For Cod and Country
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Want to save the ocean? Start with broccoli.

National Geographic Fellow and Washington, D.C. chef Barton Seaver is an influential voice in the culinary world because of his take on seafood and sustainability. In his first book, For Cod and Country, Seaver introduces an entirely new kind of casual cooking featuring seafood that hasn’t been overfished or harvested using destructive methods.

Organized by season, For Cod and Country is a full-color exploration of recipes showcasing a wide variety of fish caught at specific times of year combined with fresh vegetables and vibrant spices. The book also includes “A Separate Season” for seafood available year-round, and healthful and ocean-friendly substitutes for fish species that are popular yet overharvested. In addition, Seaver takes a holistic approach to sustainability and covers wellness, portion size, fishermen, catch methods, and a fish’s role in the marine ecosystem.

Tantalizing dishes with easy-to-follow instructions, purchasing recommendations, and helpful tips for preparation and seasonings make For Cod and Country the ideal guide for environmentally minded cooks. Seaver weaves his insights and wit through a compelling narrative about how the choices we make for dinner deeply impact our own well-being, our planet, and the global community.

For Cod and Country is part of Seaver’s mission to help us engage in a more sustainable food system on nearly every level. The story of successful conservation is a lesson of responsible consumption. It is a tale of the opportunity that we have to make tasty and personally sustaining choices that keep our needs in balance with what the world can provide.

Upcoming Appearances

Monterey Bay Aquarium Cooking for Solutions Gala
Friday, May 18, 2012
7:30pm - 10:30pm PT
886 Cannery Row, Monterey, CA · Sold Out
Sustainable Foods Celebration at the Monterey Bay Aquarium
Saturday, May 19, 2012
11:00am - 11:30am PT
866 Cannery Row, Monterey, CA · Great Tide Pool Deck
Capitol Hill Oceans Week Panel with Sylvia Earle and Jim Toomey
Thursday, June 07, 2012
5:00pm - 8:00pm ET
National Geographic Society, 1145 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC · Grovesnor Auditorium
Aspen Environment Forum Speaker
Friday, June 22, 2012
9:00am MT
1000 North Third Street, Aspen, CO 81611 · The Aspen Institute

Click to view all events

Click here for appearance inquiries

Acclaim for For Cod & Country

“For Cod and Country is a fun and approachable way for home cooks to bring sustainable seafood ideals into the practical world of the kitchen.”

—Paul Greenberg, best-selling author of Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food

"Barton Seaver has hit the right notes with his first cookbook, 'For Cod and Country'"

—Bonnie S. Benwick, The Washington Post

"If I were a fish, I’d like to be cooked by Barton Seaver. In For Cod & Country, Barton gives us a revolutionary approach to seafood that is healthier, more environmentally aware, and delicious. Seafood is more than just food. It’s wildlife that should be consumed with reverence and moderation (and plenty of vegetables)."

–Jim Toomey, cartoonist and creator of Sherman's Lagoon

“Barton serves us well by taking us from source to sauce. He shows that dinner isn‘t just a meal; it‘s our relationship with the world.”

–Carl Safina, author of Song for the Blue Ocean
and The View From Lazy Point

"For Cod and Country dishes up sustainable seafood that somehow manages to be dazzling, delicious, yet totally doable for the home chef. Trust me, you’ll be hooked."

–Kate Geagan, MS, RD

“Kudos to Barton Seaver for raising awareness about the ingredients in our food—where they come from, how they got there, and the impacts they have on the environment. By making informed choices in the kitchen, we can all make a difference in protecting the lands and waters that sustain us.”

—Mark R. Tercek, President and CEO, The Nature Conservancy

“Barton Seaver is both a sensational chef and a true leader in the growing movement to think differently about the way we consume seafood. If you can’t get him to cook a meal for you in person, learning how he does it is the next best thing.”

