McIntosh Barbara-jo - Tin fish gourmet: great seafood from cupboard to table

TIN FISH GOURMET New edition copyright 2014 by Barbara-jo McIntosh Original edition published in 1998 by Raincoast Books (Canada) and Graphic Arts Center Publishing (USA). All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any part by any meansgraphic, electronic, or mechanicalwithout the prior written permission of the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may use brief excerpts in a review, or in the case of photocopying in Canada, a license from Access Copyright. ARSENAL PULP PRESS Suite 202211 East Georgia St. Vancouver, BC V6A 1Z6 Canada arsenalpulp.com The publisher gratefully acknowledges the support of the Government of Canada (through the Canada Book Fund) and the Government of British Columbia (through the Book Publishing Tax Credit Program) for its publishing activities. The author and publisher assert that the information contained in this book is true and complete to the best of their knowledge.

All recommendations are made without the guarantee on the part of the author and publisher. The author and publisher disclaim any liability in connection with the use of this information. For more information, contact the publisher. Note for our UK readers: measurements for non-liquids are for volume, not weight. Design by Gerilee McBride Interior and cover photographs by Tracey Kusiewicz/Foodie Photography Editing by Susan Safyan Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication: McIntosh, Barbara-jo, author Tin fish gourmet: great seafood from cupboard to table / Barbara-jo McIntosh; foreword by Michel Roux.New and revised. Includes index.

Issued in print and electronic formats. ISBN 978-1-55152-547-1 (epub) 1. Cooking (Seafood). 2. Cooking (Canned foods). 3.

Canned seafood. 4. Cookbooks. I. Title. TX747.M34 2014 641.6'92 C2014-904297-3 C2014-904298-1 CONTENTS My great appreciation to Brian Lam and Robert Ballantyne at Arsenal Pulp Press for wanting to create a new life for Tin Fish Gourmet, originally published by Raincoast Books in 1998.

My thanks to editor Susan Safyan, designer Gerilee McBride, photographer Tracy Kusiewicz, and marketing manager Cynara Geissler. Thanks to Mark Holmes, a fixture in the Books to Cooks shop, for his aid with the recipe development and food styling; to Bethany Leng, our in-shop editor; and to Joan Harvie, who kept the home fires burning in the shop while the rest of us worked on the revision. Thanks to Alex Waterhouse-Hayward for his patience while photographing me and to John Lekich for believing in me, almost always. This new edition of Tin Fish Gourmet is dedicated to the memory of Veryl, Danny, and my mother. I must confess that my friend Barbara-jos mini-masterpiece, the first edition of Tin Fish Gourmet, is my thrifty frisson, an indispensable little gem that has rarely left my side. It has inspired many last-minute, tasty meals, when my busy scheduleoften spent flying between my different basesleaves little time to shop, prepare, and cook up anything complicated.

This new edition offers even more endlessly mutable ideas that shine the limelight on the humble and under-rated tin of seafood. The book shows how that seemingly dull tin lurking at the back of your cupboard can be quickly transformed, with the addition of a few fresh ingredients, into an uplifting and mouth-watering dish with minimum effort and maximum taste. One of my staples of choice, the unassuming herring, forms the base of a particularly delicious new recipe, Herring & Beet Lasagna, in which the addition of sweet, pink, earthy beetroot softens the edges of the salty, savory fish to beautiful effect. This exciting new edition also boasts glamorous photos, which help remind us of the transformative value of simple garnishes that make an ordinary dish brilliant with the addition of something sprinkled, swirled, or trickled, such as herbs, seeds, croutons, cream, or spices. These add that extra dimensiona crunch or flourish to contrast texture, taste, or colorthat can make anyone enjoying the meal feel specially treated and looked after. The most inspirational recipe books resonate with the passion of the author, and here, Barbara-jos love of food shines through, just as it does in her incomparable shop, Books to Cooks, which is a magnet for the professional and home cook alike.

Barbara-jos new edition of Tin Fish Gourmet will be flying off the shelves just as fast as the tins that star in her stunning recipes. Michel Roux, OBE March 2014 Since the original edition of Tin Fish Gourmet was first published in 1998, much has happened in my life. For the past seventeen years, Ive been the proprietor of Barbara-Jos Books to Cooks, a cookbook store in Vancouver, BC, that features a fully working kitchen where visiting authors can showcase their best recipes. Ive written two other books, indulged in a love affair with one of my favorite cities by traveling regularly to Paris, and watched with delight as Tin Fish Gourmet has sold more than 20,000 copies. The recipes from the first edition have remained a constant part of my life, both at home and at the shop. More than ever, I find myself coming home after a busy day and utilizing the tin fish in my cupboard.

As someone who derives both pleasure and comfort from experimenting with new recipes, I found myself with a growing list of new dishes based on the fundamental concept of adding a gourmet twist to a wide variety of tinned seafood. The result is this new edition of Tin Fish Gourmet, a book of recipes that takes great pride in blending new taste experiences with a lifetime of treasured memories. Fish has been a part of my life since I was five years old. At the time, my divorced mother began to date a man named Roy who was a commercial fisherman in the summer and a hairdresser in the winter. We began to eat a lot of fish, and we all had great hair. I remember learning how to shuck oysters at the age of six.

I remember crying at the sight of all those baby fishes inside the mommy fishes tummies when we cleaned them, feeling responsible for their deaths because we had cut the mother fishes open. Eventually, I got over it and ate a lot more fish. This included tin fish, of course. Such classic tin fish dishes as tuna casserole, salmon loaf, and shrimp curry became my childhood versions of comfort food. The tins themselves, stacked in the cupboard to form colorful towers, were an essential part of our kitchen pantry. And, even then, I was well aware of the ease and convenience they provided.

I was also well aware of the process that went into creating tin fish. When my brother turned fourteen, he started to go fishing with Roy in the summer. Tales of the northern regions of British Columbiathe eagles, the ocean, and, of course, very large fishswam through our dinner-table conversation in great abundance. Growing up, I was lucky to experience some magical places of my own. Vancouvers Campbell Avenue Fishermans Wharf was an incredible place. As a young girl, I was overwhelmed by the exotic smells, the sturdy boats, the large totes of fish, and the interesting array of dockside characters.

Tearfully, I would watch as my big brother set sail for the summer. I longed to be out on the water, casting my own net. As the years moved on, my brother left his studies at college to become a full-time fisherman, and I took a job in the fishing industry. Naturally, I fell in love with a man who shared my passion for seafood, so there was always more fish to eat and enjoy. I happily began to experiment with ways of preparing fish. But, no matter how sophisticated my recipes became, I never forgot how to use a can opener.