Fish and Seafood Books

Compiled and organized by John Schumacher (chef and operator of the New Prague Hotel B&B), The Ultimate Game & Fish Cookbook features over 400 savory recipes each of which is specifically designed to bring succulent flavor out of a wild bounty of fish, birds, small game and big game animals. Color photographs and helpful hints enhance the explicit instructions to making such original dishes as Dandelion and Nasturtium Fish Salad; Wild Cherry Breast Of Pheasant; Black Beer And Game Stew; and so much more. The Ultimate Game & Fish Cookbook is an ideal addition to the kitchen cookbook collection of any family who hunts, fishes or traps wild game of any kind for their dining room table.

Compiled, edited, and designed by cookbook author S.G.B. Tennant, Jr., Wild At The Table: 275 Years Of North American Fish & Game Recipes is more than just another compilation of recipes. It presents the American culinary history of preparing wild game and fish from colonial times to the modern day against a background of stories, sidebars, graphics, cooking customs, traditions, and cuisines. From Barbequed Pheasant Halves; Yuletide Roast Goose; Salt Mountain Moose Roast; Butterflied Squirrel; Batter-Fried Bluegills; and George Washington's Black Sea Bass Roast; to Stuffed Colossal Tiger Prawns; Spiny Lobster Newburg; Terrine of Boar and Venison; Crab Alfredo with Pasta and Black Pepper, Wild At The Table dishes covers all manner of game and fish. Offering information on "Resources and Suppliers" and a not-to-be missed is the unusual chapter for the novice on "Hazards of the Wild Kingdom: Cockleburrs in the Wild Salad". Wild At The Table is a welcome addition to personal, professional, and community library cookbook collections.

The Wild-n-Tame, Fish-n-Game Cookbook is limitless when it come to the creative preparation of the outdoors! We have an entire bookcase dedicated to cookbooks in our home, but the Wild-n-Tame Fish-n-Game is the one that we now reach for. With hundreds of easy to follow recipes anyone from the gourmet chef to the weekend B-B-Q'er will appreciate a cookbook like this. I received this book as a gift because my freezer was filled with fish, venison, and dove that no one in my family would eat. After experimenting with many of the easy to follow recipes, my family changed their attitudes and appetites to wild game. I have used several of the fish and deer recipes as well as the duck and dove, to which we have never been disapointed! I must admit, I have not been bold enough to go near a skunk, much less try the skunk recipe, but it does sound very adventuresome! If your family is tired of that "old family recipe" you always prepare, try a new twist on cooking your outdoor game. Since receiving this book, we have always taken it to the deer lease and on our camping trips. Thanks Amazon for having such quality material that "caters" to the outdoors people!

great pictures, nutritional values, cooking tips, - a must have for anyone in the restaurant biz!

Mark Kurlansky has created a truly enjoyable, historical narrative of a fish that has influenced many aspects of world history. Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World, is a book that any food connoisseur, history buff, fisherman, or someone simply interested in fish, will appreciate.

The book's main strength is the integration of facets of history to support the idea of cod's impact on the world. Within are discussed the influences of cod on wars, discovery, settlement, technology, gastronomy, and the effects of the dwindling cod stock.

The tragic story epitomized by cod is masterfully told by Kurlansky. Until recently, the mindset of society made it impossible to fathom that such a prolific organism could ever be depleted. The book exposes a poignant message about the increasing problem of overexploitation of resources, which I believe was the author's inspiration.

The only weakness of Cod is that there is so much history included in this relatively small book that it is somewhat overwhelming. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book and have recommended it to others. After digesting Cod, one realizes that the codfish not only influenced diets and economies, but helped steer the course of world history.

Kurlansky takes the reader on a voyage from the beginning of the cod fishing industry through its almost complete collapse due to overfishing. He explores the effect of the industry on colonization of the New World, the Revolutionary War, slavery and more. This book was written first to show the important place cod has in the history of the world and second to warn of what can happen to natural resources if they are limitlessly exploited. This book was well written and easy to read, it was almost like reading a novel. Kurlansky added interest by including six hundred years of cod recipes, putting one at the beginning of every chapter and a section at the end of the book. A main strength of the book was that it covered a significant amount of history in very few pages. The only weakness of the book was that there were no endnotes or footnotes which left me unable to easily find the origin or support of information presented. My overall evaluation of this book is that is was very informative while still being enjoyable to read. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in natural history, ecology, fish, or conservation.

