For the past 21 years I’ve been a pescetarian, a person who primarily gets protein not from meat but from fish and shellfish. My interest in seafood started at a young age. When I was fourteen, my father had a massive heart attack at a high school football game. After recovering from this near-fatal event, he radically altered his—and our family’s—eating habits. Gone were the cholesterol- and fat-laden prime rib, rib eye steak, and roast beef dinners. Instead, we ate heart-healthy meals of broiled flounder, baked haddock, and the occasional salmon cake.
Unfortunately, my mother, the self-appointed cook of our household, had little enthusiasm for the kitchen. As a result, she made our seafood suppers about as seasoned and succulent as sandpaper. Rather than being turned off completely by fish, I decided to look for a better way to cook it. Inspired by and armed with copies of Irma Rombauer’s The Joy of Cooking and Jane Grigson’s Fish Book, I began a war against dry, dull seafood. This battle lead to attending the Culinary Institute of America, where I learned more about how to make succulent and exciting seafood. It also inspired me to write the seafood cookbook Fish Market (Running Press, 2013) and nonfiction book Herring: A Global History (Reaktion, 2017).
Featuring over 130 creative yet manageable recipes, Fish Market serves up everything that readers need to know about choosing, storing and cooking healthful fish and shellfish. Sharing flavor affinities, food pairings and a bit of history for each dish, Fish Market takes the mystery out of selecting and enjoying seafood. Add this to your cookbook collection and you’ll enter the kitchen with confidence, ready to tackle a boatload of fish and shellfish.
While Fish Market represents a lifetime of personal and professional experiences, Herring unfurls the fascinating story of a small but historically influential fish. Known as “the silver of the sea,” this omega-3-rich fish has been the subject of wars and treaties, the basis for the founding of cities such as Amsterdam and food for both the rich and poor. In Herring I present the environmental, political, cultural and culinary background of herring. Engaging and informative,Herring will appeal not only to food lovers and history buffs but also to seafood fans and those interested in the natural world.
Available worldwide as both a book and ebook, you can purchase Fish Market and Herring in stores and online at the following locations:
