Totally Scallops
(Kimagic Publishing) ISBN 978-0978354992
Finally, a seafood cook book devoted to scallops! In Totally Scallops, Judy Eberspaecher provides 80 scallops recipes, with appetizing photos. Besides Canadian recipes, the scallops cookbook includes international recipes for scallops from New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Tasmania and other countries.
Coconut scallops. Margarita scallops. Potato, bacon scallop chowder. Scallop wrapped in smoked salmon with horseradish mousse. Garlic scallops. Microwaved scallops. Seafood lasagna. Scallops and avocado tarts. Mango scallops.
The introduction to Totally Scallops, by Alex Eberspaecher, Judy's husband, informs readers about scallops farming, where scallops are harvested and even scallop pearls.
He notes that there are 350 identifiable species of scallops and helps readers understand the differences between common types of scallops. (E.g., Bay scallops are the sweetest and smallest, while Coquille Saint-Jacques scallops and Iceland scallops are the most common scallop species in Europe.)
Because Alex Eberspaecher is a wine writer, an entire chapter of Totally Scallops is devoted to wine pairing with scallop dishes.
The 195-page scallops cook book organizes scallop recipes into appetizers, soups and salads, entrees and main dishes. Ingredients are in metric and imperial measurements. Instructions are clear and easy to follow.
For each scallops dish, Judy Eberspaecher adds informative comments about scallops. For example, after the honey sesame Alaskan scallops recipe, she notes that sea scallops are the largest scallop. She also provides useful price comparisons for various types of scallops (i.e., bay scallops are one-third the price of diver scallops, while sea scallops are just over half the price of diver scallops.)
For scallops recipes with unusual ingredients, Judy Eberspaecher suggests substitutes. For example, she recommends prosciutto as a substitute for octopus bacon.
Some of the scallops recipes in Totally Scallops come from well-known chefs. Robert Clark, of C Restaurant in Vancouver, B.C., provides a gourmet recipe for octopus bacon-wrapped scallops, made with foie gras and truffles. Pia Carroll and Sinclair Philip, of Sooke Harbour House on Vancouver Island, provide a healthy recipe for kale, apple and scallop salad, made with weathervane scallops or purple-hinged rock scallops.
Large, mouthwatering photos depict scallop dishes in Totally Scallops. Other photos portray scallops cultivation and harvesting, scallops cooking and the chefs, who provided recipes for the seafood cook book.
Judy Eberspaecher
Travel and food writer, Judy Eberspaecher, grew up in Nova Scotia, where she first enjoyed fresh scallops. Her scallops cookbook includes delicious Nova Scotia scallops recipes, including scallop crepes and scallop chowder, down-home style. Totally Scallops is available from www.totallyscallops.com.