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Fresh Fish: A Fearless Guide to Grilling, Shucking, Searing, Poaching, and Roasting Seafood
Cooking fish and other seafood at home is much easier than you think! Fresh Fish offers simple step-by-step instructions for all of the essential cooking methods, including baking, pan-frying, braising, broiling, steaming, poaching, roasting, marinating, and grilling — along with 175 mouthwatering recipes that bring out the best in everything from fish fillets and whole fish to shrimp, mussels, lobster, clams, calamari, and more. You’ll also learn how to buy fish (even whole fish) with confidence, how to serve fish raw, how to clean freshly dug clams, and much more. Beautiful photography celebrates both the food and the lazy charm of summers at the beach; this is a delightful read as well as the cookbook you need to easily enjoy your favorite seafood at home.
352 pages, Paperback
First published March 22, 2016
25 people are currently reading
38 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Trainer Thompson
30 books5 followersWith several hundred thousand books and posters in print, Jennifer Trainer Thompson has written more than sixteen books, including The Fresh Egg Cookbook, Hot Sauce!, Beyond Einstein (co-authored with Michio Kaku), and Jump Up and Kiss Me: Spicy Vegetarian Cooking, among others. Nominated for three James Beard awards and dubbed the “Queen of Hot” by Associated Press, she’s recognized as a leader in the spicy foods movement for her cookbooks and the hot sauce posters that she created, which have been featured everywhere from Playboy Magazine to Good Morning America.
Her books have drawn acclaim in the national press, and she’s been on hundreds of talk shows, including Live with Regis, CNN, and Good Morning America. The chef and creator of Jump Up and Kiss Me, an all-natural line of spicy sauces, she is passionate about spicy foods, and has followed her own personal “Trail of Flame,” speaking at festivals and in the media about hot foods, serving as guest chef at Hot Nights at restaurants in Boston, Philadelphia, and the Berkshires, and even going so far as to try Armageddon Sauce at a bar in the Adirondacks that’s accessible only by snowmobile in the winter.
A journalist for over 20 years, Jennifer writes about topics that interest her – science, food, travel, art, and lifestyle – for The New York Times, Travel & Leisure, Omni, Discover, Harvard Magazine among others, and has garnered a reputation for sniffing out trends. She wrote the first objective book on the commercial nuclear power controversy (Nuclear Power: Both Sides), and co-authored a popular book about scientists’ quest for the unified field theory (Beyond Einstein) when the superstring theory was proposed in 1987. She wrote the first national story about the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) for The New York Times in 1987, and was so taken by the idea of establishing a contemporary art museum in an abandoned mill complex in a small New England city that she asked the fledgling institution’s founding director Joseph Thompson for a job. Thompson hired her to become MASS MoCA’s founding development director, and several years later married her. She and her husband Joe live in western Massachusetts with their two children. Family and family traditions have always been important to her, which led to write The Joy of Family Traditions.
Her books have drawn acclaim in the national press, and she’s been on hundreds of talk shows, including Live with Regis, CNN, and Good Morning America. The chef and creator of Jump Up and Kiss Me, an all-natural line of spicy sauces, she is passionate about spicy foods, and has followed her own personal “Trail of Flame,” speaking at festivals and in the media about hot foods, serving as guest chef at Hot Nights at restaurants in Boston, Philadelphia, and the Berkshires, and even going so far as to try Armageddon Sauce at a bar in the Adirondacks that’s accessible only by snowmobile in the winter.
A journalist for over 20 years, Jennifer writes about topics that interest her – science, food, travel, art, and lifestyle – for The New York Times, Travel & Leisure, Omni, Discover, Harvard Magazine among others, and has garnered a reputation for sniffing out trends. She wrote the first objective book on the commercial nuclear power controversy (Nuclear Power: Both Sides), and co-authored a popular book about scientists’ quest for the unified field theory (Beyond Einstein) when the superstring theory was proposed in 1987. She wrote the first national story about the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) for The New York Times in 1987, and was so taken by the idea of establishing a contemporary art museum in an abandoned mill complex in a small New England city that she asked the fledgling institution’s founding director Joseph Thompson for a job. Thompson hired her to become MASS MoCA’s founding development director, and several years later married her. She and her husband Joe live in western Massachusetts with their two children. Family and family traditions have always been important to her, which led to write The Joy of Family Traditions.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 5, 2017
Overall, I really liked looking over Fresh Fish.
