OYSTER MADNESS comes from a fortunate meeting with an oyster farmer from Cortes Island who lived part time near my home in Nelson. He was selling fresh oysters at the farmer’s market. Because I have been eating and cooking oysters since my childhood on the Pacific Coast I was ecstatic to be able to have fresh oysters again and my oyster farmer was happy to have so many ways to cook this superb bivalve.

Recipes vary from a raw oyster cocktail developed on the Oregon Coast while we were camping there in May of 1992 to my mother’s traditional Christmas Oyster Stew. The breaded baked oyster recipe was developed to lighten the traditional fried oysters. Emphasis is on the taste of the shellfish enhanced by herbs. Oyster recipes from around the globe include West Coast American, Greek, Italian, French, Mexican and Japanese.

Appetizers: pages 1-4
Oregon Coast Raw Oysters with Parsley Tomato Sauce
Raw Oysters with Thyme/caper Tomato sauce
West Coast Raw Oysters
Greek Raw Oysters
Oysters and Fish Roe
Gail's Pesto Oysters
Ostriche con Prosciutto (Oysters with Prosciutto)
Kaki su Miso (Oysters pickled in miso sauce)
Oysters with Spinach and Fish Roe

Salads page 5
Provencal Oysters with Aioli (Oysters with Garlic Mayonnaise)

Soups and stews pages 6-8
Christmas Oyster Stew
Mom's Oyster Stew
Mom's Oyster Bisque
Psarosoupa Kakavia (Greek Fish Chowder)
Kaki Shiru (Oyster Miso Soup)

Rice dishes page 9
Kaki Meshi (Oysters Cooked with Rice)