4.) The Essential Oyster: A Salty Appreciation of Taste and Temptation Author - Written by Rowan Jacobsen (Bloomsbury Publishing 2016)
“Rowan Jacobsen is one of the best writers reporting on, and thinking about, food today. Period.” Michael Ruhlman, author of The Soul of a Chef and Ratio
Rowan Jacobsen has become America’s go-to oyster expert. His “A Geography of Oysters” flew off the shelves when it came out in 2007, bringing readers a new appreciation of the wonders of the oyster – the romance, the primal rush, and the mystery of the molluscan merroir.
“The Essential Oyster” is Jacobsen’s newest work. It’s a gorgeous, full-color book and the ultimate oyster guide, taking global oyster awareness to a new level. The book is an oyster journey around America, from oyster flats to the best kitchens in the nation. Every corner of the country’s oyster world is uncovered, all with their own unique character.
One paragraph from Jacobsen’s introduction perhaps captures best what to expect from this brilliant work: “Oysters are stunning. Oyster farms are stunning. Oyster farmers are stunning in a Swamp Thing kind of way. Oyster culture crackles with wabi-sabi authenticity. What oyster growers actually farm are poignant shards of time, miraculously transportable.”
This deliciously written series of words gives a taste of how utterly entertained readers will be reading each and every page, whether its tasting notes or descriptions of recipes from America’s leading chefs. After swallowing “The Essential Oyster,” readers will walk into their next oyster bar with a whole new braveness for what to order.
