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Mastering fish & seafood cookery + celebrating curries for National Curry Week

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Mastering fish & seafood cookery + celebrating curries for National Curry Week

Often dubbed “the father of wine country cuisine” Californian chef John Ash opened his first restaurant in 1980, beginning his influential journey as a pioneer of local, seasonal cooking. Newly added to ckbk, his 2023 book The Hog Island Book of Fish & Seafood: Culinary Treasures from our Waters is the latest of his books to focus on his sustainably-minded approach to sourcing and preparing delicious food.
In celebration of it joining From the Earth to the Table, and Cooking One on One on the ckbk shelves, Ramona Andrews spoke to John about his award-winning cookbooks, his work as chef and culinary educator, and a food philosophy that centers simplicity and quality.

The Hog Island Book of Fish & Seafood is all about understanding the ingredient, and tackling it with the minimum fuss and maximum confidence.

There is a comprehensive front section on how to buy, store and prepare seafood, as well as over 250 recipes.
Try Grilled Squid Noodle Salad with Mango, Cabbage, and Cucumber, or San Francisco favorite Cioppino – a flavorful fish stew brought to the city by early Italian fishermen. To find out more about the man and his cooking, read our feature interview.

Frequently Asked Questions

Adjusting the yield of our recipes is simple and designed to fit your table, whether you are cooking for one or hosting a dinner party. Most recipes in our cookbooks are optimized for four to six servings, but they can easily be scaled by multiplying or dividing the ingredient measurements accordingly. We recommend keeping a close eye on cook times when scaling down, as smaller portions may heat through more quickly, and always seasoning gradually to ensure the flavors remain perfectly balanced as the volume changes.

Our cookbooks are written with the home cook in mind, so you won’t need a kitchen full of industrial equipment to achieve professional results. We focus on recipes that utilize standard essentials like a sharp chef’s knife, a reliable skillet, a medium saucepan, and basic measuring tools. If a specific dish requires something more specialized, such as a food processor or a Dutch oven, we clearly note it at the start of the recipe and often provide suggestions for common household alternatives you can use instead.

Every book we publish is crafted to be approachable and empowering for cooks at any skill level, including those just starting their culinary journey. We strip away the intimidating jargon and replace it with clear, chronological instructions and helpful “Chef’s Notes” that explain the techniques behind the steps. Our goal is to help you build kitchen confidence with every page turn, ensuring that even our most impressive-looking dishes are achievable for someone picking up a spatula for the first time.

Think of this cookbook as a flexible roadmap for your kitchen adventures rather than a rigid set of rules. We encourage you to browse by your current mood or time constraints using our organized chapters, and don’t be afraid to make the book your own by jotting down notes or substitutions in the margins. Whether you are following a recipe step-by-step for a special occasion or just looking for a quick weeknight spark of inspiration, these books are designed to be durable, practical companions that grow more seasoned and loved with every meal you prepare.

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