Black Trumpet: A Chef’s Journey Through Eight New England Seasons

Featuring more than 250 innovative recipes that respect and transcend regional food traditions.

The basis of great cooking has always been the creative use of fresh, seasonal ingredients – whether the kitchen is at home or in a high-end restaurant.

At the renowned Black Trumpet restaurant, located in the historic seacoast city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Chef Evan Mallett and his staff reflect the constantly changing seasons of New England, celebrating the unique flavors and traditions of fished, farmed, and foraged foods in their ever-changing menus that rotate roughly every six weeks throughout the course of the year.

From deep winter’s comfort dishes to the first run of maple syrup during Mud Season; from the first flush of greens in early spring to the embarrassment of high summer’s bounty and fall’s final harvest—Evan Mallett offers more than 250 innovative recipes that draw not only on classic regional foodways, but on the author’s personal experiences with Mexican, Mediterranean, and other classic world cuisines. Recipes include inspired and delicious dishes such as:

• Quail Adobado with Quince Hash;
• Scallops with Couscous and Cider Cream;
• Lobster and Kelp Tamales; and
• Cauliflower and Chickpea Fritter with Curried Spinach Puree; as well as a wide range of soups, salads, starters, condiments, desserts, and cocktails.

Black Trumpet not only tells the story of a great restaurant—how the Black Trumpet became nationally famous as a model for local food sourcing and community involvement—but it also traces the growth and evolution of the local food movement. In some ways, it can be viewed as a how-to manual for building a community around good food, featuring not only creative and delicious recipes, but autobiographical vignettes, and sidebars containing technical how-to information, profiles, anecdotes, and essays.

In this cookbook, the trappings of technology are eschewed, and the bare-bones essentials of extracting flavor and combining both commonplace and unusual ingredients take center stage. Genuine flavor and hospitality are what set Black Trumpet apart, and this cookbook will reflect those special qualities and inspire a new generation of adventurous American cooks.