From the Hill by the Sea

For a limited time we have copies signed by the author.

This self-published cookbook from the chef of a Hoboken, New Jersey restaurant is a near-ideal embodiment of the sort of insightful, personal statement that many chefs dream of publishing. Handsomely designed and printed, bound in full cloth, it has aspects of memoir and an engaging, quiet confidence.

Seadon Shouse’s childhood in Nova Scotia underlies the book and much of what he serves at Halifax, the restaurant he runs with a focus on the northeastern coast of North America. Seafood is abundant, but not the sole focus of the book; there’s nothing outlandish about the required techniques or equipment. 

As grounded as Shouse is by geography, he is also imaginative:

• A dish of wild mussels served with foraged beach peas and a spike of nduja
• Deviled eggs with smoked fish (try sardines, herring, or mackerel)
• Fire-roasted chicken sauced with red wine
• Grilled broccoli stem salad with apple cider vinegar
• Beach plum Negroni

We’d consider this a model effort.

Hardcover. Color photographs and black-and-white drawings.