,can't you?

Fear not, lover of seafood. Jay Harlow has writtenWest Coast Seafood: The Complete Cookbook. Tuck this suckerunder your arm next time you head out the door and you will neveragain suffer seafood angst. Nor will you have to stand in front of thefish counter thumbing through a book like a damned fool. Harlow, yousee, has organized West Coast Seafood by type of seafood, notaccording to where in a meal the dish will be served.

And if thatdoesn't tell you that this guy knows what he's doing, then just digin. Complete Cookbook falls short of the mark; FinalWord comes closer. Because everything is here: all theinformation you need to select the best-quality seafood; instructionsto clean and prep the seafood you bring home; and then a wide flavorrange and cooking-style range to keep new and exciting dishes comingto the dinner table.

The finned fish of fresh and salt water, bothwild and farmed, are all here. Can't stand the idea of another grilledsalmon steak? Try Kurt's Salmon with Oyster Stuffing. And if there areany leftovers, go straight to Salmon Cakes. How does Grilled Halibutwith Roasted Garlic Marinade sound?Or Halibut Cooked with PoblanoChiles and Cream? Yes, there are Dungeness Crab Cakes in West CoastSeafood, but you will also find Stir-Fried Crab with Chiles andGinger.

There are no desserts. But Harlow does end his book with aselection of appropriate sauces as well as two essays on the future offishing, and the place of aquaculture. Like the entire book, wellworth reading. --Schuyler Ingle ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Very informative
This book has a lot of the fundamentals for selecting, purchasing and prepping several varieties of seafood.The one thing that could have been better is to have pictures of the prepared dishes associated with the recipies.

The essential guid to Seafood
This book is probably the best cook book I have ever used.It contains detailed descriptions of a vast array of seafood along with copious information on buying and prepping each type. The recipes range from simple to modestly complex.They generally focus on enhancing the flavor of the seafood with a few well selected accent flavors.They are creative and easy to follow.

Easy and yummy recipes
Living in Seattle we wanted to take advantage of all the fresh fish available, but we had no idea how to cook it. Everything we have tried out of this book has been easy and delicious. Most of the recipes give suggestions for side dishes which makes meal planning even easier. Whenever we get fish for dinner this is the cookbook we pull out!

The "gotta' have" seafood book for West Coast dwellers
This is a great reference for cooks at any level of ability. Fundimentals of buying, cutting up, basic techniques, and cooking safety. Easy to follow recipes which are not fussy and don't loose the flavor of the seafood in the sauces, yet can be quite sophisticated. Expanded information, definitions and seafood facts which can enlighten profesional chefs and intertain those who pick-up cookbooks for leasure reading. For example, what constitutes 'white fish',who are the grazers and the predators in the ocean, and how is caviar farmed.

Easy to follow - Outstanding Taste
This book is wonderful for cooks that use seafood comes from the California coast.The recipes do not take require the resume of a rocket-scientist and yet the finished courses look, taste and smell likefine cuisine from a highly rated restaurant.

Great recipes for every dayor special entertaining occasions. ... Read more

Product Description
His Chicago restaurant is praised in the food press from coast to coast, and now, Charlie Trotter, master of culinary innovation, tests new waters with this collection of recipes for astonishing new dishes featuring freshwater fish and seafood. 100+ recipes. 75 duotone photos.Amazon.com Review
Charlie Trotter's in Chicago is rated as one of the finestrestaurants in the world. Eating there is a leisurely and memorableexperience because Chef Trotter is endlessly creative and meticulouslyprecise in his cooking. He uses the best ingredients and says oneshould do as little as possible to embellish them. Does he practicewhat he preaches? In your dreams!

The simplest of the 75 recipes inCharlie Trotter's Seafood are for dishes like Olive-Oil RoastedSwordfish with Oven-Roasted Tomato and Black Olives, and theSlow-Roasted Salmon with Red Wine Risotto, Wild Thyme and Tiny WhiteAsparagus. His more typical, and even more breathtaking, creations areoften based on Hawaiian fish, like Steamed Gindai and Mussels withLemongrass Broth. On the plate these dishes are all as artisticallyarranged as they sound.

