From Booklist
*Starred Review* Moonen and Finamore’s encyclopedic volume appears at just the right moment. Nutritional awareness has given fish cooking even more prominence within the culinary arts, and efficient transportation now brings fresh fish into the nation’s interior. With this book to guide both neophyte and expert, no one need any longer fear to cook any of the deep’s denizens. In instructive photographs, Moonen and Finamore show how to clean, bone, and portion both finfish and shellfish. Recipes are organized by cooking method—broiling, poaching, roasting, grilling, steaming, frying—providing the creative cook some latitude in determining what to do with the fish at hand. Succeeding chapters cover such fish basics as chowders, fish cakes, and salads. A final section offers unique takes on side dishes such as coleslaw. Both the book’s organization and its comprehensive coverage make this a necessary addition to any cookbook collection. --Mark Knoblauch
Review
Moonen is a fish guy, having served as chef-owner of two seafood temples in New York City. In this new book, he shares his expertise—from how to shop for fish to how to clean it and how to cook it. The cleaning, scaling and filleting pages are particularly good, with clear instructions and excellent photos that leave little room for doubt. Moonen, with coauthor Finamore (Tasty), covers everything from American classics like Manhattan Clam Chowder to modern dishes such as Creamy Fennel Soup with Salmon and Citrus Ragu. What separates this book from others is its focus on sustainability. Moonen is a founding member of Seafood Choices Alliance and an early advocate for chefs making responsible choices when it comes to seafood. The first chapter contains a list of each fish in the book, the best way to cook it and the state of its population. There are no endangered fish on the list (or in the book), because, as Moonen explains in his introduction, “I'm holding off for the time when I can feel confident that these populations are strong again.” For a chef whose current venture is a 16,000-square-foot restaurant in Las Vegas, this kind of restraint might seem surprising, but given the dramatic collapse of seafood populations, Moonen is a welcome and essential voice in the home chef's kitchen. (May 21) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Publishers Weekly, Starred
" A great cookbook inspires you to cook. That's the premise behind our new cookbook club. . . In Fish Without a Doubt, chef Rick Moonen, of Rick Moonen's RM Seafood in Las Vegas, and coauthor Roy Finamore have drafted a blueprint for minimizing handwringing in the store and kitchen and maximizing pleasure at the table. . . Moonen takes the fear out of serving fish whenever the mood strikes — which, with this book in hand, may be a lot more often." Gourmet
“Fish Without a Doubt is a godsend.” (T. Susan Chang, NPR)
“Without a doubt, a great fish book!” (Daniel Boulud)
“Classic, modern, authoritative, and approachable, this book is a must for any fish lover.” ( Jacques Pépin) “Rick Moonen provides a ‘how-to’ guide that helps readers eat well, while taking better care of themselves and the oceans.” (Rebecca Goldburg, Ph.D., senior scientist, Environmental Defense)
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