The Salmon Sisters

Starred review from February 17, 2020
Sisters Laukitis and Neaton, who grew up on a remote homestead in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands and worked in the family fishing business, deliver a refreshing and delightful seafood cookbook. Over the course of 50 recipes, the sisters introduce readers to the most common Alaskan fishing methods, provide guidance on filleting one’s fish, explain proper tide pool harvesting etiquette, and even demonstrate fishing knots. The duo guides readers through the preparation of each of the five species of Pacific salmon as well as various whitefish such as halibut and pollock, for recipes including wild salmon poke, DIY salmon gravlax served with a pitch-perfect Dijon-dill sauce, and crispy beer-battered halibut. They also offer recipes for whatever seasonal local fish may be on hand, which can then be topped with a fiddlehead-walnut pesto or cut up and placed in a spicy cioppino stew. Due to their location and lifestyle—they’d sometimes be out fishing for days at a time, so meals had to be assembled on the boat—their culinary approach employs hearty, easily sourced ingredients (radishes, cherry tomatoes, carrots, potatoes). It all adds up to an informative, entertaining, and inspiring approach sure to resonate with seafood lovers of all skill levels.

March 27, 2020

Sisters Laukitis and Neaton grew up in a family of salmon fishers and have continued the tradition in their own lives. Intriguing stories of their childhood in the Aleutian Islands complement various recipes. Beyond salmon dishes, there are also meals involving crab, octopus, side dishes and desserts, among others. Ways to cook salmon, whitefish, and shellfish are explained, as well as how to fillet a whole fish. Featured recipes include salmon gravlax, potato lefse, and rhubarb custard pie. There's also halibut ceviche, king crab bisque, and furikake seaweed seasoning. For those interested in the fishing end, commercial fishing methods in Alaska and low-tide harvesting are also highlighted. Drawings and photos illuminate the food and lifestyle throughout. VERDICT A sound addition to cookbook shelves focusing on fish and the fishing life. Family stories mixed with recipes create a captivating experience.--Barbara Kundanis, Longmont P.L., CO

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