Fishes & Dishes Ckbk

Praise for Fishes & Dishes Ckbk

Library Journal (Starred review) April“In addition to inspired dishes, this book shows independent women thriving in a male field. Highly recommended, particularly in the Northwest.”

Jen Sperry Steinorth, ForeWord – May/June 2010“For many preparing seafood can be daunting, some might even call it an adventure, but when guided by three seafaring women with over 40 years experience fishing, cooking, and captaining on Alaskan fishing ships, both novice cooks and experts alike are in sure hands. This delicious collection is steeped in adventure, packed with fish tales and cooking tips, simple recipes and exotic flavors. Use this book, and you can enjoy an appetizer of King Crab Dip while reading about a Bering Sea rescue in which an unfortunate engineer took a dip in the drink. The adventurous spirit of the commercial fishermen who have shared their recipes and their stories are captured in beautiful color photographs on nearly every page. The photographs reveal, not the anticipated images of prepared food, but pictures of the lives of the people who harvest the sea. Some photographs are indeed mouthwatering; imagine gorgeous seascapes and baskets of whole steamed shrimp. Others capture the sense of humor and camaraderie among the crew. The high seas fashion section is particularly fun. In this collection, simple recipes are mixed with more adventurous. One can feast on Jade Dumplings or Crab, Shiso, and Avocado Tempura Salad, or simple fare like Cast Iron Broiled Salmon. Recipes draw flavors from all over the world and include breakfast fare and appetizers, main course dishes and libations (cleverly titled "In the Drink"). Though the recipes may be adventurous, the preparations are often simple and easy enough to be prepared in the bow of a tossing ship. Salmon, shrimp, and crab are heavily featured. Novice cooks will find the glossaries of terms and ingredients particularly helpful, and most ingredients should be readily available to most readers. In addition, the section entitled "Fish Basics for Greenhorns: Tips, Techniques and Terms" offers helpful tips like how to tell when a fish is done, how to gut, skin, and debone a fish or how to debeard mussels. Finally, with a Masters in environmental policy, and time working for World Wildlife Fund International, co-author Laura Cooper offers tips for supporting sustainability in the fishing industry. Any cooks looking for adventure will find much to love in this generous haul of culinary delights.”

Shelf Awareness- April 22

The subtitle sums up this cookbook--Seafood Recipes and Salty Stories from Alaska's Commercial Fisherwomen--but it's hard to say which is more enticing, the recipes or the tales. The authors have worked for more than 35 years between them as cooks and deckhands in one of America's deadliest industries. (Currently Tomi Marsh is owner and skipper of the F/V Savage.) And boy, do they have stories--being chased by storms, setting up a pizza-delivery boat service in the Pribilofs, Bering Sea rescues, boats stolen by the Russian mafia, cooking while riding the troughs and crests of heavy seas. Then there are the recipes: Alaskan Salmon Niçoise Salad, Cioppino, Sake Steamed Clams, Seafood Enchiladas, Salmokopita, Thai Clam Chowder, Salmon Noodle Casserole. It all combines with photographs, art, a few haiku and sidebars about such things as sailors' superstitions into a wonderful book about Alaska fishing, strong women and delicious food.

 Ketchikan Daily News, Scott Bowlen, Daily News Staff Writer – April 10

“They’ve braved the ocean from Ketchikan to the Bering Sea, these “goddesses in Grundéns,” harvesting salmon and crab and halibut and herring. Such hard work produces a healthy appetite, and fisherwomen know seafood at its best. And thus have these fisherwomen — Kiyo Marsh, Tomi Marsh and Laura Cooper — combined their knowledge of seafaring, fishing and the culinary arts into a remarkable new volume entitled “The Fishes & Dishes Cookbook.” Two neat things stand out in this book. A variety of vignettes, glossaries and photos provide an illuminating glimpse of the authors’ fishing lifestyles and the seafood they harvest. Secondly, the 80 recipes are as adventurous as the authors themselves. Betty Crocker, the poor dear, got left on the dock for this one. Many Ketchikan residents and commercial fishermen in Alaska are likely to know of at least one of the “Fishes & Dishes” authors and contributors.... Fishes & Dishes has several contributions from other fisherwomen, such as Carol Brown, Stefani Smith, Mary Lang, Shannon Zellerhoff, Roxanne Kennedy and Kacy Hubbard-Patton. One short story is about Dawn and Dave Rauwolf of Ketchikan. There’s also a page on fishing fashion —the book’s working title was “Goddesses in Grundéns” — that covers the fab basics such as Xtratuf boots, Polartec fleece, hoodies, rubber gloves and Carhartt coveralls. It all rings true, written by women who’ve lived at sea and know their subjects well.

Nina Planck, author of Real Food

"Devour this book!"

Ray Troll, author-illustrator of Ray Troll's Shocking Fish Tales

"This cookbook is an extraordinary brew of super-tasty recipes, fashion tips, cool art, photos, great fishing stories, and a cocktail or two mixed in. Surely Fishes & Dishes will become a culinary classic."