Fish Without a Doubt: The Cook's Essential Companion

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.

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.

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.

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.