An interesting perspective on not just the poor cod but of all of the great creatures in the sea on which humankind has feasted over the centuries.

I must clarify. I am not a big lover of fish in the first place, so I am biased. But I come away from this book wanting a lot more (more information about the fish wars, about how the moratorium is working, why the moratorium in Scandinavian water is working) and less information (recipes).

I know, I am rating down what most people love this book for. But I wanted a more historical take then this book provided. If you are looking for lively reading and interesting cod recipes and a brief pre-cursor on Cod Fishing, then this is a your book. If you would like something more in depth, then this is not it.

It is difficult to imagine that the history of a fish would in any way be important or even enjoyable, but Mark Kurlansky pulls it off in COD.

In this book, Kurlansky makes a compelling case that codfish was a driving force in many of histories turning points, including the discovery of America. With the need for the fish for everything form Spanish dinner tables to feeding Caribbean slaves, finding--and retaining--sources of cod becomes an imperative for nation after nation. Cod, it turns out, is a commodity worth dying for at many points in history.

Kurlansky explores how cod made fortunes for Boston merchants, changes the economy of Iceland and kept generations of Newfoundland and Gloucester fishermen working. And he demonstrates how overfishing has undermined the economy of parts of New England and Canada.

Chock full of interesting pictures and recipes for cod from various points in history, this book moves along at a good pace. It left me wanting more and I recommend it highly.

After hearing Trevor Corson speak on the radio about sushi, I picked up his book because I wanted to learn more about one of my favorite foods. The Zen of Fish follows a new student through a sushi course at the California Sushi Academy. Mixed in with the story of the student and her classmates are historical facts and other information about things related to sushi such as fish, knives, rice, and etiquette.

While I was reading the book, I couldn't help feeling annoyed by the passages about Kate, the student going through the school. She's inept, clumsy, ditzy, and just not that interesting. I was more interested in the actual tidbits of information about sushi than Kate's classes.

I would have rated this book higher if it only contained the informational passages about the Japanese cuisine. Those parts were interesting and worth reading for anyone who likes sushi, but the other parts felt like a waste of time. Corson might have been trying to get readers to relate to Kate, but he would have been more successful if he had chosen a stronger student from the class to follow.

You will never look the same way at Sushi again. Great Book. Highly recommended.

I learned quite a bit about sushi from reading this book. The history of sushi is rich, interesting, and revealing. For example, did you know that sushi started out as a way of preserving fish in rice? And, according to Corson, it tasted like aged cheese?! (And wait till you read about how miso is made...you'll never order it again without having a certain image in your head!) Trevor Corson does a fine job in explaining the evolution of sushi and the array of fish that has made it such a favorite to so many people outside of Japan. Corson also traces the story of sushi chef in-training, Kate, and her classmates at a southern California sushi school; this gives the book a personal touch. If you love sushi, as I do, you will enjoy this book.

Not sure what a few of these reviewers expected from this book. Certainly this is not a novel. What you have in this book is a means to learn more about sushi, rolls and sashimi; More about the sea creatures and vegetation that adorn sushi; more about the Sushi Academy in California; More about sushi chefs; and more about the environment of all of this blended together. This book met those needs for me. I feel what author Corson has done here, is wrapped a lot of potentially dry information about sushi and fish and etc. around people who brim with personality and fun. Sushi is a very traditional food...but it is also a very fun food. Corson shows us this. In the journey of doing so, all the potentially dry facts are brought to life by the stories he weaves together...most brilliantly in my opinion. If you are new to sushi or maybe even well versed in the front end of the sushi restaraunt...you will enjoy this book. I learned a LOT. Armed with this book and a great Ken Sushi DVD offered on Amazon and books like The Complete Book Of Sushi by Hideo Dekura, Brigid Treloar, and Ryuichi Yoshii...I now feel comfortable and inspired enough to sit in front of a sushi chef at a sushi bar and even try to make my own! Good job Trevor...and thank you. Now...on to Tsukiji...another intriguing book I see.

Sushi's origins, chiefs, and the fish which comprise the sushi dishes are reviewed here in THE ZEN OF FISH, an excellent survey by a journalist who shadows several American sushi novices and a Japanese master chef, revealing their drama, secrets and influences. From sushi's origins as an Indo-Chinese mainstay meal to its evolution to modern times, THE ZEN OF FISH offers many intriguing insights into how sushi came to the American table, and will reach not only general interest public libraries strong in culinary history, but college-level collections strong in either Asian history and culture or food preparation.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

As with How to Cook Everything, many of Bittman's recipes could not have been tested before publishing and seem as though they were concocted at his desk.

This book opened up a world of cooking fish that I had missed throughout my life. Great recipes, great explainations. Exceptional. I have been giving it as a gift to my fishing buddies.

a little outdated but still gives great advice and good recipes. all you ever wanted to know about cod but were afraid to ask.

This book was ordered as a gift. The recipient, my daughter, called me and said she went through the book and has marked off all the recipes that she wants to try. Her best friend is jealous and wants one too!

This is the best book I have found for preparing and cooking all types of fish. This book is particularly useful as a gift for someone who wants to serve fish to others, but cannot or will not eat it themselves due to allergies, illness etc. If the directions are simply followed, it will turn out great and you don't need to sample the dish before serving (unless, like me, you just can't help yourself!).

this is an exelent modern japanese cookbook, exelent basics tips, nobu really takes care for the products.

The book was in perfect shape, and it arrived promptly. This was a very good transaction, thank you

'nobu THE cookbook' by Nobuyuki Matsuhisa is Nobu's first cookbook and as he has a new title on the bookstands now, I thought it was high time I got around to reviewing it.

For starters, I must say I rank photographic flash way down on my list of criteria for a good cookbook. I have very little use for cookbooks used to grace a coffee table, since I have no coffee table. So, If impressive looking cookbooks from famous chefs is your cup of tea, then this is an excellent book. Otherwise, it doesn't do a lot for me.

For starters, while the book deals almost exclusively with fish cookery and raw fish dishes, the introductory material on techniques, especially knife techniques is pretty thin. The story on sushi prep is that it takes years to learn everything you need to know about good knife techniques, and we are given but a half a page without even some pictures of the types of knives used in the three techniques described.

I will say that most of the recipes are relatively simple, as long as you have the right skills, but the ingredients for a lot of the dishes are somewhere between difficult and impossible to find. The poster boy for this state of affairs is abalone. Throughout my whole life, I have never seen fresh abalone available on the east coast fishmonger's counter. Now, I suspect this Pacific shellfish is endangered almost to the point of extinction. But, as Bob Kinkaid so eloquently says in his cookbook, high end restaurants can get things which are simply beyond the reach of the average shopper.

If this were a book on classic Japanese cookery, I would have a higher opinion of it, but it is a song to the virtues of Nobu Matsuhisa. It is a very pretty song, well graced with paeons from business partner Robert DeNiro, best bud, Martha Stewart, and about twenty testimonial blurbs from the culinary greats.

If your thing is good books on and about celebrity chefs, buy this book. But, if your interest is Japanese cooking in general, start with Shizuo Tsuji's 'Japanese Cooking, A Simple Art'.

The recipes in this cook book are truly exceptional. The photography is beautiful and they aid in designing the finished dishes so they look beautiful as well as apetizing. I had a dinner for my relatives and used about 5 recipes from this cook book in one night. You know you have a good cookbook when all the guests talk about is the food! The only caveat would be for folks who don't have access to a good asian grocery store to find the ingredients or those who don't have the patience to do detailed prep work. For the gourmet cook who loves to please thier guests with the best dining experience--this cookbook will rock your world.

Kodansha's corporate big wigs are Nobu fans so when he chose them to publish his first cook book, they decided to match the quality of the book to the quality of Nobu's ingredients. They used an eight colour separation process (absurdly expensive) for all the fish pictures, and try as you might you can't really see the dots that compose the image, at least not without a magnifying glass.

Nobu's aim is to proudly lay himself open to his public. He doesn't fear revealing his secrets because he's confident enough to know his style and character are unique to him. He wants to inspire amateur chefs.

Here are three of the simpler dishes that anyone could make.

