First she brought you CRAB-succulent and fresh. Then it was sweet STONE FRUIT, followed by WILD MUSHROOMS and now SALMON. What better way to continue the wildly popular Northwest Homegrown Cookbook Series by award-winning chef and author, Cynthia Nims? Perhaps you'd like to start your day with the Salmon, Potato and Sweet Onion Breakfast Bake, or get your party going with a Deviled Salmon Skewers appetizer, or really wow your guests with a main course of Sesame-Crusted Salmon Steaks with Wasabi Butter. As with her first three books, Cynthia tells the story of Northwest cuisine-in this case salmon-includes a long list of recipes to choose from and, as always, offers plenty of tips for buying, storing, and cooking salmon. A ""calendar of events"" appears as bonus material. Simple or challenging, fast or project-style, these recipes, helpful hints, and colorful illustrations will have beginner and expert chefs alike experimenting with Cynthia's inventive ideas. Featuring sumptuous watercolor illustrations by Don Barnett, the latest book in the Northwest Homegrown Cookbook Series is a reference that lovers of the Northwest cuisine should not-cannot-be without.
Cynthia Nims is a lifelong Northwesterner who grew up surrounded by some of the best food in the country. She has authored and co-authored over 20 books; the most recent is Oysters, released in January 2016 (Sasquatch Books). Cynthia holds the Grand Diplôme d’Etudes Culinaires from La Varenne cooking school in France, where she worked on numerous cookbooks with owner Anne Willan. Previously editor of Simply Seafood magazine and food editor of Seattle Magazine, Cynthia is now a contributor to Cooking Light, Alaska Airlines Magazine, Sunset, and other magazines. Among previous book projects is Salty Snacks, Gourmet Game Night and Rover's: Recipes from Seattle's Chef in the Hat. She also contributed content on Northwest cuisine to Williams-Sonoma’s Savoring America and to Culinaria: The United States. Cynthia is an active member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals (currently Immediate Past President of the board of directors) and Les Dames d’Escoffier. Her blog, Mon Appétit, can be found at www.monappetit.com.
Salmon, in all of its wonderful variety -- King (Chinook, Tyee), Red (Sockeye), Coho (Silver), Chum (Keta, Dog) and Pink (Humpey) -- is the treasured fish of the Pacific Coast. Cooks from Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and Northern California excel in the preparation of this fish. Cynthia Nims, a true Northwesterner, has written the fourth book in her "Northwest Homegrown Cookbook Series" and devoted it entirely to salmon. To prepare to write this book, she spent time with professional chefs, commercial fishermen, sports fishermen and Native Americans who subsist on salmon. The text tells the story of Northwest salmon both historically and biologically. She guides the reader in the purchase, cleaning, butchering, and preparing of salmon dishes, including grilling, baking, steaming, pan-frying, poaching, planking, curing and even deep-frying. Some of her recipes are classic' a number are truly surprising, e.g. Sesame-Crusted Salmon Steaks with Wasabi Butter, and Tea-Smoked Salmon on Romaine Almond Salad. As with her other books on crab, stone fruits and wild mushrooms, she offers a lagniappe of salmon festivals, direct vendors, and sources of further information.
There were some scrumptious sounding recipes in this book. The watercolor illustrations added a lot of interest as well. I will definitely be trying a lot of these recipes in the near future. Especially Salmon and Sunchoke Chowder and King Salmon with Rainier Cherries, Broken Balsamic Reduction, and Smoky Almond Beurre Noisette!