This is a delightful cookbook because it is so wonderfully put together. Each recipe has a few paragraphs providing background for the dish. These articles can talk about a variety of things: the history of the dish, the author's personal association with the dish (always interesting), and considerations about the ingredients, preparation, or equipment needed.
The list of ingredients also includes equivalents and the steps for preparation provides helpful information about what you can do to work ahead of time and variants. There are some beautiful color plates of selected dishes grouped in various sections of the book. The first 50 pages or so include very helpful introductory information about preparing and service seafood along with the equipment you will need and want to have to prepare it properly.
The book has eleven chapters (each with its own introduction and table of recipes for easy lookup): the first chapter lays out the basics, chapter two talks about eating seafood raw, especially oysters, clams, and such. Chapters 3 & 4 are about kettle cooking by steaming, boiling, soups, chowders, and stews. Chapter 5 uses your icebox for chilled dishes and seafood salads. You move to the grill in chapter 6 and 7 takes you to indoor cooking on your stovetop and in your oven. Chapter 8 provides favorite Shack fried dishes. You get into the morning baking of biscuits, breads, pies, and other dessert items in chapter 9. Chapter 10 takes you into drink recipes. The final chapter addresses basic sauces, dressings, and stocks you will use in preparing and serving other dishes. There is also a very useful index.
I was fortunate to meet Chef White at a special dinner here in Ann Arbor at Zingerman's Roadhouse (a wonderful place to eat anytime, by the way). Chef Alex of the Roadhouse and Chef White worked together to present more than 100 of us a sampling of starters, salad, entrees, side dishes, and desserts. While these were smaller individual portions, the sheer quantity of dishes left us all achingly full. And the delight of trying so much wonderful food (obviously prepared with care and love) made it an evening we will always remember.
Chef White talked about his philosophy for the food at his Summer Shack restaurants. He focuses on the quality of the ingredients with simple preparation that tries to present the ingredients at their best rather than trying to make them into something else. I think he said that he wanted to stay out of the way of the ingredients. This showed in the dishes we were served. It was Chef White who told us that Ari Weinzweig and Paul Saginaw, the founders of the Zingerman's businesses here in Ann Arbor were given a lifetime achievement award by Bon Appetite. We here in Ann Arbor have known about Ari and Paul for decades and our community has been blessed to have them, but it is especially nice when they get well-deserved recognition by others.
This is a very interesting book to read, the recipes are inviting to the non-professional chef because they seem to be something you can accomplish without extensive training or an incredibly well equipped kitchen. A few key pieces of equipment, some good ingredients, a ready heart and a desire to experiment and learn are all that is required.
Enjoy!
Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI
