Customer Reviews

Fish Without a Doubt: The Cook's Essential Companion

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Do I need another cookbook? Well, I guess I did, if my first experience with this one is a foretaste (!) of what I can expect. I'm writing this after just finishing one of the best dinners I've ever experienced. I made the Sauteed Char with Hoisin Glaze and Wasabi Butter Sauce (p.238), although I used salmon. And, instead of bok choy or wilted cabbage, I made the Asian slaw (p.453). While the list of sauces seem intimidating, they are all quite easy and can be done well in advance of the final preparation of the fish -- and they add, oh, so much. If nothing else, the Hoisin Glaze is a revelation of how much a truly simple sauce can elevate a boring piece of sauteed salmon into something delectable. Thank you, chefs Moonen and Finamore. There are a couple of purring adults right now in Highlands Ranch, Colorado.

This hefty book has all you need to know to cook fish and shellfish. The recipes are clear and descriptive. I like that the authors help you "see" with their words, as in this advice from Oyster Stew: "Cook just until the edges of the oysters curl; they'll look like ruffled petticoats."

As a relatively inexperienced fish cook, I appreciated the section up front called Preparing Fish and Shellfish for Cooking and Serving. It's a step-by-step guide, fully illustrated with black and white photos, showing how to clean and filet a round fish, shell and devein shrimp, prep scallops, clean squid, shuck clams and oysters and prepare lobster.

The cookbook missed the fifth star because of the lack of nutritional information for each recipe, and for too few photos. The 41 color images included are luscious.

Under the dust jacket is a cover that has the same art except for the reviews on the back cover.

Some other good new cookbooks: Hungry Girl, Deceptively Delicious and The Most Decadent Diet Ever!.

Here's the chapter list:

INTRODUCTION
1. Fish and Health
2. Sustainable Seafood

THE BASICS
3. Is It Cooked?
4. The Fish Cook's Kitchen
5. Preparing Fish and Shellfish for Cooking and Serving
6. Shopping for Fish
7. Storing Fish and Shellfish
8. Notes on the Fish in This Book

LET'S COOK
9. Poaching
10. Steaming and Boiling
11. Broiling
12. Grilling -- Stovetop and Outdoor -- and Smoking
13. Baking and Roasting
14. Searing and Sautéing
15. Frying
16. Shellfish Appetizers and First Courses
17. Chowders, Soups and Stews
18. Salads, Ceviches and Gravlax
19. Fish Cakes and Burgers
20. Pasta and Rice
21. Salsas and Relishes
22. Sauces, Vinaigrettes and Spice Mixes
23. Essential Sides

Everything I've tried from this book so far has been unbelievably delicious. The citrus roasted lobster and citrus lobster salad are a home run. I wasn't too sure about the marinade ingredients (combining citrus juices with fish sauce and mint leaves?) but I recalled that the kitchen testers from Gourmet Mag. said everything was amazing, so I gave it a try and I'm glad I did.

As far as the indexing to recipes on others pages mentioned by a previous reviewer, I wasn't crazy about that, either. However, the end result more than compensates. Regarding the quantities, my husband came up with a perfect solution for the marinade: He decided to use the citrus marinade and make roasted shrimp, but he also chose to cook the marinade and then save it in the fridge. Then we decided to experiment and try some tilapia in the cooked marinade, grilling it afterward. It was the best tilapia I've ever had. I'm very glad to have this cookbook. Be aware that some of the recipes do make a lot of food, so you may want to try a half recipe or something, especially if you're cooking for two.

Wonderful cookbook! The contents include cooking methods and recipes, but I find the sections such as how to buy fish, detailed descriptions of various fishes, and which fish to avoid, equally useful. Somehow this author had taken the mystery out of cooking fish, and the results of his recipes are very good. I've owned hundreds of cookbooks, many of which are no longer on my shelves. This one is a keeper.

This book was described to me as being for people who are very uncertain of cooking fish at home, so I wasn't sure how useful it would be for a family that already cooks fish relatively frequently. The answer: it's a great cookbook regardless of your comfort level with fish because of the varied recipes and how tasty the results are. The sauces, marinades, and spice combinations are different than I've seen elsewhere and the results have made us go back for more. Our favorite so far is a bizarre-sounding ceviche with Asian ingredients like fish sauce and hoisin sauce. My husband, who loves Mexican-style ceviche, said, "We're making that?" and afterwards said, "We're making that again!" One feature we like is how the recipes call for a particular fish but have a section labeled "Accept Substitutes" that suggests other fish or shellfish that will work equally well. That gives us latitude when shopping. As another reviewer mentioned, some of the best recipes are for things that go *with* the fish. We loved a tomatillo salsa that we made along with some grilled shrimp and squid.

I have only cooked 3 recipes but they were all wonderful. I have always been a bit hesitant to cook fish but this book is bringing me out of my shell (pun intended). The writers really break down the complexity and discuss process in very understandable terms. I highly recommend this book for the novice fish cooker.

This is a criply written, witty, utterly indispensable cookbook for anybody interested in eating well while treating this planet's resources responsibly. Ignore the dope above. If you savor things aquatic, buy this book. I'm sure I'll be cooking happily from it for years.

I visited RM restaurant in Vegas a few years ago and can not stop going back again and again. So, when I learned that Rick Moonen wrote a book, I had to have it. I've tried some recipes and loved them. They are very simple and delicious. Even my daughter who is not seafood lover like I am loved the fish with Hoisin Glaze and many other recipes. So, if you want your kids to eat fish - buy the book. The interesting thing is that the book caters to people who are afraid to cook seafood at home to the professional chefs. It offers tons of great recipes and pointers on purchasing fresh sustainable fish. I loved it and would recommend to anyone.

I don't always agree with 'Gourmet' but they were on the money with this book. Cleanly written, covered all the basic questions and then some, and also informed the reader of how overfishing can hurt the fish population. I will purchase this book for my library.

This book has a recipe for linguine and clams that was printed in Gourmet magazine; I've made that a half-dozen times and it's always great. If you do that recipe, triple the chili flake to increase the awesomeness. I finally bought the book and have done a handful of the dishes in it thus far. Overwhelming positives include a) the recipes are clear and easy to follow, they're not easy, but they're straightforward and you can get the dish right the first time, b) he includes substitutes for every receipe which is fantastic if you can't find a certain fish, and c) he has various side dishes or complements and even details how to plate dishes, which is wonderful. After making a half-dozen underwhelming halibut filets from other sources, I've now made two smashes in a row (the poached halibut with green curry and sauteed with harissa tomato sauce). Really good book, buy it.