The recipes are divided by course and ingredient, and include sections such as "Things in a Shell", "Things that Swim", and "On the Beach". By course is my personal organization preference when it comes to cookbooks, so I was happy with this. The recipes are well written. The pages are dotted with personal connections- it feels like each recipe was carefully selected with purpose to be included in this book, which makes me want to try them more. The author shares personal stories that make the book more interesting than just a skeletal book of instructions and grocery lists.
Another thing that I found helpful about this book is the handy tips that pop up throughout, such as well detailed instructions for how to clean shrimp and mussels. I don't work with shellfish often, so these hints will definitely not go unnoticed.
The photography was gorgeous, and it'll be tough to flip through this one on an empty stomach because you'll want to eat ALL the things! That said, I wish there were more photos of the completed dishes.
Some of the things that I'd most like to try include smoked whitefish pate with fresh figs, gorgonzola dolce, and local honey, and blueberry peach cobbler with vanilla (yes I know this isn't fish, but it still sounds delicious!).
I'd recommend this to anyone who loves seafood. This is an accessible book that can be used by beginners and experienced cooks alike.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This review can also be found on my blog, Bitches n Prose.
The recipes are divided by course and ingredient, and include sections such as "Things in a Shell", "Things that Swim", and "On the Beach". By course is my personal organization preference when it comes to cookbooks, so I was happy with this. The recipes are well written. The pages are dotted with personal connections- it feels like each recipe was carefully selected with purpose to be included in this book, which makes me want to try them more. The author shares personal stories that make the book more interesting than just a skeletal book of instructions and grocery lists.
Another thing that I found helpful about this book is the handy tips that pop up throughout, such as well detailed instructions for how to clean shrimp and mussels. I don't work with shellfish often, so these hints will definitely not go unnoticed.
The photography was gorgeous, and it'll be tough to flip through this one on an empty stomach because you'll want to eat ALL the things! That said, I wish there were more photos of the completed dishes.
Some of the things that I'd most like to try include smoked whitefish pate with fresh figs, gorgonzola dolce, and local honey, and blueberry peach cobbler with vanilla (yes I know this isn't fish, but it still sounds delicious!).
I'd recommend this to anyone who loves seafood. This is an accessible book that can be used by beginners and experienced cooks alike.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This review can also be found on my blog, Bitches n Prose.
July 19, 2017
Fresh Fish: A Fearless Guide to Grilling, Shucking, Searing, Poaching, and Roasting Seafood by Jennifer Trainer Thompson (Storey Publishing 2016) (641.692). This is about the tastiest cookbook I've ever browsed. I swear that you can smell the salt air and feel the ocean spray. The photographs of the New England coastline are stunning, and the pictures of the prepared recipes made me want to lick the pages. This is one cookbook of which author Jennifer Trainer Thompson should be justifiably proud. My rating: 7/10, finished 07/18/17.
April 14, 2016
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
I originally wrote this review in December 2015 about a week after I first had access to the book. Since that time it has leapt up my rankings to become one of my all-time favourite cookbooks. It is now my go-to book for fish recipes – and many others too. I use at least two of the recipes every week, and have now almost worked my way through the whole book.
When you open up the “Fresh Fish” cookbook, you expect some good fish recipes – and this book has them in abundance. What you don’t expect, but also get, are some absolutely amazing salad and vegetable recipes. The “Fall salad with Arugula and Roasted Root Vegetables” last three days, and just got better and better (I did keep the rocket salad separate from the roasted root vegetables and chickpeas so the rocket salad wouldn’t go limp when stored). We had the “Roasted Cauliflower with Agave and Smoked Paprika” (I substituted honey as suggested) twice in a week as it was so good. The “Seaweed Salad” was a revelation. Not to mention the excellent “Lemon-Kale Salad”, the “Summer Arugula Salad with Roasted Corn Salsa and Cilantro Vinaigrette”, the “Pomegranate-Wild Rice Salad with Roasted Squash and Arugula”, The “Sesame Spinach” and the “Sauteed Cauliflower with Scallions and Currants”. The “Pickled Onions” I made with a mixture of red and white onions, which was very pretty and went very well with fish and as a condiment for roast lamb.
