All three of them – The New England Clam Shack Cookbook, Dishing up Maine and The New England Cookbook provide recipes that extol the natural ingredients particular to New England, the events and traditions where New England fare is likely to be served and the influence of the cultural and national immigrants who compose our “One New England.”

In The New England Cookbook, published by the Harvard Common Press, Dojny provides a full menu of recipes, some classically New England and others representing a distinctive New England adaptation of recipes from other parts of the country and the world. Her recipes range from starters, to soups and chowders, to meats and fish, to sides, breads and desserts. Coupled with the over 350 recipes found in this book are interesting little tidbits about a variety of topics; anything from how certain foods found their way into New Englanders diets, to interesting restaurants and locales, to the contributions of the immigrants, who have adapted their own recipes to make things like pasta dishes with a distinctive New England flair.

Below are just a few of the mouth watering dishes that you can try from this cookbook.   All recipes are excerpted from The New England Cookbook by Brooke Dojny © 1999, and are reproduced with the permission of the publisher, The Harvard Common Press.

Narragansett Beer-Battered Fish ‘n’ Chips

Makes 4 servings

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

¾ teaspoon baking soda

1 cup flat beer or ale

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Peanut or other vegetable oil for shallow-frying

1½ pounds firm fish fillet such as scrod, haddock, or pollack, or very fresh flounder, about ½ an inch thick, cut into about 12 pieces.

6 cups cooked French fries

Tartar sauce, lemon wedges, and cider or malt vinegar

Whisk together the flour, salt, pepper, and baking soda in a large bowl. Gradually whisk in the beer and vinegar. Let the batter stand for 10 minutes and stir gently again before using.

Heat ½ to ¾ inch of oil to 350 degrees in a deep, heavy, preferably cast-iron skillet over medium heat. The oil is hot enough when a small cube of bread browns in 30 seconds.

Dip the fish in the batter, letting the excess drip off, and slowly and carefully ease into the oil. (Do not crowd the pan. You will probably have to fry in 2 or 3 batches.) Fry the fish, turning once with a long-handled slotted spoon or tongs, until well browned on both sides and cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes total. Remove carefully and drain on paper towels.

Serve the fish with the French fries and pass the condiments at the table.

Roasted Cod Fillets with Garlic-Prosciutto Topping

Makes 4 servings

For the topping:

½ cup diced prosciutto (about 2 ounces)

¼ cup minced flat-leaf parsley

3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or chervil

1 garlic clove, minced

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

¼ teaspoon coarse-ground black pepper

For the fish:

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cod fillets (about 6 ounces each)

Salt and fresh-ground black pepper

¾ cup dry white wine

Combine the prosciutto, parsley, basil or chervil, garlic, lemon zest, and pepper in a shallow dish. (The topping can be prepared a couple of hours ahead and refrigerated).

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Brush a shallow rimmed baking sheet or baking dish with some of the oil.

Place the fish in the pan and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the prosciutto topping over the fish, and pat it on evenly. Drizzle with the remaining oil and pour the wine around the fish in the baking dish.

Roast until the fish is no longer translucent and flakes with a fork and the topping is slightly crispy and browned, about 5 minutes for every ½ inch of thickness.

Serve with the pan juices poured over the fish.

Hashed Chicken with Dried Cranberries

Makes 4 servings

4 cups cooked, unpeeled red-skinned potatoes, cut in ½-inch cubes

4 cups (1 pound) diced cooked chicken or turkey

1 cup thinly sliced scallions

¾ cup sweetened dried cranberries (such as Craisins)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage or 2 teaspoons crumbled dried

¾ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

½ cup plus 2 to 3 tablespoons half-and-half or light cream

3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Toss together the potatoes, chicken, scallions, cranberries, sage, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.

Drizzle on ½ cup of the half-and-half and toss to combine well.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a very large, heavy (preferably cast-iron) skillet. Add the hash mixture, spreading evenly and pressing down with a spatula. Cover the pan and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, uncovering to stir well every 5 minutes. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook, uncovered, stirring often, until the hash is crusty and rich golden brown, about 10 minutes more. If the hash seems too dry, add the remaining tablespoon of oil.

Just before serving, stir in the remaining 2 to 3 tablespoons of half-and-half. Taste and add more salt if necessary, then serve.

New Hampshire Maple Baked Beans

Makes 6 to 8 main-course servings; about 14 side-dish servings

1 pound dried navy, pea, or other small white beans, rinsed and picked over

1½ teaspoons salt

¾ cup pure maple syrup

¼ cup ketchup

2 teaspoons dry mustard

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 large onion, peeled and scored with a criss-cross through the root end

½ pound lean salt pork, scored up to but not through the rind.

If you like, soak the beans in water to cover for 4 hours or overnight. Drain in a colander. Bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a large soup pot. Add the soaked or unsoaked beans and the salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, until the beans are just tender, 1½ to 2 hours. Drain in the colander.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Combine the maple syrup, ketchup, mustard, and pepper in a 2½- to 3-quart casserole or bean pot. Add the beans and enough water to cover the beans by about ½ inch. Push the onion and salt pork into the beans.

Cover the casserole with foil or a lid and bake for 3 hours. Check the beans every 45 minutes or so, and if the liquid has cooked away, add enough boiling water to keep the beans slightly soupy at all times.

Uncover for the last 45 minutes of cooking to concentrate sauce. Remove the onion before serving.