Shellfish: The Cookbook.

Steve Pitt is a Toronto-based freelance writer and an award-winning journalist. He has written many young adult and children's books, including Day of the Flying Fox: The True Story of World War II Pilot Charley Fox.

When Karen Barnaby was a little girl living in Ontario, fish was something that came frozen in a box and shrimp was something gathering dust in cans in her mother’s pantry. Since then her horizons have expanded quite a bit. As executive chef at Vancouver’s Fish House restaurant, Karen Barnaby has prepared thousands of fresh seafood dishes hundreds of ways. These two books contain scores of favourite seafood recipes from Whitecap Books’ huge stable of food writers and chefs like Eric Akis, Linda Haynes, Anna and Michael Olson, Michael Smith, Lesley Stowe, and Cinda Chavich. Both volumes are edited by Barnaby, who also provides personal advice on how to get the most out of your ingredients.

The Shellfish recipes are sorted by species. Chapters include “Oysters,” “Clams,” “Mussels,” “Scallops,” “Shrimp and Prawns,” “Crab,” “Lobster,” and “Mixed Grill.” Each chapter is preceded by a short introduction to each critter where Barnaby explains the best way to tell if the product is fresh and tells how to store it until cooking. Each chapter contains a variety of types of recipes ranging from appetizer to soup to main course. With so many chefs and so many ingredients it is impossible to pigeonhole the recipes into any one genre, but they range from traditional North American chowders to Tex-Mex, Mediterranean, and Asian-influenced recipes like Steamed Mussels in White Wine, Prosciutto-Wrapped Scallops with Pesto Mayonnaise, Coconut Shrimp, and Crab and Papaya Potstickers.

In the Halibut volume, the same format is followed, but there is only one main ingredient. The content is divided by meal type including “Appetizers,” “Gently Simmered,” “Poached & Steamed,” “Pan Roasting,” “Sautéing & Frying,” “Grilled,” and “Simple Marinades & Sauces.” The halibut is a versatile ingredient and, like the shellfish volume, the recipes in this book run the full gamut from traditional fish chowder to exotic fusion fare. Some of the recipes include Fish Tacos, Halibut with Pine Nut and Parmesan Crust, and Steamed Halibut wrapped in Chard with Black Bean Sauce.

Nearly two dozen beautiful photographs spice up the content of each book and a full index is included at the back for quick reference. If fish and shellfish are part of your regular diet, these cookbooks will give you plenty of fresh ideas for old favourites.