Joan Reardon, a biographer of M.F.K.Fisher, is a co-author of this book.

But, about the stew .... 

If you are travelling through mid town New York and can stop into the Oyster Bar in Grand Central Station, you can get a stew that's this good. I haven't found one anywhere else. They make it right now and hand it to you at The Oyster Bar - this is important to remember.

"So many circumstance of time, place and company occur to make a particular dish memorable in every way. M.F.K. Fisher has written about an oyster stew, "the best in the world ... mildly potent, quietly sustaining, warm as love and welcomer in winter." Its preparation is worth retelling.

"'Three copper suacepans were used and carfully tended by a young man who warmed the butter in one, paced freshly shucked oysters in the other, and heated a pint of milk in the third. When the butter frothed, he poured the over the oysters, stirring them round and round in the pan for about a minute. Then he poured in the hot milk, adding a little red pepper, salt and a few drops of sherry, and served it - no 'stewing' here, just total absorbtion in the task at hand for a minute or two. It's the sercret of a good oyster stew.'"

While the book likes what Fisher had to say, it provides a different recipe. I repeat it below with the caveat that I didn't have three dozen oysters and didn't want to use only cream, so combined milk and cream. I did not use the salt.

It takes only a few minutes to make so don't start it until you are ready to eat it. It's very nice to have some dry, salty crackers with it. 

1. 36 shucked oysters and liquor
2. 1 quart light cream
3. 8 Tablespoons butter
4. Salt
5. Worchestershire Sauce
6. Paprika
7. Tabasco

1. Remove oysters from their shell, strain and reserve 1 cup of the liquor. [I use store shucked oysters in the plastic tub - selects, two containers, probably about twenty four oysters. I used the liquor in the container]
2. Heat liquor and cream in a saucepan
3. Melt the butter in another saucepan. When it froths, add the oysters and stir gently until they are hot and the edges begin to curl.
4. Stir in the cream mixture, season to taste with the Worchestershire, Tabasco and Paprika and serve immediately.
5. The Brand Central Oyster Bar serves what they call an Oyster pan roast. It is this same recipe with a piece of toast in the bottom of the bowl.....