Customer Reviews

Lobster Rolls and Blueberry Pie: Three Generations of Recipes and Stories from Summers on the Coast of Maine

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Even the title LOBSTER ROLLS AND BLUEBERRY PIE makes our mouths water! What a gorgeous book, filled with exquisite stories and photography and, best of all, recipes from one of our very favorite restaurants in New York City. Chef-owner Rebecca Charles of Pearl Oyster Bar on Cornelia Street in Manhattan is a passionate cook, and her passion comes through on every page of this very special book. We're planning to give it as gifts to friends who we know would share our enjoyment of a virtual getaway to the Maine Coast. Bravo, Rebecca and Deborah!

--James Beard Award-winning authors Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page

I'm not certain what book reviewer Laura Cella bought, but there are more than 75 recipes in this fabulous book, INCLUDING the Pearl Oyster Bar LOBSTER ROLL (page # 209) and their famous BLUEBERRY CRUMBLE PIE (page # 108.) My cover has a photo of the blueberry crumble pie right on the front. The oyster roll recipe also appears in the book, as well as a wonderful Blackberry Nectarine Crisp (which I just made using peaches instead of nectarinses and it came out great!) and all of the recipes for which Pearl Oyster Bar has been named one of the best restaurants in New York City. I travel to NYC once a month and never miss the chance to eat there. This book was a joy from beginning to end. Ms. Cella's review should be immediately removed for erroneous information. Buy the book, you'll love it!

The recipes in this book are excellent. Simple and down-to-earth, but surprisingly not available in other more encyclopedic books on seafood cooking. The book is beautifully laid out. As to the family history and personal biography, for my taste the book would have been better without them. I'm sure that page after page of minutiae about her relatives is fascinating to Ms. Charles, but believe me, the rest of the world is no better for them. Five stars as a cookbook, one star for effort as a memoir/family history.

I love this book. It's touching, informative, and the recipes are easy to make. The feel of the book is great too, with the vintage photos and the great design--you just want to curl up and read all about Rebecca, Eleanor and Pearle. I got a copy for every woman in my family and they are getting it for Mother's Day.

Lobster Rolls and Blueberry Pie is more then just a cookbook, but a wonderfully blended compilation of stories and recipes from Rebecca Charles childhood in Maine. The stories give context to the food that is described here and motivates one to experiment with this type of cuisine. I have never spent a summer in Maine, but after creating a few meals with the book and sharing some of the related stories with gathered guests, I feel like I have insight into this historic American culture. A must have for any cook or foodie!

I love this book. It is full of great stories and recipes--from the Blueberry Pie recipe on page 108 to the Lobster Roll recipe on page 209 and all of the other 70 recipes that are scattered throughout the 240 pages of this book. Rebecca covers everything: the history behind the food,the restaurant, and her family; she gives helpful tips so you can recreate the dishes easily at home--THERE IS NO BOOK OUT THERE THAT CAN COMPARE. It's not just another boring cookbook, it is an adventure.

I have been wanting to learn how to cook fish at home but have been afraid. This book made it so easy---it's filled with luscious shellfish recipes and SIMPLE instructions for cooking and grilling fish. Have already made the lobster roll, the scallops she made on the Today Show (hey, Al, they were the perfect golden brown!) and the shortbread. WOW! It's also a great read, the stories are delightful. Never been to Maine but now we're planning on going for Memorial Day!

I love the Pearl Oyster Bar and go everytime I visit New York City. Just like Mario Batali says on the back cover, it's the best lunch spot around. So when I saw this in Amazon's cooking section, I was thrilled! This book is summer, the beach, and the ocean, which you swear you can hear in the background as you read. What a great story! I can't imagine not being allowed to stay in a hotel because I'm Jewish. As for the food, have made half dozen or so of the recipes already and they have turned out really well. The chef has great tips for cooking fish and gets to them without a lot of daunting culinary verbage.

Anyone know the govenor of Maine ? He ought to give Rebecca a medal! Do you how many times I've seen folks saying here & there on the internet that they're going to Maine for a vaca because of her book?! Count me in.
Move over MFK Fisher!

I love narrative mixed with factual, so learning the history of a family and a place [Kennebunkport, Me.] while perusing tons of delicious recipes, was a really enjoyable experience. The subject matter, the writing style, the layout--everything was top notch. In addition to recipes, there's lots of handy food tips, like how to buy the right scallops. I would reccomend the book to anyone with interest in an enjoyable read, a good cookbook, or a beautiful coffee table book.