On the fish side we tried three of the sea bass recipes (our local fishmonger is very big on sea bass): “Crispy Sea Bass with Saffron Fennel-Roasted Tomato Mixture”, the “Herb-Roasted Whole Black Sea Bass”, and the “Wild Striped Sea Bass with Pistachio Crust”, though I did use bog standard sea bass for all three recipes. I made a stock with the filleted sea bass heads and bones, and used that to cook the “Gefilte Fish” in instead of the suggested water, and then ate the recipe hot as a soup (it is the middle o winter here). This was the first time I’d tried gefilte fish, and I am hooked. There was enough raw mixture left over to freeze for another day. The “Baked Haddock Fillets with Horseradish-Chive Potato Mash” was also very good.
There are also some cocktail and dessert recipes, but I am afraid they got overshadowed by the rest of the book
We spent a week using this book for all our main meals, and ate so incredibly well. Each dish was so inventive and tasty, and very easy to prepare. The instructions are clear, and the ingredients (or good substitutes) are generally readily available and reasonably priced. And the washing up afterwards is not too onerous.
All those recipes we tried, I will make again and again. And I still have many more that I want to try – I haven’t even got on to the amazing sounding shellfish and crustacean recipes yet. Even if you don’t like fish (there are some poor misguided souls), this recipe book is worth buying for the side dishes.
Often with a new recipe book, you find maybe two or three recipes that really appeal to you. With this book it is ALL the seafood and salad / vegetable recipes! My husband has (for once) agreed that, however full our kitchen is of recipe books (very!), we really do need to find a place for this one. I am counting down the days to publication.
I originally wrote this review in December 2015 about a week after I first had access to the book. Since that time it has leapt up my rankings to become one of my all-time favourite cookbooks. It is now my go-to book for fish recipes – and many others too. I use at least two of the recipes every week, and have now almost worked my way through the whole book.
When you open up the “Fresh Fish” cookbook, you expect some good fish recipes – and this book has them in abundance. What you don’t expect, but also get, are some absolutely amazing salad and vegetable recipes. The “Fall salad with Arugula and Roasted Root Vegetables” last three days, and just got better and better (I did keep the rocket salad separate from the roasted root vegetables and chickpeas so the rocket salad wouldn’t go limp when stored). We had the “Roasted Cauliflower with Agave and Smoked Paprika” (I substituted honey as suggested) twice in a week as it was so good. The “Seaweed Salad” was a revelation. Not to mention the excellent “Lemon-Kale Salad”, the “Summer Arugula Salad with Roasted Corn Salsa and Cilantro Vinaigrette”, the “Pomegranate-Wild Rice Salad with Roasted Squash and Arugula”, The “Sesame Spinach” and the “Sauteed Cauliflower with Scallions and Currants”. The “Pickled Onions” I made with a mixture of red and white onions, which was very pretty and went very well with fish and as a condiment for roast lamb.
On the fish side we tried three of the sea bass recipes (our local fishmonger is very big on sea bass): “Crispy Sea Bass with Saffron Fennel-Roasted Tomato Mixture”, the “Herb-Roasted Whole Black Sea Bass”, and the “Wild Striped Sea Bass with Pistachio Crust”, though I did use bog standard sea bass for all three recipes. I made a stock with the filleted sea bass heads and bones, and used that to cook the “Gefilte Fish” in instead of the suggested water, and then ate the recipe hot as a soup (it is the middle o winter here). This was the first time I’d tried gefilte fish, and I am hooked. There was enough raw mixture left over to freeze for another day. The “Baked Haddock Fillets with Horseradish-Chive Potato Mash” was also very good.
There are also some cocktail and dessert recipes, but I am afraid they got overshadowed by the rest of the book
We spent a week using this book for all our main meals, and ate so incredibly well. Each dish was so inventive and tasty, and very easy to prepare. The instructions are clear, and the ingredients (or good substitutes) are generally readily available and reasonably priced. And the washing up afterwards is not too onerous.
All those recipes we tried, I will make again and again. And I still have many more that I want to try – I haven’t even got on to the amazing sounding shellfish and crustacean recipes yet. Even if you don’t like fish (there are some poor misguided souls), this recipe book is worth buying for the side dishes.
Often with a new recipe book, you find maybe two or three recipes that really appeal to you. With this book it is ALL the seafood and salad / vegetable recipes! My husband has (for once) agreed that, however full our kitchen is of recipe books (very!), we really do need to find a place for this one. I am counting down the days to publication.
