fête à fête

Oyster gourmands will be impatient to try new and classic recipes in Jairemarie Pomo's The Hog Island Oyster Lover's Cookbook. A great kitchen reference book, it shows you step-by-step instructions on shucking these sweet little jewels, as well as advice on buying and identifying oyster varieties. There's also an interesting chaper on the history of the famed Hog Island Oyster Company.

With 40 ways to enjoy these bivalves, your taste buds will be crying for Fried Oysters with Cilantro Aioli, Champagne Mignonnette and Oysters, and Serrano Ham-Wrapped Oysters with Chipotle Mayonnaise. If those are not enough for you, celebrity chefs Alice Waters and Bobby Flay have also developed their special recipes for the book.

Wow, my mouth is already watering. Check out the recipe below - I promise you will carry a love affair with oysters for years to come.

See you at the oyster bar,
Tami

Oysters with Cucumber, Lime, and Sake

Rodney’s Oyster House in Toronto, Canada, is famous for the variety of fresh oysters they serve. Rodney himself holds one of the first oyster-shucking titles in the region. This refreshing oyster appetizer features an unusual combination of flavors in perfect balance.

2 dozen extra-small (2 to 3 inches long) Pacific or small (3 to 4 inches long) Eastern oysters on the half shell, on a bed of crushed ice

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and shredded
6 limes, quartered
1 3⁄4 cups chilled dry sake

Top each oyster with a pinch of shredded cucumber. Squeeze a lime quarter over each oyster. Carefully pour sake over each oyster, just to the rim of the shell. Serve immediately.

Makes 24

Reprinted with permission from The Hog Island Oyster Lover’s Cookbook: A Guide to Choosing & Savoring Oysters, with 40 Recipes. Copyright © 2007 by Jairemarie Pomo, Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, CA. Photo Credit: Leigh Beisch

Available at local booksellers or by contacting Ten Speed Press at 800-841-2665 or online at www.tenspeed.com.