This is food pornography at its peak. Everydish, as exotic and complex as a lesson from the Kama Sutra, isshown in gloriously intimate, obscenely alluring, vinaigrette-dotteddetail by photographer Tim Turner. Ambitious cooks will appreciateTrotter's recommended piscatorial substitutions. Finding otheringredients, like bleeding heart radishes and shallot blossoms, is upto you. Not to mention making time to produce the infused oils anddeeply flavored stocks often called for. The recipes are grouped,unexpectedly, by the wines best for accompanying them. Trotter startswith champagne and proceeds through 16 other kinds of wine, from whiteViognier to red Syrah and Barbera.

If complex, original cookingfascinates you, here is the chance to navigate an ocean of new seafoodideas and culinary combinations. --Dana Jacobi ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Excellant
Book was well written and was what I was looking for to help me with ideas to use at home.It is also well thought out and organized.Would recommend the rest in the series

Use this for ideas ... only!
I can say that I am a reasonably competent home chef with an above-average knowledge of technique and most necessary equipment to get the job done. Having said that, I was impressed with the photos of nearly every featured recipe in this book and find the recipes to be admirably aggressive in their taste and texture contrasts. The recipes, however, are nearly all flawed in some significant manner in that following them verbatim will result in poor results. Even when this is not the case, I find these recipes to be "out of whack" from a taste perspective by any gastronome's standards and in need of serious tweaking. If you have good kitchen skills and seek to be inspired by the ideas in this book, then I would suggest it (USED!!) ... otherwise, there are much better cookbooks that will yield far superior results. I purchased the Charlie Trotter's Seafood and Dessert cookbooks and came to the same conclusion.

Don't try this at home!
Have you ever traveled cross-country to Chicago just to dine at Charlie Trotter's? I have, and it was one of the best meals of my life. This book and the others in the series are great at giving you a feel of what the real thing is like. The pictures are outstanding and the combinations just wow you. But if you think for a moment that any cookbook would allow you to duplicate what Charlie does, you are mistaken. Some cookbooks are for those who want to follow a recipe and duplicate it. This is not one of those. This is for people who want to understand the Chef's unique cuisine and appreciate it for the art that it is.

Good picture and idea book
This is a beautiful book. The pictures are stunning and the dishes are inspiring. That said, most of the recipes are terribly complicated for the home cook. Many of the fish are hard to get and regional; most of the preparations often require things that only a restaurant kitchen can feasibly do (i.e. tomato water).

Still, some of the dishes are approachable by the home cook and the if you are inventive, many could inspire you to come up with your own creations.

An added bonus (or potentially a distraction depending on you point of view) is that the dishes are grouped by the wines that would be accompany them - a novel approach.

Art Book, Cook Book.
All of Trotter's books are fabulous, but this particular book belongs right on the coffee table for everyone to admire as often as they'd like.It is as much an art book, as it is a cook book, and inspires the readerthrough its text as well as photos.It is alsoexcellentbecause it isdividedinto sections by the wines thathe has chosen to accompany eachseafood dish.This is a great way to view food, and it is loveley that hecreates dishes to accompany all sorts of wines, both red and white.A musthave book for all food and wine enthusiasts. ... Read more

Product Description
Now available in an updated edition, SEAFOOD OFSOUTH-EAST ASIA is the third volume in Alan Davidson’s award-winningseafood trilogy. Having been British ambassador to Laos, Davidsonbrings his extensive scientific and cultural knowledge to bear on thisauthoritative guide to the fish and shellfish of South-East Asia. Thenew edition provides detailed, illustrated descriptions of nearly 200species, complemented by 150 traditional recipes from Vietnam,Thailand, Cambodia, and Indonesia, among other countries. Thisdelightfully written guide equips readers with the information andrecipes they need to appreciate the rich and varied cuisines of thearea. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

For fish geeks in South-East Asia
If you (1) live in South-East Asia and (2) love fish and shellfish and (3) have a bit of geeky interest in details, this book is for your. Most edible seafood in this part of the world is catalogued in this book. However, this books is not as comprehensive as "Seafood of the North Atlantic" by the same author. So don't expect to find everything that is in the local market. Each entry offers latin name, picture, identification details, habitat, culinary notes and the name translated into many local languages. This translation is always into the latin alphabet. It would have been nice to have it in Chinese and Thai symbols as well. The book also contains a small recipe section (typical national dishes).

