For Cod and Country: Simple, Delicious, Sustainable Cooking
In this debut cookbook, Seaver, creator of three Washington, D.C., restaurants and a fellow with the Blue Ocean Institute, offers a passionate guide to sustainable seafood. He discusses essential ingredients in preparation such as salting (brining figures in his techniques), butter, and citrus, and gives a solid rundown of the particular tools for a fish kitchen, a helpful glossary of terms like "trawling" and "by catch," and a list of the best substitutions for overfished species. Organized by season, the recipes reflect available fish as well as the mood of the time of year. Pacific cod with ginger-braised asparagus, for example, is a spring dish, and mahi mahi with braised brussels sprouts and feta butter makes an appearance in fall. While Seaver's cooking style is self-described as "simple," his flavor combinations are anything but. An oyster risotto is cleverly enriched with butternut squash and crème fraiche, and grilled sablefish is brightened up with shredded endive and a cherry-tarragon salsa. Throughout, Seaver emphasizes sustainable, underrated species of fish; inventive preparations like crudo with almond oil and raisins, for instance, make mackerel more enticing. (May)