The Great Clam Cake and Fritter Guide

A clamtastic new history, cookbook and travel guidebook

Forget lobster rolls and crab cakes. The dish East Coast residents really clamor for are clam cakes and fritters.

In Maine, it’s a deep-fried clam patty with a souffle-like center; in Virginia, a clam-filled pancake; in Southern New England, clam doughnut holes that are a summer sacrament despite their bad nutrition, frequent greasiness and limited availability (or actually, maybe, because of those things).

In The Great Clam Cake and Fritter Guide, fatty food authority Carolyn Wyman digs deep into this cultish regional treat to harvest this clamtastic new history, cookbook and travel guidebook, containing things to surprise even the most ardent fan, including:

The Great Clam Cake and Fritter Guide is, in short, the definitive exploration of clam cake/fritter’s history, culture and cuisine, and your dream of lounging around beautiful seacoast settings stuffing your face with delicious fried seafood come true!

Carolyn Wyman is the author of seven previous food books, including The Great American Chocolate Chip Cookie Book, The Great Philly Cheesesteak Book, Better Than Homemade, Spam: A Biography, and Jell-O: A Biography. She has also written for Thrillist, BuzzFeed, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and the Philadelphia Inquirer, and has defended her beloved junk foods on Fresh Air, Morning Edition, CNN, the Food Network, Fox and Friends and the Rosie O’Donnell Show. She was weaned on clam cakes and stuffies and still has Del’s and coffee milk running through her veins.

Press and Praise

“… Thought you knew everything about clam cakes[? A new book] … full of photos, recipes and lore … brings forth some amazing revelations.”

— Providence (R.I.) Journal

[An] “historical, anecdotal and recipe-filled essence of … clam cake [served up with] a native Rhode Islander’s knowledge of its funky culture.”

— The (South County, R.I.) Independent

I attempt to explain clam cakes’ enduring appeal in this survey of “weird” (their words) Rhode Island foods.

— The Boston Globe/boston.com

“Can’t wait to make a trip down to the shoreline … to visit some of these great places you talk about.”

— Chef Plum, “Seasoned,” Connecticut Public Radio

“Takes you on a clam cake and fritter trip from Maine to Rhode Island.”

— Cape Cod Times

“Clam-packed, from cover to cover!”

– Rhody Radio podcast

I discuss why a dearth of clams in clam cakes might actually be a plus with Rhode Show host Audrey McClelland.

— WPRI-TV 12 Providence

“… More than recipes … Wyman’s book also includes … clam cake … destinations [and] even … a bike tour of clam cake establishments, with a stop for ice cream.”

— Old Line Plate blog

“Dives into all things clam cake, from where to buy them, to how to make them, to whether you can ever have too many.”

— Rhode Island Monthly

“Takes the guesswork out of where to find … beloved clam cakes and … fritters.”