April 2023
April was not the busiest month for cookbooks for me, however, I was in the kitchen! April to me always means seafood and this month I’ll be highlighting three cookbooks this month, two of which are my favorite cookbooks for seafood lovers!
The Saltwater Table: Recipes from the Coastal South by Whitney Otawka
This is one of my favorite cookbooks! Any time I’m looking for a seasonal dish that hits the spot, I always return to this book. The book was my first intro to seasonal eating in the South. The book uses Seasons as the “chapters,” which I found to be incredibly helpful. One thing to note (if you’re in NC) this book and its recipes are based from Cumberland Island… So although it is seasonal and true to the south, some of the items you may not be able to find here in NC. Now let’s get into it. The recipes I decided to make this time around were Grilled Head on shrimp with Crunchy Caper Gremolata and Grilled Lettuce with Herbed Yogurt dressing. Both of these dishes were amazing and perfect for a mild summer evening. Grilled shrimp are amazing on their own… but adding the crunch caper gremolata took these to the next level. Think salty, sweet, crunchy, and a hint of spice… ALL THE GOOD THINGS. I will say the lettuce is what shocked me the most. I wasn’t sure initially what I was going to think of grilled lettuce, but it was delicious. The char of the leaves paired perfectly with the yogurt dressing. I decided to go slightly rogue and pair these wonderful dishes with some blue crabs that I got live from Jun’s Fresh Seafood!
Mosquito Supper Club: Cajun Recipes from A Disappearing Bayou by Melissa M. Martin
Love isn’t even a strong enough word for how I feel about this book. Not only is this book an amazing read (because it’s super informative and gives a lot of background about the region), but it also gives instructions on how to break down and clean different seafood, so you can learn how to prep some of your favorites right in the comfort of your own home. This book is also a restaurant in New Orleans. I have not had the pleasure of dining there yet, but if you are ever in NOLA, please check it out because if it’s anything like the book, it’s amazing! I decided to take on 3 recipes from this book (yes, we had a feast, lol). The recipes I did were: Cucumber and Tomato Salad, Potato Salad, and soft-shell crabs. Let’s start with the cucumber and tomato salad… like Nike said, JUST DO IT. This salad is so simple but so addictingly good. The secret ingredient, cane vinegar, adds such a nice sweet acidity to the dish that really brings out the sweetness in the tomatoes. The great thing about this salad is it just continued to get better with time. The potato salad was also delicious, but at the end of the day, it was potato salad, lol. What made this one different was the lack of acidity I’m used to tasting in potato salads. I think this dish is worth trying to get a different take on a potato salad but not something I would eat all the time. Now for the showstopper, the Soft shell crabs! I freaking love softies, it’s probably one of my favorite seasons, and this recipe highlights them in such a fantastic way. This is a fried preparation, and every element is seasoned to perfection (yes, flour included). The addition of hot sauce to the egg wash just adds to the levels of flavor throughout this dish. FYI I got my softies from Locals! I typically get most of my seafood from there. I especially love the Durham location!
The Gaijin Cookbook: Japanese Recipes from a Chef, Father, Eater, and Lifelong Outsider: by Ivan Orkin and Chris Ying
This book was my wildcard cookbook for the month but still very tasty. The dish I decided to make was called Mentaiko Spaghetti. I would say this dish is for the more adventurous eaters as the main ingredient in it is fish roe (Eggs), but it was delicious. I decided to swap out the cod row for uni (because I was feeling bougie, lol) but that was really the only change I made here. This dish took little to no time to put together, so it’s ideal for a weekday meal, and it’s a creamy, umami bomb! My favorite part of this dish was the shiso leaf. This was my first time trying shiso (an herb that kind of tastes like peppery mint), and I love it.
