Christina's Cookbook: Recipes and Stories from a Northwest Island Kitchen [Hardcover]

Christina Orchid (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 7, 2004

Deeply evocative of the San Juan Islands, the recipes and ingredients ofChristina's Cookbookgive readers a flavorful tour through all of the area's eddies, bays, and gardens. Just for starters, readers can try recipes for Crab Fondue and Fennel Breadsticks, Mussels with Garden Lilies and Curry, or Singing Scallops with Sweet Cicely and Cider. Add to this a side dish of charming tales and worldwide adventures, and the innovative recipes become all the more enticing. Roasted Halibut comes with a story on how it got its glaze; a millionaire playboy in the South of France is behind the delicious lamb recipe; and if readers want to discover how icy Doug Fir Granitas came to be served at the James Beard House, they can open up to the chapter on desserts (which also includes Poached Cherries and Lavender Ice Cream). For fans of authentic northwest cooking and seafood alike, this colorful cookbook is deliciously entertaining.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Over the past 25 years, Orchid's intimate restaurant, Christina's, situated over a refurbished gas station on Orcas Island north of Seattle, has developed a local cult following as well as become a pilgrimage destination for foodies. With her first book, Orchid shares the robust approach to American cooking that has won her so many fans. Bringing together her grandparents' ranch traditions, basic French and Italian techniques and the Northwest's abundant local ingredients, she has produced an appealing volume that showcases both her skill and her down-to-earth philosophy. Orchid's impeccably clear and simple recipes are organized around the parts of the meal—appetizers, salads, main courses, etc.—interspersed with essays on ingredients (tomatoes, salmon) and objects (tools). There are familiar dishes, such as Planked Salmon, but also a happy abundance of more idiosyncratic Orchid twists, including her signature chutneys and breadsticks, as well as dishes like Cold Halibut Ceviche Soup, Grilled Sturgeon with Blueberry Chutney, and Pomegranate Lamb Chops. Those living outside the Northwest may find certain ingredients hard to find (e.g., Ling cod, sockeye and Dungeness crab), but Orchid's fondness for pairing strong natural flavorings is within the reach of most dedicated home cooks. Photos.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"In the sea of restaurant cookbooks, Christina’s is an island from an island. From the story of her restaurant’s creation to her reflections on oysters, her writing is so personal and engaging it’s like sharing dinner conversation with a cherished friend

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Sasquatch Books (September 7, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570614032
• ISBN-13: 978-1570614033
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 0.9 x 9.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,071,861 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stories of an Island Gem, December 8, 2004

By 

Old Night Editor - See all my reviews

This review is from: Christina's Cookbook: Recipes and Stories from a Northwest Island Kitchen (Hardcover)

As customers who have already enjoyed Christina's restaurant--which, as expats visiting from France, my family and I stumbled into 20 years ago--we may be biased. But this is more than a compendium of the wonderful cuisine we have enjoyed there, more than the sum of welcome and ambiance (and WHAT a view from the deck overlooking the waters of Eastsound!). Christina knows how to write as well as to cook. The little essays about discovering food as she grew up in the Pacific Northwest bring the recipes to life. They also provide a capsule history of a generation: from the wheat fields of eastern Washington to the burgeoning restaurants of Portland, Oregon, to the lovely little island north of Seattle (Orcas) that is home to the gem she created as a single mom a couple of decades ago. Read the book. Go to the restaurant. Live some history!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy, Elegant Food from a Beautiful Island, September 24, 2007

By 

Biran Sefar (Gooding, ID United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Christina's Cookbook: Recipes and Stories from a Northwest Island Kitchen (Hardcover)

We purchased this book during a visit to the most beautiful of the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington State, Orcas Island. The food reminds me so much about what I love about Orcas Island. Fresh, natural, organic foods prepared simply to create an elegant evening for any home. You will love this book. Every recipe is a supreme delight!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good ratio of keeper recipes, January 15, 2006

By 

Debra Nichols (Orcas Island, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Christina's Cookbook: Recipes and Stories from a Northwest Island Kitchen (Hardcover)

Christina opened her restaurant on beautiful Orcas Island over 25 years ago and it's still a restaurant we recommend to visitors as a must. Before it was fashionable she began her restaurant committed to fresh local ingredients and seasonal recipes. We love her cookbook because it's designed that way with pages dedicated to tomatoes, apples or oysters and we love her stories about growing up in the Northwest and how that shaped her vision of food. The best thing is the percentage of recipes we'd make again - always our judge of a great cookbook. We love her crab fondue, her steamed clams with thyme and lemon vodka, her picnic chicken liver terrine, roasted vegetable salad with tomato caper vinegrette, hot and sour fish soup... and there's lots more. Makes your mouth water doesn't it!!!!!!