"Bill Buford's "Heat "meets Phoebe Damrosch's" Service Included "in this unique blend of personal narrative, food miscellany, and history
"In March of 2009, Erin Byers Murray ditched her pampered city girl lifestyle and convinced the rowdy and mostly male crew at Island Creek Oysters in Duxbury, Massachusetts, to let a completely unprepared, aquaculture-illiterate food and lifestyle writer work for them for 12 months to learn the business of oysters. SHUCKED is part love letter, part memoir and part documentary about the world's most beloved bivalves. An in-depth look at the work that goes into getting oysters from farm to table, SHUCKED shows Erin's full-circle journey through the modern day oyster farming process and tells a dynamic story about the people who grow our food, and the cutting-edge community of weathered New England oyster farmers who are defying convention and looking ahead. The narrative also interweaves Erin's personal story--the tale of how a technology-obsessed workaholic learns to slow life down a little bit and starts to enjoy getting her hands dirty (and cold). This is a book for oyster lovers everywhere, but also a great read for locavores and foodies in general.

Paying homage to the neighbourhood oyster bar, this beautifully photographed cookbook celebrates oyster-bar culture along with the people that bring the restaurant to life. Sewall reinterprets seafood classics such as fried oysters, smoked salmon, chowder, and fish and chips. Chapters cover smoked and cured preparations; whole fish recipes; composed dishes; and essential sauces and sides. Throughout are practical how-to instructionals, including How to Buy Seafood and How to Smoke Fish. This essential guide to preparing seafood also includes an oyster primer, as well as profiles of experts from a fishmonger to fishermen. Full of easy-to-make recipes and rich storytelling, The Row 34 Cookbook is for anyone who appreciates the briny taste of raw oysters and delectable seafood.