Third in a most important reference on world fishes. Buy It!
`Seafood of South-East Asia' by noted culinary writer Alan Davidson, the author of `The Oxford Companion to Food' is a reference book which a serious cook must have in their library where time is spent deciding on what to eat rather than time spend actually cooking. This book belongs to a rare breed of books in English such as Elizabeth Schneider's `Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini' or `Bruce Cost's Asian Ingredients' which thoroughly cover a broad single subject. This volume is cut from exactly the same cloth and sewn with an almost identical pattern to the author's two other classics, `Mediterranean Seafood' and `North Atlantic Seafood'.

All three books are organized in the same way that gives primacy to information on the aquatic species and secondary coverage of recipes.

Biological family, genus, and species organize the first part on the catalog of species in order that the biological similarity of the fishes is clearly shown. Each article gives the most common English name, the two part Latin scientific name, the scientist who assigned this name (most commonly the great inventor of biological Taxonomy, Linnaeus), the biological family name, and the common name of the fish in virtually every language of the major fishing nationality bordering the relevant body of water. This Southeast Asian volume includes names found in the languages of United Arab Emirates, Bengal, Tamil, Singhalese, Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, and Japan. I have not seen any differentiation between the different languages of, for example, China and the Philippines. I would guess that Chinese names are in Cantonese and the Philippine names are in Tagalog. These names in themselves are entertaining to the linguistically inclined, as it is interesting to see the similarities and differences from country to country.

The articles on every species also have a highly detailed black and white drawing of each animal. The great value to these is that it makes comparing the appearance of different fishes very easy, as every species is depicted in a similar style. It is too bad they could not be depicted to scale, but this would have had the sturgeon filling two pages while the anchovies would be the size of a period. Instead, the remarks on each fish give the average market length and a description of the typical color and markings.

The catalog entry also gives a paragraph or two on cuisine, which is a discussion of the culinary desirability of the species and typical ways in which the animal is prepared. For most fish, this includes methods by which the fish is butchered. The catalog entries also include a list of recipes and page numbers for these recipes in the second major section of the book.

The second major section divides recipes by country. This volume gives us eight chapters on recipes from Burma; Thailand; Cambodia; Vietnam; China and Hong Kong; The Philippines; Indonesia; and Malaysia, Brunei, and Singapore.

One is tempted to expect these recipes to be very generic and not as interesting as those you may find in books of `haute cuisine' from a fish specialist such as Eric Rippert. This is partially true. Davidson is less the great cook than he is a great fish and food scholar. This means that while his recipes may come from common sources, he gives us much more information on the background of the recipes than the chef may do. A good example of this is in his coverage of Filipino dishes. I compared his `Fish Sinigang' recipe to the `Sinigang Na Bangus' recipe in `Filipino Cuisine' by Gerry Gelle and found that Davidson's recipe was as good or better than the one given by the Filipino chef. True to Davidson's scholarly approach, he describes what type of fish works well in this recipe, even though both he and Gelle specify milkfish (bangos). One odd fact is that Gelle's name for the fish is one Davidson attributes to Malaysia. May be due to linguistic duality between northern and southern Philippines. As with all cuisines, Davidson gives expert advice on cookbooks of the Filipino cuisines, especially as he says cookbook writing is a well-developed discipline in the islands. Icing on the cake is Davidson's overview of Filipino fish cures. One method even looks suspiciously like the famous Caribbean technique that developed into barbecue.

One great delight was the fact that the book includes information on Gasteropods (Snails, limpets, conches, etc), sea turtles, and seaweed. You may not be cooking turtle soup any time soon, but you will know your stuff the next time you watch `Babette's Feast'! My point here is that this book is simply great fun to read and to use as a source of ideas for unusual new recipes.

Unlike the books on the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, the bibliography shows that the author has based most of his material on sources written in English or French. While Davidson was a diplomat with serious language skills, either these skills did not extend to oriental languages OR most of the good stuff is written in English and French anyway. One of the greatest things about all these volumes is that all of this great material is available in trade paperbacks, which list for no more than $25. For you devotees of second hand bookstores, please note the author's warning that the first edition of this volume apparently had more than a usual number of errors and all known errors were corrected in the second edition.

