Here is a cookbook to help you over the what-to-have-for-dinner blues in any season or on any occasion. In February, pick up the book and start with the first chapter to progress through maple syrup and sugar and on into April and May for rhubarb, asparagus and fiddleheads. If you get the book for Christmas, start with the chapter on Cold Weather Fun for Not French Onion Soup or Codfish Cakes. Claire takes us through the seasons’ holiday offerings, too, whether Corned Beef dinners in March for St. Patrick’s Day, or Hot Cross Buns for Easter, and Apple Stuffed Roast Goose for Christmas.
Along the way she stops for New England’s special observances: a chapter devoted to all our berries, another for our wines, beers and cider, and one for heritage recipes from Passamaquoddy Hulled Corn Soup to Nantucket Portuguese Bread and Franco-American Boudin with Onions and Apples.
Coastal and island dwellers will especially appreciate the generous attention Hopley pays to fish and shellfish, with recipes both simple, like Crackery Codfish, and sophisticated, like Monkfish in Red Peppers and Pernod Mayonnaise. One whole chapter is dedicated to our anadromous fish: shad and salmon. There are plenty of dishes for the vegetarians among us like Leek, Potato and Red Pepper Casserole and Spaghetti with Olives and Bay. Hopley includes ideas for preparing foods less familiar to home cooks but seen frequently on restaurant menus like duck breasts and lamb shanks.
For the most part, this cookbook is eminently readable. Hopley knows a great deal about New England’s foods, has dug deep into the history of our regional fare, and even updates old recipes for use in modern kitchens. So even if you never cook anything out of it, you will enjoy learning about how Jerusalem artichokes got their name, or the history of Floating Islands, or find the list of New England artisanal cheeses a useful reference.
We tried the Salmon, Leek, and Corn Chowder, which we liked very much, and were pleased when the author observed that “exact amounts don’t really matter here,” which all experienced chowder makers know, though, she writes, “each of the major ingredients should be plentiful.” Actually, Claire often suggests ways of simplifying the recipes or being flexible about the ingredients. This easy and supportive attitude makes her recipes very user-friendly.
Claire Hopley herself is English-born and now lives in western Massachusetts where she writes for British and American publications. She has clearly been up and down the coast of New England, and was paying attention as she went. New England Cooking: Seasons and Celebrations is well-indexed, has a table of contents by recipe name, and has wonderful color photos of many dishes. It would make a welcome Christmas present for both resident and expatriate New England cooks.