December 21, 2015
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
When you open up the “Fresh Fish” cookbook, you expect some good fish recipes – and this book has them in abundance. What you don’t expect, but also get, are some absolutely amazing salad and vegetable recipes. The “Fall salad with Arugula and Roasted Root Vegetables” last three days, and just got better and better (I did keep the rocket salad separate from the roasted root vegetables and chickpeas so the rocket salad wouldn’t go limp when stored). We had the “Roasted Cauliflower with Agave and Smoked Paprika” (I substituted honey as suggested) twice in a week as it was so good. The “Seaweed Salad” was a revelation. Not to mention the excellent “Lemon-Kale Salad”, the “Summer Arugula Salad with Roasted Corn Salsa and Cilantro Vinaigrette”, the “Pomegranate-Wild Rice Salad with Roasted Squash and Arugula”, The “Sesame Spinach” and the “Sauteed Cauliflower with Scallions and Currants”. The “Pickled Onions” I made with a mixture of red and white onions, which was very pretty and went very well with fish and as a condiment for roast lamb.
On the fish side we tried three of the sea bass recipes (our local fishmonger is very big on sea bass): “Crispy Sea Bass with Saffron Fennel-Roasted Tomato Mixture”, the “Herb-Roasted Whole Black Sea Bass”, and the “Wild Striped Sea Bass with Pistachio Crust”, though I did use bog standard sea bass for all three recipes. I made a stock with the filleted sea bass heads and bones, and used that to cook the “Gefilte Fish” in instead of the suggested water, and then ate the recipe hot as a soup (it is the middle o winter here). This was the first time I’d tried gefilte fish, and I am hooked. There was enough raw mixture left over to freeze for another day. The “Baked Haddock Fillets with Horseradish-Chive Potato Mash” was also very good.
There are also some cocktail and dessert recipes, but I am afraid they got overshadowed by the rest of the book
We spent a week using this book for all our main meals, and ate so incredibly well. Each dish was so inventive and tasty, and very easy to prepare. The instructions are clear, and the ingredients (or good substitutes) are generally readily available and reasonably priced. And the washing up afterwards is not too onerous.
All those recipes we tried, I will make again and again. And I still have many more that I want to try – I haven’t even got on to the amazing sounding shellfish and crustacean recipes yet. Even if you don’t like fish (there are some poor misguided souls), this recipe book is worth buying for the side dishes.
Often with a new recipe book, you find maybe two or three recipes that really appeal to you. With this book it is ALL the seafood and salad / vegetable recipes! My husband has (for once) agreed that, however full our kitchen is of recipe books (very!), we really do need to find a place for this one. I am counting down the days to publication.
When you open up the “Fresh Fish” cookbook, you expect some good fish recipes – and this book has them in abundance. What you don’t expect, but also get, are some absolutely amazing salad and vegetable recipes. The “Fall salad with Arugula and Roasted Root Vegetables” last three days, and just got better and better (I did keep the rocket salad separate from the roasted root vegetables and chickpeas so the rocket salad wouldn’t go limp when stored). We had the “Roasted Cauliflower with Agave and Smoked Paprika” (I substituted honey as suggested) twice in a week as it was so good. The “Seaweed Salad” was a revelation. Not to mention the excellent “Lemon-Kale Salad”, the “Summer Arugula Salad with Roasted Corn Salsa and Cilantro Vinaigrette”, the “Pomegranate-Wild Rice Salad with Roasted Squash and Arugula”, The “Sesame Spinach” and the “Sauteed Cauliflower with Scallions and Currants”. The “Pickled Onions” I made with a mixture of red and white onions, which was very pretty and went very well with fish and as a condiment for roast lamb.
On the fish side we tried three of the sea bass recipes (our local fishmonger is very big on sea bass): “Crispy Sea Bass with Saffron Fennel-Roasted Tomato Mixture”, the “Herb-Roasted Whole Black Sea Bass”, and the “Wild Striped Sea Bass with Pistachio Crust”, though I did use bog standard sea bass for all three recipes. I made a stock with the filleted sea bass heads and bones, and used that to cook the “Gefilte Fish” in instead of the suggested water, and then ate the recipe hot as a soup (it is the middle o winter here). This was the first time I’d tried gefilte fish, and I am hooked. There was enough raw mixture left over to freeze for another day. The “Baked Haddock Fillets with Horseradish-Chive Potato Mash” was also very good.
There are also some cocktail and dessert recipes, but I am afraid they got overshadowed by the rest of the book
We spent a week using this book for all our main meals, and ate so incredibly well. Each dish was so inventive and tasty, and very easy to prepare. The instructions are clear, and the ingredients (or good substitutes) are generally readily available and reasonably priced. And the washing up afterwards is not too onerous.
