Cookbooks can help you plan a clambake

5/27/2003

For more information on clambakes and seafood, consult these cookbooks. All are published this spring.

North Atlantic Seafood, third edition, by Alan Davidson (10 Speed Press, $24.95) is a comprehensive survey of oceanic bounty found between Europe and North America. Mr. Davidson is the author of Oxford Companion to Food. From Crab and Skate Salad from the Chesapeake Bay region to salted herring with sour cream from Poland, the recipes offer a tour of cultures and cuisines.

Cape Cod Table by Lora Brody (Chronicle, $35) includes Irma's Clam Fritters, Fried Clams, Smoked Mussels, Clam Chowder, Grilled Bluefish, Portuguese Salt Cod, and Steamed Clams. Outdoor Clambake is perfect for the beach, but she cautions to secure a permit from the town before you strike any matches.

Sea vegetables and edible seaweeds or sea greens are gaining popularity. Vegetables from the Sea by Jill Gusman (William Morrow, $27.95) includes recipes for Classic Miso Soup made with wakame, Sea Vegetable Caesar Salad made with sea palm instead of anchovies, and Wild Nori with Black-Eyed Peas.

In The New England Clam Shack Cookbook (Storey Books, $16.95), New England native Brooke Dojny presents traditional fare from the region as served in 25 classic seafood eateries.

The New Legal Sea Foods Cookbook by Roger Berkowitz and Jane Doerfer (Broadway, $26) includes basic cooking techniques with recipes for Broiled Arctic Char, fried oysters, and Sauteed Sole or Flounder plus Mahi Mahi Baked with Tomatoes and Bacon and Linguine with Littlenecks. Mr. Berkowitz is the president and CEO of Legal Sea Foods.

- KATHIE SMITH