Brent's book recommendations

Every book listed is in my library and I have read them all.

Cortes Island Food Book May all people at all times have access to good food. May we reclaim local ownership of community food systems and develop food self-reliance by sharing food, information, skills, and resources. May food be celebrated as central to culture and community. May the l… (Read more)

Clam Gardens For many years, archaeologists were unaware of the ancient clam terraces at Waiatt Bay, on Quadra Island. Author Judith Williams knew no differently until she was advised of their existence by a Klahoose elder named Elizabeth Harry (Keekus). By liaising with other obser… (Read more)

Seasonings: A Year of Local Flavour in Words and Recipes Seasonings: A Year of Local Flavour in Words and Recipes (published by the Kootenay Country Store Cooperative and the Nelson Library last fall), is short-listed in the English-language Culinary Culture Category of the 2011 Canadian Culinary Book Awards , spon… (Read more)

Shellfish Leif Mannerstrom - The ultimate shellfish cookery book from a world-renowned chef. Michelin-starred chef Leif Mannerstrom was the first recipient of Sweden's coveted maritime gastronomy award. This book is the first collection of his shellfish recipes and the first to … (Read more)

Oysters A Connoisseur's Guide and Cookbook Publisher : 101 Productions (Oct 1987) ISBN : 0892862815 (Read more)

Shellfish: The Cookbook by Karen Barnaby In Shellfish: The Cookbook , oysters, clams, mussels, crabs, scallops, lobsters, shrimp and prawns are used in deliciously innovative ways. A diverse cross-section of recipes culls the best shellfish combinations from a host of global influences. Easy-to-foll… (Read more)

50 Chowders: One Pot Meals - Clam, Corn, & Beyond By Jasper White  New England clam, Manhattan red, and corn--that's the chowder story, right? Wrong. In  50 Chowders , award-winning chef Jasper White explores a surprisingly wide range of these savory one-pot meals while also offering chowder history and folk… (Read more)

Oyster: A World History By Drew Smith Oysters are older than people, older than grass, and this journey demonstrates that they have been present at every turn of human events—inspiring great writers, painters, and cooks; sustaining whole communities; and fashioning legend … (Read more)

The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell By Mark Kurlansky Who knew that New York City was once the oyster capital of the world, and that at one time it held half of the earth's supply, harvesting 700 million in 1880 alone? Or that oysters were not just a delicacy for aristocrats but also affordable, chea… (Read more)

The Chesapeake Bay Oyster Cookbook In his ninth book, Whitey Schmidt - the man dubbed the Blue Crab Guru by Chesapeake Bay Magazine - delivers pleasure on the half shell. His unique take on popular Bay country oyster dishes like stew, oysters Rockefeller and fritters will electrify your palate and deli… (Read more)

The Hog Island Oyster Lover's Cookbook  A Guide to Choosing and Savoring Oysters, with 40 Recipes By Jairemarie Pomo Seductive but standoffish, oysters ask that you get to know them a little before you can really enjoy them. How do you choose from among the dozens of varieties? How do you h… (Read more)

Consider the Oyster By M.F.K. Fisher "Since Lewis Carroll no one had written charmingly about that indecisively sexed bivalve until Mrs. Fisher came along with her  Consider the Oyster . Surely this will stand for some time as the most judicious treatment in English."--Clifton Fa… (Read more)

The Joy of Oysters: A Guide & Cookbook for Oyster Lovers in North America By Lori McKean & Bill Whitbeck The Joy of Oysters is the first book of it's kind in the United States. It combines a superb collection of oyster recipes with insightful history lessons about North American oystering; details about shucking, serving and savor… (Read more)

Consider the Oyster: A Shucker's Field Guide By Patrick McMurray “Patrick McMurray is an icon among the oyster cult of North America. Not only is he one of the world's elite competitive oyster shuckers… he operates Starfish - a fabulous oyster bar in Toronto, he grow oysters in Prince Edward Isla… (Read more)

Apples to Oysters By  Margaret Webb I first tasted Johnny Flynn’s cultivated oysters at the funky Oyster Boy restaurant in Toronto. His were my first experience of eating one raw. My partner, Nancy, who grew up in Nova Scotia, had been urging me to try one for years,… (Read more)

Sex, Death and Oysters A Half-Shell Lover's World Tour By Robb Walsh This is noted food writer Rob Walsh’s quest to understand the oyster cultures of the world, and to taste every oyster-producing nation’s half-shelled treasures. To this end, he travels from the Gulf Coast, wh… (Read more)

A Geography of Oysters by Rowan Jacobsen The complete guide to understanding, serving, and savoring one of North America’s original and most delicious foods “The ultimate macropedia for oysters, covering not just geography, but also philosophy, consumerism, epicurean splendor … (Read more)

Near A Thousand Tables: A History Of Food By Felipe Fernandez-Armesto They are extreme eating, ancient and seductive. But beware, the mollusc bites back. Use your bare hands. Raise the half-shell to your mouth, throw back your head and scrape the creature from its lair with your teeth. Taste its briny … (Read more)