The Nantucket Holiday Table [Hardcover]

Visitors to Nantucket usually return home with glowing food memories. Maybe the sea air livens appetites, but more likely it's the good Yankee cooking. Susan Simon's The Nantucket Holiday Table offers 75 recipes interlarded with personal stories, historical lore, and interesting asides such as "What's It Like in the Wintertime?" Rooted in old New England culinary tradition, the recipes also take a modern approach. Readers should enjoy making Almond French Toast with Caramelized Applesauce, Roasted Squash Risotto, and Grilled Turkey with Corn Bread and Oyster Stuffing, among Simon's many savory dishes.

Arranged mainly by courses, the book also features chapters on holiday breakfasts, cocktail parties, and food gifts. Typically delightful recipes from these include Jimmy Gross's Christmas Day Crêpes, Root Vegetable Chips, and Green Tomato Preserves. Underscoring the island's diverse gastronomic character, Simon also presents cross-ethnic recipes such as Sweet Potato and Chorizo Frittata Squares, Caldo Verde, and Nantucket-Cuban-Connection Sandwich. Dessert formulas aren't neglected and include Cranberry Shortcakes, Pumpkin Caramel Pudding, and Spirited Gingerbread with Ginger Ice Cream. With 70 color illustrations, the book is both a useful source for special-occasion and everyday dishes and a tour of a deeply alluring American landscape. --Arthur Boehm

What do native Nantucket Islanders do during the winter when the summer visitors aren't looking? It turns out that they're doing quite a lot of sophisticated dining. Simon (The Nantucket Table), a part-time resident of the island, offers up a celebration of hearty dishes that she suggests for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year's, such as Cider-Soaked Baked Ham with Honey-Rum Glaze and Turkey Shepherd's Pie, which sports a sweet-potato topping and a spicy filling. The breakfast section is particularly pleasing because Simon treats breakfast as the important opening act of a nourishing, joyful day with recipes like Salmon Hash with Poached Eggs and Coronation Scallops on a Bed of Parsley Rice. Some dishes that sound mouthwatering, like Apple-Molasses Pancakes with Honey Butter and Laura Simon's Root-Vegetable Latkes, are bland; however, the dessert section more than makes up for these few disappointments with innovations that make excellent use of native ingredients, including Cranberry Shortcakes, Cranberry Beach-Plum Cheesecake and Indian Pudding with Hard Sauce. Photographs by Jeffrey Allen of quaint island scenes and tantalizing foods complement the reliable, straightforward recipes to create a cookbook that works in the kitchen as well as on the coffee table. (Nov.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From wreath-bedecked fishing boats to the sparkling Shoppers' Stroll, Nantucket Island captures the magical spirit of the holidays like no place else. Elegantly adorned with 75 beautiful full-color photographs, The Nantucket Holiday Table lets everyone celebrate the charm of the Island's traditions with favorite recipes showcasing the best of Nantucket's bounty. Susan Simon, author of The Nantucket Table, returns to her beloved island to serve up personal stories, historical tidbits, and 75 wonderful recipes. Festive mornings start with Salmon Hash with Poached Eggs, followed by a cozy lunch of Chicken Chowder. Scallop Seviche, Mini Sweet Potato and Sage Pancakes, and tempting Hot Rum Punch give holiday parties an island flavor while Fancy Yankee Pot Roast, Wintertime Coleslaw, and Pumpkin-Caramel Pudding will warm the hearts of friends and families. Wherever you live, The Nantucket Holiday Table will bring the joy of a Nantucket holiday season to your own dining room.

Susan Simon is the author of The Nantucket Table from Chronicle Books. A writer and caterer, she divides her time between New York City and Nantucket Island. Jeffrey Allen has been a photographer on Nantucket Island for over 25 years.