Fishes & Dishes Ckbk

I highly recommend this lovely cookbook, a worthy work by worthy women! It is very well-written, and the recipes are wonderful; the instructions are so clear that even I may be able to learn to cook seafood properly. And then there are the sea stories. Oh, my! Anyone who loves seafood will enjoy this book.

I liked the title and the picture on the cover and that was just the beginning. What Bright, Brave, awesome woman. This cook book is very similar to reading a novel - I couldn't put it down. And I learned quite a bit too. The Gals covered every aspect of Alaskan fishing with terminology, types of fishing vessels, methods of preparing and freezing seafood, drinks to inbibe with your seafood and amazing stories of true life adventures. Loved every bit of the book and am now reading it for the 2nd time. I have prepared a couple recipes and can't wait to cook some more. Thank-you girls.

There is something so dramatic, so compelling, about the sea and the stories of those who go out to do battle with her, putting their very lives at risk to put food on our tables. I am not sure how many woman are involved in the fishing industry in Alaska, but this delightful book, Fishes and Dishes, as well at giving us 80 delicious seafood recipes, some beautiful photographs, and charming illustrations by one of the authors, gives the reader about 30 short essays..and a couple of haikus ..that are, as the title say, "Salty Stories from Alaska's Commercial Fisherwomen". There are stories about how Captain Tomi Marsh first bought her boat, the F/V Savage in Brooklyn NY, how she hired her sister Kiyo to work for her one summer, a summer that turned into five years as deckhand and cook, crabbing in the Bering Sea, longline fishing for cod and halibut and tendering salmon. There are stories of love found at sea, fighting 30 foot seas in their little 78 foot boat, and how a small black cat, who oddly shared the name of my imaginary Kitty, came to take up residence on the Savage. One thing they all have in common is giving a little perspective on a group of adventurous women working in the male-dominated fishing industry in Alaska, a "rugged environment, filled with the beauty and stunning fury that is Mother Nature...nothing if not invigorating." But best of all perhaps are all the wonderful sounding recipes, many with a Pan-Asian flavor. There are items for breakfast and brunch like Sweet Corn Cakes with Shrimp, Crab Foo Young with Garvy and a Crab, Bacon and Asparagus Frittata. The Jade Dumpling sound delicious and being a great fan of clams, I will have to soon try the Sake Steamed Clams, with sake, ginger and soy. There are salads like Shrimp and Orzo Salad with pesto, Roasted Tomatoes and Snow Peas, soups like Thai Clam Chowder and Catch of the Day Main Courses like Mizo-Glazed Black Cod and Seafood Enchiladas. They even throw in a chapter on Libations like the Ancient Mariner and a Sea Breeze and an essay on how to pair wine and fish. There is an introductory chapter on basic seafood preparation like how to debone a fish and debeard mussels which many who are a little scared of cooking seafood will find helpful and an explanation of some more unusual ingredients. Most of the seafood used in the recipes...and the authors would certainly suggest we buy Wild Alaskan and substantially fished seafood...are things most of us have access to, with the exception perhaps of a recipe or two for halibut cheeks and geoduck. No, the only place I have ever seen geoduck was on the TV show Dirty Jobs, another favorite. This is a very nice book that I would recommend not only as a very nice cookbook but also an attractive and entertaining book about fisherwomen in Alaska.

One of the most unique seafood cookbooks ever. The book is full of creative diverse recipe's plus amazing tales of adventure. From fishing crab on one of the smallest boats in the dangerous waters of the Bering Sea, to longlining for black cod and halibut, and tendering in beautiful Southeast Alaska, these intrepid women have nearly done it all. This cookbook covers all the basics, but goes much further by adding information about fishing methods, superstitions, salmon basics, food and wine pairings, nautical drinks and seafood sustainability. When you add the beautiful photos and personal stories, it creates a seafood cookbook unlike any other. Highly recommended!

Fishes and Dishes is much more than just a great cook book. The recipies are fantastic, I just love the smoked blackcod chowder and the Grilled Ivory King Salmon with Pineapple-Mango-Avocado Salsa! Just as good are the stories of the women who worked in the different fisheries throughout Alaska. The photopraghs and artwork are amazing! This is as much a coffee table book as it is a cook book!