1) Sea urchin in a shiitake mushroom cap, wrapped in steamed spinach, served on an egg sauce with a spoonful of salmon roe

2) Asparagus topped with salmon roe

3) Steamed monkfish liver with caviar

As the saying goes, the media is the message and the pictures actually help the amateur chef no end. With the superb pictures that accompany the recipes, you can execute these dishes almost from the name of the recipe alone. Without the pictures, you can't.

One caveat. Nobu is a name dropper. I've no doubt that Robert De Niro, Martha Stewart, Ken takakura, and Linda Evans really are his friends but he mentions famous names too often for my taste. On the other hand when I went to Nobu Tokyo during Nobu week, he was there and toured the dining room. He stopped by our table and signed a copy of his book for me. So he's not too proud to smile and have chat with us rabble; he really likes his customers.

Vincent Poirier, Tokyo

I needed a gift for my brother who has a great sense of humor and loves hunting. It arrived quickly and in great condition. He laughed when he saw the cover and his wife was glad to have the recipes.

Kill It and Grill It: Ted and Shemane Nugent's Guide to Preparing & Cooking Wild Game and Fish

This "creative" cookbook is a hunter's dream. And the recipes definitely don't all "taste like chicken". Get ready for a wild experience--after the kill.

The kill it & grill it cook book for game is good for a shelf book by a rock star. I felt that some of the game listed was somewhat on the exotic side. I was looking for more of a local northeastern USA taste.

This is a gift for my significant other who loves to hunt and likes classic rock, so what could be better? Entertaining to read and the recipies look great - can't wait to try it!

Very well written recipes and the stories are awesome - both Ted and Shemane's. This is a must have for the sportsman who enjoys the "spoils of his kill"

This is a must have for every library of cookbooks. The recipies translate very well in the home kichen. Although Roy's "Roy's Fish and Seafood: Recipies from the Pacific Rim"(a newer book) share some of the same recipies and has many that are new and wonderful, "Roy's Feasts from Hawaii", is the first book to add if you dont have it. it tends to be a little more simple and focused.

I have eaten at Roy's (Seattle) three times now. Each time, I have loved the seafood! Not only were the dishes excellent, but the presentation was awesome as well. As I said, I don't have the book, but I highly recommend the restaurants. :) I plan to buy the book too, since I love preparing nice dinners for my friends & boyfriend.

Anyone who has eaten at Roy's will undoubtedly get excited at the prospect of making something out of this book. The layout alone will be inspiring with all the beautiful pictures of Hawaii and the food itself. However, novices beware, this is not cooking 101. There is quite a bit of prep for most recipes - sauces that need to be made requiring a multitude of ingredients before you even get to the core of the recipe - resulting in hours of work. I could see this being ok in a restaurant environment where many of these things are made in advance and put together on order, but for the haole home cook it is a little much. Additionally, I have never been that happy with the results of my labor. My husband and I are fairly good cooks and always look at each other as we ponder why it is just not as good as we think it should be. Maybe it is missing the view of Molokini, I don't know.

I've owned and used "Feasts from Hawaii" for several years. Roy's combination of asian flavors and french cooking techniques brings new excitement to your dinner table. Yes, the recipes are labor intensive and it is essential to have a source for asian ingredients as well as excellent seafood, but the results will make you feel you have discovered NEW FOOD! His pizza dough, which is sweetened with honey, is one of the best. You can pare down the recipes and serve interesting food or go for the presentation and cook like a pro. I would recommend this book to anyone who feels their cooking is growing stagnant with repeat flavors and themes. The recipes are challenging enough to make the work interesting and your family or guests will be completely content. Also, many of the sauces required for "a drizzle or drops" can be frozen and used as needed, or be a basis for other dinners during the week.

I bought this book after eating at the restaurant in Palm Springs. I'm in no way the most experienced cook out there, but I had no trouble understanding the directions - even to fix his Peking-style duck - and the recipes I prepared tasted almost as good as the restaurant.

If you don't live near an Asian grocery, you may have trouble finding some ingredients. However, most of the "foreign" ingredients called for are very common at any Asian store - even a very small one. I was even able to get the specific brand of red chile paste he recommended at a tiny Asian market by my house without going to the larger Asian grocery downtown.

Plus, most of his recipes do call for the same basic chili pastes and spices, so I wasn't discouraged by the thought of buying a whole bunch of bottles only to use a teaspoon out of each one.

Excellent book, and well worth the money, in my opinion.