All those recipes we tried, I will make again and again. And I still have many more that I want to try – I haven’t even got on to the amazing sounding shellfish and crustacean recipes yet. Even if you don’t like fish (there are some poor misguided souls), this recipe book is worth buying for the side dishes.
Often with a new recipe book, you find maybe two or three recipes that really appeal to you. With this book it is ALL the seafood and salad / vegetable recipes! My husband has (for once) agreed that, however full our kitchen is of recipe books (very!), we really do need to find a place for this one. I am counting down the days to publication.
August 5, 2017
Overall, I really liked looking over Fresh Fish.
The recipes are divided by course and ingredient, and include sections such as "Things in a Shell", "Things that Swim", and "On the Beach". By course is my personal organization preference when it comes to cookbooks, so I was happy with this. The recipes are well written. The pages are dotted with personal connections- it feels like each recipe was carefully selected with purpose to be included in this book, which makes me want to try them more. The author shares personal stories that make the book more interesting than just a skeletal book of instructions and grocery lists.
Another thing that I found helpful about this book is the handy tips that pop up throughout, such as well detailed instructions for how to clean shrimp and mussels. I don't work with shellfish often, so these hints will definitely not go unnoticed.
The photography was gorgeous, and it'll be tough to flip through this one on an empty stomach because you'll want to eat ALL the things! That said, I wish there were more photos of the completed dishes.
Some of the things that I'd most like to try include smoked whitefish pate with fresh figs, gorgonzola dolce, and local honey, and blueberry peach cobbler with vanilla (yes I know this isn't fish, but it still sounds delicious!).
I'd recommend this to anyone who loves seafood. This is an accessible book that can be used by beginners and experienced cooks alike.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This review can also be found on my blog, Bitches n Prose.
The recipes are divided by course and ingredient, and include sections such as "Things in a Shell", "Things that Swim", and "On the Beach". By course is my personal organization preference when it comes to cookbooks, so I was happy with this. The recipes are well written. The pages are dotted with personal connections- it feels like each recipe was carefully selected with purpose to be included in this book, which makes me want to try them more. The author shares personal stories that make the book more interesting than just a skeletal book of instructions and grocery lists.
Another thing that I found helpful about this book is the handy tips that pop up throughout, such as well detailed instructions for how to clean shrimp and mussels. I don't work with shellfish often, so these hints will definitely not go unnoticed.
The photography was gorgeous, and it'll be tough to flip through this one on an empty stomach because you'll want to eat ALL the things! That said, I wish there were more photos of the completed dishes.
Some of the things that I'd most like to try include smoked whitefish pate with fresh figs, gorgonzola dolce, and local honey, and blueberry peach cobbler with vanilla (yes I know this isn't fish, but it still sounds delicious!).
I'd recommend this to anyone who loves seafood. This is an accessible book that can be used by beginners and experienced cooks alike.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This review can also be found on my blog, Bitches n Prose.
November 2, 2015
Fresh Fish by Jennifer Trainer Thompson is a beautifully illustrated and written cookbook. Her cookbook includes recipes ranging from main dishes to desserts. Best of all the book's photography adds a special panache and elegance to her book. Some of the recipes you'll find include:
Roasted Cod with Basil and Tomatoes on Garlic Toasts
Seaweed Sushi Roll
Wood-Roasted Native Striped Bass
Cedar Planked Salmon
Rhode Island Clam Cakes
Pan Fried Bay Scallops
Seafood Quinoa Salad
Asian Cucumber Salad
Charred Broccolini with Lemon and Red Pepper Flakes
Pink Gin
Drenched Blueberry Cake
Apple Pie
Throughout her cookbook you'll find historical or food preparation information.
Recommend.
Roasted Cod with Basil and Tomatoes on Garlic Toasts
Seaweed Sushi Roll
Wood-Roasted Native Striped Bass
Cedar Planked Salmon
Rhode Island Clam Cakes
Pan Fried Bay Scallops
Seafood Quinoa Salad
Asian Cucumber Salad
Charred Broccolini with Lemon and Red Pepper Flakes
Pink Gin
Drenched Blueberry Cake
Apple Pie
Throughout her cookbook you'll find historical or food preparation information.
Recommend.
