Chef Cory Schreiber opened the Wildwood restaurant in Portland five years ago and has rapidly become a leading figure in the region's bustling culinary scene -- winning the James Beard Award in 1998 for Best Chef: Pacific Northwest. Schreiber emphasizes organic produce prepared in ways that allow the natural beauty and flavors of the ingredients to shine forth, unobstructed by fussy embellishments. With its lavish food and landscape photography, inspired recipes, and passionate personal narrative, Wildwood presents the dishes that have earned Mr. Schreiber national acclaim, and offers a window into the source of his creativity. At Wildwood, the popular Portland, Oregon, restaurant, chef Cory Schreiber cooks dishes closely tied to local foods of the Pacific Northwest. A fifth-generation Oregonian and fourth-generation restaurateur, he is devoted to the plump oysters of Yaquina Bay, wild mushrooms from the slopes of the Cascade Mountains, and juicy berries from the Willamette Valley--all recognized as world-class ingredients. Wildwood the cookbook holds your attention in the kitchen and out. Schreiber shares his family's history, starting in 1864, when his great-grandfather settled in Oysterville. He describes his experience as a boy catching a 24-pound wild king salmon he could barely hold on the line, then explains why its firm flesh is prized and recommends poaching or grilling as the best ways to cook such firm-fleshed fish. Through his recipes, Schreiber shows how to build on the glorious flavor found in the best-quality ingredients. His Tomato and Fennel Vinaigrette is based on Summer Tomato Sauce seasoned with garlic and fresh herbs. Olive Oil-Braised Bell Peppers use the Mediterranean technique of simmering vegetables in oil until they are meltingly tender. While Schreiber spotlights the foods of Oregon, cooks everywhere can emulate his respect for local ingredients and for the land and waters that produce them. --Dana Jacobi Schreiber comes from a long line of restaurateurs, all of whom have enjoyed the bounty of the Pacific Northwest. At Wildwood, his Portland, OR, restaurant, he serves dishes like Panfried Oysters with Lemon Aioli, Seared Scallops with Cider Brown Butter, and Pinot Noir-Glazed Squab. Recipes are organized by major ingredient, grouped into chapters that trace his family's culinary progressDstarting with his great-grandfather's Oregon Oyster CompanyDand feature some of the purveyors who provide Schreiber with high-quality ingredients of all sorts. There's also a chapter of favorite recipes from Oregonian native son James Beard. Recommended for area and other larger collections. Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. The cooking of America's Pacific Northwest takes advantage of the foodstuffs abounding in its cool, moist, coastal climate. The region's restaurants have gone from obscurity to a hard-earned reputation for some of the country's best and most innovative cuisines. Wildwood, Schreiber's successful eatery on a narrow peninsula along Washington State's coast, serves the region's best foods. Most famous of these is the Pacific salmon, and roasting it on a cedar plank as he does, has been duplicated in restaurants across the country. Washington's succulent oysters also rank high, and for those who are squeamish about eating them raw, Schreiber suggests them fried in salad or stewed. Schreiber waxes equally enthusiastic for the forest mushrooms that abound seasonally. He pairs rare morels with their spring contemporary, asparagus, and he also folds these fungi into a rich, savory bread pudding. Desserts take advantage of fresh area fruits, the peach baked in phyllo being especially tempting. Regional collections especially will appreciate this cookbook. Mark Knoblauch Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved "Evocative...beautifully illustrated."—Diversion Magazine"More than just a cookook." —Sunset MagazineNamed one of the 12 "truly great cookbooks of 2000" by the —Asbury Park Press."(Cory's) cuisine is playful, witty, and refined, striking a balance between sophistication and approachability that will inspire cooks of all levels." —Charlie Trotter"It is rare to read a cookbook with such a powerful sense of place. This is not the story of what is fashionably new and hot, but what is connected to family tradition, a love of his homeland, and a fine palate to bring local ingredients to life in a personal way." —Joyce Goldstein"In both words and images, this book embodies what great cooking is really about." —Jasper White"This is food that touches the heart. It's sustenance that celebrates a spirit of place by weaving together the honest local flavor of terrain, climate, and generations of kitchen wisdom." —Rick Bayless"With its pictorial splendor, rich historical content, and enticing recipes, the bounty of Wildwood is tremendous." —Bradley Ogden CORY SCHREIBER founded Wildwood Restaurant and won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Pacific Nor