These are must have books for devoted foodies! A quick look at the list of species in the table of contents shows that almost all of the common named fishes show up on the ice or in the tanks of your favorite local megamart or fishmonger. I am certain that your Maine lobster will not mind being dressed in a recipe tailored to an Asian spiny lobster, although Alton Brown has quipped that the Maine flesh is slightly sweeter.

Highly recommended.

Vintage Davidson
I bought one of the original hardback copies of this book almost 20 years ago.Unfortunately I lent it to someone who had grown up in Burma, and she was fascinated to see recipes for dishes she remembered eating as a child.I never saw the book again, and serve me right! I assumed it was long out of print until I spotted it on amazon.com this evening while ordering another Davidson title, North Atlantic Seafood, as a Christmas gift for a godchild in Houston, Texas.

Sadly, Alan Davidson died in December 2003, and his career was widely reviewed in the British press.He had just won the prestigious Erasmus Prize for his pioneering contributions to the academic study of food and gastronomy. The award was made by the Queen of the Netherlands in person.

His first-ever writings on seafood were published while he was serving as a diplomat in Tunisia, a small work to help diplomatic wives identify local species, and sold to raise funds for the Red Cross.This was later expanded to become Meditterranean Seafood, widely recognized as the authoritive guide to the subject.I live in a small fishing port on the Costa Brava in Spain and use the book at least once a week. It has been invaluable in identifying the often unfamiliar species on sale in the local markets, as in all his works he gives the local names and variants, and provides accurate drawings of each, as well as authentic recipes. These are alwaysthose used by traditional cooks of the regions he writes about.No fusion cooking for him!

Seafood of South East Asia, first published in 1976, makes interesting reading even for non-cooks. Davidson had gone on to be British Ambassador in Laos, a country he came to love deeply.He usually wore string wristbands, tokens of a Laotian religious ceremony called basi. These were regularly given to him by the Lao community in the UK, who considered him their patron. The clothes he wore after retiring from the Foreign Office were often inspired by the colourful and stylish garments of south-east Asia. Seafood of South-East Asia reflects his understanding and appreciation of regions whose culinarary traditions are still not widely known.

After retirement from the diplomatic service Davidson travelled widely throughout China and south-east Asia, researching the names and methods used for cooking the entire range of local seafood, including the pa beuk, a giant catfish of the Mekong, thought to be extinct, but now thriving, partly because of his writings about it.

Davidson's recipes are not always easy to follow, as he spurns phrases like 'or use x if y is not available'.He was a culinary perfectionist, although in no way a foodie, admitting as he did to a liking for such unfashionable food items as tomato ketchup, spam and ice cream soda.

His death brings to an end a great trilogy of seafood books that started with the Mediterranean and went on to cover theNorth Atlantic and South-East Asia. All these books and his other writings on fish are imbued with deep scholarship (he was a top classical scholar at Oxford University) and, surprisingly perhaps, a great sense of humour. ... Read more

Product Description
Celebrate the culinary heritage of America's native people in this cookbook filled with fascinating cultural facts and tidbits. Over 340 recipes for wild edibles, fruits, fish and seafood, venison, small and big game. Gathered from Zuni, Pueblo, Cherokee, Tlingit, Ojibway and other tribes across North America and updated for the modern cook. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A good resource about Native American foods
I purchased this book because my stepson harvested some acorns recently and I scoured my large cookbook collection, to no avail, for any information on how to process them or use them in cooking.This book contains information on that and so much more.

This would be an excellent resource for a hunter because game and fish of many kinds are covered here.There are recipes for venison curry, venison meatloaf, rabbit pot roast, wild duck with orange sauce and cornbread stuffed trout.There is also a section on edible wild plants and berries, with recipes.Nutritional information is given for many of the food items listed in the book.Did you know that deer meat is loaded with B vitamins, for instance?

To me, one of the best things about the book is that 100% of royalties go to Native charities.In the foreword it says that the royalties have helped to support scholarships, a children's camp and substance abuse programs.So you can give a little back, and you get a great source for Native North American foods. ... Read more