—John Fahey, Chairman and CEO, National Geographic Society

"Washington, D.C. chef Barton Seaver's new "For Cod and Country" cookbook not only gets 10 points for clever title, it gets top marks for timeliness and tastiness, too."

—Jackie Burrell, Bay Area News Group

"Seaver's book vibrates with personality, practical advice, photographs (both evocative and how-to), and stovetop wisdom...The recipes in For Cod and Country allow seafood lovers to dig in with gusto—and good conscience."

–Barry Estabrook, The Atlantic

"Fish lovers and beginning cooks will rejoice in this cookbook’s creative recipes and instructions for filleting fish and other seafood."

–Carrie Scarr, Library Journal

“It’s not only vegetables that have seasons—fish do, too! And the consideration of seafood’s seasonality along with the environmental issues surrounding its consumption are long overdue. If you’re new to seafood, there’s much to learn in For Cod and Country.”

—Deborah Madison, author of Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America’s Farmers Markets

"I’m not a chef, or food critic, or book critic. I’m a busy working mom who, in my pre-child life, enjoyed long evenings of cooking, eating, and drinking good wine. Needless to say, my cooking habits have changed in the four years since we welcomed our first son. Now, my idea of a great recipe is one that involves no more than six ingredients and thirty minutes, and yet still produces something healthful and delicious. It’s kind of a high bar, but For Cod and Country hits the mark."

–Heather Goldstone, Climatide

"Barton’s writing style is casual, personal, celebratory and inviting, yet he has included tons of essential content about sustainable fish choices, ingredient primers and cooking techniques. I read it cover to cover the day it arrived."

—Myra Goodman, author of Food to Live By: The Earthbound Farm Organic Cookbook and The Earthbound Cook: 250 Recipes for Delicious Food and a Healthy Planet

“Barton Seaver is one of the best friends that fish ever had. The fact that he cooks them so well, as seen in these pages, should not turn any self-respecting fish against him.”

—Peter Kaminsky, author of Pig Perfect and The Moon Pulled Up An Acre of Bass

"All good choices and terrific seafood recipes are the basis of this splendid, beautifully produced volume...This is not a jeremiad, it is common sense and good food on every page."

–John Mariani, Virtual Gourmet

“Eat a few dishes prepared by Esquire chef of the year Barton Seaver, thirty, and you’ll feel good about living on Earth...Listen to him talk about how to save us all from destroying the food chain (and ourselves in the process) and you’ll feel even better about it.”

—John Mariani, Esquire magazine

"Seaver is part of a new generation of chefs who consider sustainability an ingredient that can't be forgotten in their food. Check out For Cod and Country—and think about eating less seafood, more often."

–Bryan Walsh, Time Magazine's Ecocentric Blog

"It can be confusing, trying to navigate the waters of how to eat fish and seafood responsibly. Thankfully chef Seaver's book makes the subject matter much easier to comprehend, gives us choices, and makes it all delicious."

–Esther Sung, Epicurious

“ Barton brings you into the life of the fish and the love affair he shares with the seasons. More than just a bunch of recipes . . . a story that makes a difference!”

—Rick Moonen, Chef/Owner, Rick Moonen’s RM Seafood

“Barton Seaver is a man with a mission to make us value what we take from the sea at a time of crisis for marine resources. He also cooks superbly. So you can be sure his first cookbook is not only a mouth-watering read, but also takes an inspiring approach to sustainability, one of the great issues of our time. That makes it an important book and one that deserves to be read by everyone who truly loves seafood.”

–Charles Clover, Author of The End of the Line

"I recommend For Cod and Country for both skilled cooks and those intimidated by fish preparation. For Cod and Country will make you a better cook and environmentalist."

–Real Food Digest

"[Seaver's] new book is a testament to his belief that each and every one of us can help restore the fisheries we depend on by voting with our dollars and making smarter, responsible (and mouthwatering) decisions at the supermarket and in restaurants. And that’s where the fun begins."

–Natural Resources Defense Council

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