October 6, 2022
considering i've got one of the most complete books on clam chowder around
i still found this one interesting in places...
clam chowder
rhode island clam chowder
jfk new england clam chowder
roasted-corn chowder with crab and bacon
shrimp bisque with bourbon
roasted-corn soup with shrimp and chipotles
bay vs sea scallops
creamy asparagus soup with bay scallops and frizzled leeks
oyster pan roast
bourride with homemade garlic aioli
kale soup with linguica
oh and drenched blueberry cake
i still found this one interesting in places...
clam chowder
rhode island clam chowder
jfk new england clam chowder
roasted-corn chowder with crab and bacon
shrimp bisque with bourbon
roasted-corn soup with shrimp and chipotles
bay vs sea scallops
creamy asparagus soup with bay scallops and frizzled leeks
oyster pan roast
bourride with homemade garlic aioli
kale soup with linguica
oh and drenched blueberry cake
July 5, 2016
On a whim, I bought some mussels while at Costco this past week. I knew just where to go look for a recipe when I got home. Recently, I got this new Seafood cookbook by Jennifer Trainer Thompson. I opened up the cookbook to the index, found a recipe for steaming mussels, and set to work!
In my experience, cookbooks vary a lot. Some have many pictures, some have none. Some have horrible formatting that make them difficult to read because the color of the font is too light to read, the font itself is hard to focus on, or even because there are too many words on a page! As for the actual content, some recipes are written well, making them easy to follow--while other cookbooks miss steps or even ingredients!
I do have another standby fish cookbook that I love--James Peterson's Fish & Shellfish. This has been my go to fish cookbook for years. But, it's not a simple, easy to use cookbook. I also have another one that I use for the simplest recipes, Seafood: A Collection of Heart-Healthy Recipes by Janis Harsila and Evie Hansen. I've used both of these for years. Peterson's for shellfish and more complex fish recipes, Harsila's for the simplest nights when I pan fry or bake fish. But, neither have pictures. Neither are particularly appealing cookbooks visually, Peterson's does have a section of pictures in the middle, though they aren't right by the recipes. Harsila's cookbook has a lot of older recipes that no one would cook today since it is thirty years old. So, it made a lot of sense for me to go to Fresh Fish when I wanted to cook Mussels.
The recipe I found in this cookbook was easy to follow, simple to understand, and was spot on. My husband and I both loved the mussels I cooked Friday night. We let my kids try one or two and they loved them as well, which was quite surprising to me. I did make one simple substitution of minced red onion for the shallots (because I didn't have any), but it still tasted great. There was a separate
Jennifer Trainer Thompson put together a great cookbook. The pictures make the food appealing. The directions are easy to follow and formatted well. Colored font was used for the recipe titles, headings, and step numbers, but thankfully not for the ingredient names and step directions so they can be easily read. One issue I take with many cookbooks is using too many odd ingredients, but this cookbook doesn't do that. I was pleased that there was only the occasional ingredient that would need a trip to a specialty foods store.
There were a few cases where I think there should have been pictures of the recipe steps rather than extraneous (but interesting) pictures of other things. One example is the Seaweed Sushi Roll Recipe. I make sushi regularly for my kids, but I wouldn't recommend following this recipe. First, she said to chop the avocado and vegetables. Instead, when making sushi the cook should julienne the vegetables (including the avocado). If you did want to chop them, it would need to be a fine mince of the vegetables. Also, wrapping the bamboo in plastic wrap is not so simple. You have to wrap both sides of the map so that the plastic wrap will stay on it. One last note, when spreading the rice on the seaweed paper, getting your hands wet periodically will help you spread it--which she does note. I'm glad she mentioned that.
This fish cookbook is going to likely have a place on my shelf for a long time!
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from Storey Books.
In my experience, cookbooks vary a lot. Some have many pictures, some have none. Some have horrible formatting that make them difficult to read because the color of the font is too light to read, the font itself is hard to focus on, or even because there are too many words on a page! As for the actual content, some recipes are written well, making them easy to follow--while other cookbooks miss steps or even ingredients!
I do have another standby fish cookbook that I love--James Peterson's Fish & Shellfish. This has been my go to fish cookbook for years. But, it's not a simple, easy to use cookbook. I also have another one that I use for the simplest recipes, Seafood: A Collection of Heart-Healthy Recipes by Janis Harsila and Evie Hansen. I've used both of these for years. Peterson's for shellfish and more complex fish recipes, Harsila's for the simplest nights when I pan fry or bake fish. But, neither have pictures. Neither are particularly appealing cookbooks visually, Peterson's does have a section of pictures in the middle, though they aren't right by the recipes. Harsila's cookbook has a lot of older recipes that no one would cook today since it is thirty years old. So, it made a lot of sense for me to go to Fresh Fish when I wanted to cook Mussels.
