Oysters: A Culinary Celebration

Shares recipes for appetizers, soups, salads, vegetable dishes, breads, pastries, and main dishes which feature oysters, and discusses the history of oysters

Rarely has a cookbook so thoroughly addressed its subject in such charming detail. Joan Reardon has uncovered not only every creative recipe for preparing oysters, but every elusive fact and helpful hint; the oyster's history as a comestible; as well as quotations from oyster lovers who celebrate these sweet morsels of the sea, from Shakespeare to Julia Child. Such tidbits make Oysters much more than a cookbook; it is a true cooking companion. With its color identification section, displaying photographs of North America's most distinctive oysters, and its glossary, defining dozens of varieties, Oysters allows anyone to order with authority in any restaurant or oyster bar.With erudition and elegance, Reardon provides over 185 recipes - old and new, featuring traditional American cuisine, as well as adventurous side trips to the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia."Appetizers" includes nine sauces for the half shell, classics such as Oysters Rockefeller and Casino, as well as canapés and finger foods, including Wanton Wantons and Oyster Beignets."Soups" spans the spectrum with twenty classic and innovative bisques, chowders, stews, and gumbos from Green Pea and Oyster Bisque to Oyster Stew en Croûte."Salads & Vegetables" includes Oyster Niçoise and Oyster Mousse, and twenty intriguing dishes - from Stuffed Artichokes to Corn Soufflé."Breads & Pastries" tempts with pancakes, crepes, and sandwiches - from Not So "Po" Boy loaf to Beguiling Brioche."Oyster Entrées" ranges from croquettes and fritters to stir fries and sautés - boasting French Fried Oysters in Beer Batter Broth or Scalloped Oysters with Mushrooms."Oysters & Entrées" offers thirty-eight dishes with oyster highlights, such as Corn Bread, Apple, and Oyster Stuffing, Hangtown Fry, and five oyster-pasta combinations.Oysters is an essential and deeply pleasurable volume for every person who appreciates this most tender and delicate of seafood. (81/4 X 81/4, 262 pages, color photos)