The Legal Sea Foods Cookbook [Paperback]

George Berkowitz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1988

From Boston's favorite seafood restaurant, a generous haul of simple recipes that bring out the best in fresh fish, shellfish, and other ocean bounty, plus answers to myriad questions about seafood.

Illustrated

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The Legal Sea Foods restaurants are a Boston institution, and deservedly so. Owner Berkowitz's philosophy is that the best fish is just "fresh fish cooked simply," and his cookbook is a valuable primer on choosing high quality fish and cooking it to enhance, not overwhelm, its flavor. There are separate sections on fish and shellfish; on buying, cleaning, and filleting fish (and on how to eat a lobster); and on basic cooking techniques. The recipes are uncomplicated, but range from traditional Clam Chowder to an unusual Smoked Bluefish Pate. Recommended. JS
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Publisher

From Boston's favorite seafood restaurant, a generous haul of simple recipes that bring out the best in fresh fish, shellfish, and other ocean bounty, plus answers to myriad questions about seafood.

Illustrated

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Main Street Books; 1 edition (March 1, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385231830
• ISBN-13: 978-0385231831
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,119,416 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The experts on seafood reveal (some) of their secrets, April 10, 2001

By 

Joanna Daneman (Middletown, DE USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Legal Sea Foods Cookbook (Paperback)

I once worked conveniently down the street from a Legal's Restaurant, which was a good thing, because everyone who visited me had to make a pilgrimage to the mecca of seafood restaurants.

I have to admit, their fish and chowder was excellent So if you are far from a Legal's, you can reproduce some of their famous fish recipes with this book, which I might add costs about the same as a lunch there.

Yes, the clam chowder is in here. So is important advice on how to store fish you buy. You won't be able to reproduce everything at Legal's, and if your local fishmonger has less than top quality fish, the flavor will also suffer. Still, a good book on fish and if you only could have one book on fish cooking, this is a good choice.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A good cookbook, but buy the latest version for an update on seafood, April 18, 2010

By 

Robin (Bethesda, Moldova, Republic of) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Legal Sea Foods Cookbook (Paperback)

There are a lot of thngs I like about the 1988 version of The Legal Seafoods Cookbook. It's got a good overview of fish and shellfish, how to select it and the author's philosophy on cooking seafood, which is pure New England. I grew up in New England, and the Legal Seafoods belief that the best way to cook fish is to find the very freshest, best you can buy, and cook it with subtle seasonings or just butter or olive oil, goes along with my own tastes.

Because of this, this is the rare restaurant cookbook whose recipes you can whip up after work--assuming that you stopped at the fish counter or fish market on the way home.

As the authors of this book recognised (by putting out a new edition), seafood health guidelines and availablity, have changed since the late 80s. If you are buying The Legal Seafoods Cookbook for a background on fish, which fish to cook and how much fish is healthy in a diet, you are better off with the recent edition, which gives you that information.

Legal Seafoods was ahead of its time when the owners began talking the need to protect our fish and fishing grounds. Its nice to see that they are as concerned as ever about what we eat.

10 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars IF It isn't fresh, it is not Legal!, September 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Legal Seafoods Cookbook (Hardcover)

Whenever I am in Boston, I am sure to go to Legals, with this cookbook I am able to bring some of my favorite dishes to my home. good recipes..