Amazon.com Review
In the year 2000, Americans ate an astonishing 963 million pounds of shrimp. Bruce Weinstein's relatively slim
Ultimate Shrimp Book presents 650 recipes for the titular seafood, from Shrimp à la King to XO Shrimp. Weinstein's approach is to offer "master recipes," such as those just given, followed by up to 10 "quick-take" variations for each. For example, the recipe for Shrimp Cakes is trailed by Florida-Style Shrimp Cakes, which adds lemon juice and zest; Herbed Shrimp Cakes, with parsley, thyme, and tarragon; and Louisiana-Style Shrimp Cakes, with Tabasco plus red or green pepper, and so on. Though many of the uncomplicated formulas are alluring, a number, particularly those featuring shrimp and cheese mixtures (such as a creamy dish with parmesan, blue cheese, fontina, and Asiago), have questionable appeal. However, readers will still find many worthwhile dishes to try, from old favorites, like Shrimp Rémoulade and Beer Batter Shrimp, to "newer" recipes, such as Shrimp Bengalese Stew and Szechwan Cold Garlic Shrimp. Crowd-pleasers like Shrimp Etouffée and Shrimp Paella are also covered, as are tasty shrimp snacks like Popcorn Shrimp, Shrimp Pizza, and Shrimp Tacos. With useful shrimp buying and preparation information and good notes on ingredients and equipment, the book is a handy guide to a much-loved American food.
--Arthur Boehm
From Publishers Weekly
Having tackled candy, ice cream and party drinks in his three previous "Ultimate" collections, Weinstein now turns his attention to what he recognizes as the "world's most popular fresh seafood." This is a Swiss Army Knife of a book, packing at least a half-dozen cuisines and more than 650 recipes into about 250 pages. To come up with so many variations upon a single crustacean, Weinstein is not above taking some everyday foods and simply adding a handful of shrimp. Thus, there are Shrimp Pizza, Shrimp Tacos and Shrimp Bruschetta. Also, buyer beware: only about one in five recipes is a unique entry. The others are simply alterations. Take for instance the listing for Vatapa, a Brazilian stew featuring a great concoction of flavors including peanuts, coconut milk, jalape¤os and beer. As with all the main entries, a very short introduction gives the reader serving suggestions and a dash of the dish's origin. Ingredients and instructions are then presented in concise, easy-to-follow fashion. Then, five revisions of the dish are listed (other entr‚es have anywhere from three to 10), none taking more than a few brief sentences to lay out. The Double Shrimp Vatapa recipe, for instance, merely states, "Add 2 tablespoons dried shrimp with the raw shrimp." The dishes are presented in alphabetical order, so the Etouffee finds itself between the Enchiladas and the Fajitas while various stews pop up from beginning to end. Still, those who are in a hurry to find Shrimp Curry will appreciate this utilitarian approach, and those who are not will marvel at the variety that can be found within a mere eight-page spread: Lo Mein, Maki, Mole and Mousse.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