The recipe I found in this cookbook was easy to follow, simple to understand, and was spot on. My husband and I both loved the mussels I cooked Friday night. We let my kids try one or two and they loved them as well, which was quite surprising to me. I did make one simple substitution of minced red onion for the shallots (because I didn't have any), but it still tasted great. There was a separate
Jennifer Trainer Thompson put together a great cookbook. The pictures make the food appealing. The directions are easy to follow and formatted well. Colored font was used for the recipe titles, headings, and step numbers, but thankfully not for the ingredient names and step directions so they can be easily read. One issue I take with many cookbooks is using too many odd ingredients, but this cookbook doesn't do that. I was pleased that there was only the occasional ingredient that would need a trip to a specialty foods store.
There were a few cases where I think there should have been pictures of the recipe steps rather than extraneous (but interesting) pictures of other things. One example is the Seaweed Sushi Roll Recipe. I make sushi regularly for my kids, but I wouldn't recommend following this recipe. First, she said to chop the avocado and vegetables. Instead, when making sushi the cook should julienne the vegetables (including the avocado). If you did want to chop them, it would need to be a fine mince of the vegetables. Also, wrapping the bamboo in plastic wrap is not so simple. You have to wrap both sides of the map so that the plastic wrap will stay on it. One last note, when spreading the rice on the seaweed paper, getting your hands wet periodically will help you spread it--which she does note. I'm glad she mentioned that.
This fish cookbook is going to likely have a place on my shelf for a long time!
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from Storey Books.
June 26, 2017
Fresh Fish is a going to be a necessary cookbook in any seafood-loving kitchen this spring and summer. With full-page color photos of beautiful, salty coastal landscapes and plated seafood dishes, this book is a winner in my opinion.
The sections are split up and named in a very fun way, like "Things that Swim" and "Things in Shells" and include full recipes with detailed preparation instructions for each type of seafood. For instance, if you don't know how to clean, cook or open mussels, you can easily learn how with the help of this book.
Some of my favorite recipes are the Roasted Corn Chowder with Crab and Bacon and the Crab Empanadas. Just the photos and list of whole ingredients will make your mouth water.
My only complaint, however, was that because I received an advance reading copy and not the final edition going to print, the book wasn't complete. When I receive a new cookbook, one of the first things I do is scan through a recipe index to see if there are any that catch my eye. Sadly, instead of an index, there were notes between editors about changes they wanted to make to the next draft. I would purchase a hard copy of this book when it releases because the recipes look that tasty and the overall flow of the book is natural and feels complete. I'm definitely giving two thumbs up to the photographer because the photographs in this cookbook are phenomenal.
*I received an advanced reading copy from the publisher for my honest review. All opinions are my own.*
The sections are split up and named in a very fun way, like "Things that Swim" and "Things in Shells" and include full recipes with detailed preparation instructions for each type of seafood. For instance, if you don't know how to clean, cook or open mussels, you can easily learn how with the help of this book.
Some of my favorite recipes are the Roasted Corn Chowder with Crab and Bacon and the Crab Empanadas. Just the photos and list of whole ingredients will make your mouth water.
My only complaint, however, was that because I received an advance reading copy and not the final edition going to print, the book wasn't complete. When I receive a new cookbook, one of the first things I do is scan through a recipe index to see if there are any that catch my eye. Sadly, instead of an index, there were notes between editors about changes they wanted to make to the next draft. I would purchase a hard copy of this book when it releases because the recipes look that tasty and the overall flow of the book is natural and feels complete. I'm definitely giving two thumbs up to the photographer because the photographs in this cookbook are phenomenal.
*I received an advanced reading copy from the publisher for my honest review. All opinions are my own.*
March 24, 2017
I love fish. Actually, I love seafood. Most kinds of seafood--I'm on board. Not all of my family is quite so sold on it, but I couldn't wait to try some great recipes from this book. For my healthy-eating husband and shellfish hating daughter, I made Sole en Papillote. Full disclosure, I used flounder instead of sole, but that is one of the suggested substitutes. We really enjoyed this dish, and my family would be quite happy for me to make it again.
I, on the other hand, was in the mood for a full-on seafood feast, so I went to Bourride with Homemade Garlic Aioli--a delightful fish stew from Provence. Life was somewhat hectic at that moment, so the garlic aioli didn't get made, but trust me when I tell you that this is an amazing stew even without it! Oh, my! Talk about a party in your mouth!! The flavors were full on with a depth that some of the fish stews I've made haven't achieved. To make it even better, it's really an easy stew to make!
If you love seafood, or just want to learn to cook it, this is a great book for you. The recipes are clear and easy to follow, and the flavors are wonderful. Grab some seafood and fix a feast at home!
I received a copy of this book from Storey Publishing for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I, on the other hand, was in the mood for a full-on seafood feast, so I went to Bourride with Homemade Garlic Aioli--a delightful fish stew from Provence. Life was somewhat hectic at that moment, so the garlic aioli didn't get made, but trust me when I tell you that this is an amazing stew even without it! Oh, my! Talk about a party in your mouth!! The flavors were full on with a depth that some of the fish stews I've made haven't achieved. To make it even better, it's really an easy stew to make!
If you love seafood, or just want to learn to cook it, this is a great book for you. The recipes are clear and easy to follow, and the flavors are wonderful. Grab some seafood and fix a feast at home!
I received a copy of this book from Storey Publishing for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
November 27, 2015
Visually this book is fabulously presented, not only with photos but with the layout of the book. There is no cramming and trying too hard - the recipes are very simple and the take up (mostly) one page, laid out in steps and paragraphs with ingredients that are simple and easily obtained.
The book also has very good description on detail and how to prepare shellfish. Again wonderful photos and easy to follow details.
There are full page photos of the fish which look extremely delicious. The last couple of chapters cover side dishes to serve with, drinks and desserts. I love the instructions on how to build and cook for a clambake.
But what come out most in this book, is the love and care the author has with this fresh fish, she does not try to hide the flavour, rather enhances it with her cooking and presentation. A wonderful book - the hardest thing will be catching the fish - and you will want to after reading this book. This book was provide to me in return for a honest and unbiased review.
The book also has very good description on detail and how to prepare shellfish. Again wonderful photos and easy to follow details.
There are full page photos of the fish which look extremely delicious. The last couple of chapters cover side dishes to serve with, drinks and desserts. I love the instructions on how to build and cook for a clambake.
But what come out most in this book, is the love and care the author has with this fresh fish, she does not try to hide the flavour, rather enhances it with her cooking and presentation. A wonderful book - the hardest thing will be catching the fish - and you will want to after reading this book. This book was provide to me in return for a honest and unbiased review.
November 17, 2015
Netgalley ARC
This is a truly beautiful book. As a New Englander who loves seafood, I enjoyed the photos, recipes and anecdotes. I haven't tried out the recipes yet, but they look delicious. There are some very simple recipes for beginners like me, and some that are more complex. There's even a recipe for Gefilte Fish!
This is a truly beautiful book. As a New Englander who loves seafood, I enjoyed the photos, recipes and anecdotes. I haven't tried out the recipes yet, but they look delicious. There are some very simple recipes for beginners like me, and some that are more complex. There's even a recipe for Gefilte Fish!
January 2, 2016
An informative practical guide to preparing and cooking all types of fish and shellfish.
The instructions and illustrations on the book are easy to follow that even the most amateur of cooks will be able to produce the tastiest of dishes.
I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher Storey Publishing via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review.
The instructions and illustrations on the book are easy to follow that even the most amateur of cooks will be able to produce the tastiest of dishes.
I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher Storey Publishing via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review.
January 5, 2016
An informative practical guide to preparing and cooking all types of fish and shellfish.
The instructions and illustrations in the book are easy to follow that even the most amateur of cooks will be able to produce the tastiest of dishes.
I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher Storey Publishing via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review.
The instructions and illustrations in the book are easy to follow that even the most amateur of cooks will be able to produce the tastiest of dishes.
I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher Storey Publishing via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review.
January 5, 2016
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this cookbook. I thought the recipes were interesting and fresh. The pictures were beautiful and artfully done. I look forward to trying some of these recipes out.
I really enjoyed this cookbook. I thought the recipes were interesting and fresh. The pictures were beautiful and artfully done. I look forward to trying some of these recipes out.
November 12, 2016
Although I haven't tried any of them yet, the recipes in this beautifully designed and lavishly illustrated cook book made my mouth water and would certainly be useful in the kitchen of anyone who loves seafood.
December 17, 2016
Some great recipes here and I enjoyed all of the stories and history about the New England coast.
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