Fish2Fork.com is a wonderful website dedicated to supporting sustainable seafood and the restaurants that serve it. 80% of the Worlds fish stocks are over fished and some species are now classified as being endangered. The Site’s goal is to inform consumers to make wise decisions about the fish on their plates to protect the fish population for future generations.
The site allows you to search for restaurants in both the UK and the USA. It gives a rating system as follows:
5 Blue Fish
5 Blue Fish… Best in class! This restaurant really cares about sustainability and does absolutely everything to ensure it sources and serves seafood from well managed and certified fisheries and provides good information on what it is doing. Eat in this restaurant with a totally clear conscience.
4 Blue Fish
4 Blue Fish… An excellent restaurant which does its best to follow all the rules on sustainability. Eat here and enjoy without worrying about damaging fish stocks.
3 Blue Fish
3 Blue Fish… A very good restaurant that tries hard to source sustainably but needs to polish up a few areas of its sourcing or the information it provides. A good place to eat fish.
2 Blue Fish
2 Blue Fish… This restaurant tries hard in some areas of its fish and seafood sourcing but has a few blind spots. Eat fish here but ask the management about anything you think is unsustainable.
1 Blue Fish
1 Blue Fish… Still on the positive side of the thin blue line…. but only just. They might be doing a lot right but still have big gaps in their policies and the information they provide on sustainability. Eat fish at this restaurant but try to persuade the management to up their game.
1 Red Fish
1 Red Fish… This restaurant is not trying hard enough and, as far as we can see from the information it provides, it is not sourcing its fish sustainably. Eat here with caution and if you do, tell us what you find.
2 Red Fish
2 Red Fish… this restaurant looks from the information it provides to be serving fish which should be avoided. Read the review and ask yourself whether you really want to go there.
3 Red Fish
3 Red Fish… Proceed with caution. This establishment apparently is not paying enough attention to sustainability and you are likely to find fish on the menu which in the view of the authorities we cite shouldn’t be caught at all. We would not eat there but the individual diner must make up their own mind.
4 Red Fish
4 Red Fish… there may be horror stories here. Very little thought about the ocean environment. Menu may include fish which are on the IUCN Red List of endangered species without any indication that they are from sustainably managed sources.
5 Red Fish
5 Red Fish… Any restaurant rated 5 Red Fish will appear to be serving one or more endangered species without any indication that they are from sustainably managed sources. This is totally unacceptable when there are so many good alternatives available and shows a complete disregard for our planet and its fish stocks. Even if this place has handfuls of Michelin stars you wouldn’t find us going there but of course, diners must make their own decision.
The site is fairly new and not many restaurants have been rated and added to the site. However there are forms for you to fill in and rate restaurants to add to the list.
This is a popular snack in many Asian countries and can be made from fish, pork and beef. It can be eaten on sandwich with mayonnaise or on fried rice. The recipe come from Cherry on a Cake a Malaysian food blog.
Ingredients:
650 gm of cooked fish meat (tuna, mackeral or any meaty fish) I used 3 whole tunas about 12 inches from tip to tail. You could also use an equal amount of minced beef or chicken.
6 medium onions
4 garlic
1 inch ginger
1/2 inch galangal
2 stalks lemon grass (white part only)
3 T coriander seed, pounded coarsely
1 T or more chillie paste (bottled or fresh)
2 tsp tumeric powder
1 T sugar
250 ml coconut milk or cream
5 T any vegetable oil
salt
Method:
Poach the fillets of fish in pan of water until cooked. Drain and let cool. Remove bones and crumble the meat until it is as fine as you can get it….like breadcrumbs. Keep aside.
Peel onions, garlic ginger, galangal. Slice the white part of the lemon grass. Place them all in a food proccesor and process until quite fine.
Heat up the oil in a thick based medium pot. Saute the processed spices, while adding the chillie paste, tumeric powder and pounded coriander seeds, until fragrant and the paste turns a darker colour. About 10 to 15 minutes.
Put in the crumbled fish meat, pour in the coconut milk or cream and mix well. Let it cook on the stove on small to medium heat, stirring now and then to prevent burning. Ad sugar and salt. Stir and mix.
The mixture should not have any sauce or gravy but should be quite like a thick wet paste. Cook until it becomes slightly drier and it is no longer too wet.
Transfer the mixture to a large baking tray that has been lined with foil or baking paper for easier cleaning.
Bake in an oven at 170 C, checking and stirring every 15 minutes until the fish floss becomes golden all over.
Stirring the floss as it bakes is important so that the floss browns evenly. I didn’t time the baking but I think it took about an hour.
Remove and let it cool completely. Pour half the floss into a food processorand pulse until the floss becomes fine, light and airy. Do the same for the rest of the floss.
Store in an airtight container and in the refrigerator. It will last for a few weeks.
The 2010 US Census will start in the little village of Noorvik in Northern Alaska. The Inupiat population is around 650 people, there are no roads linking the village to the rest of the state. So census workers will fly in and then use snowmobiles and dog sleds. The village has a subsistence lifestyle with the people depending on caribou, fish, moose, waterfowl and berries for survival. The Census bureau plans to hire an extra 2500 workers to go door to door in the state of Alaska covering 586000 square miles.
The US census is carried out very ten years and mostly uses first class mail to survey residents but not everyone has a postal address. Its a mammoth task and one that costs the Government a great deal of money this years budget is $14 billion with a $130 million advertising campaign. But the data is very valuable giving a snapshot into America today.
The US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke has declared the Yukon Rivers low salmon run a Commercial fishing disaster. This could be a good thing as it may pave the way for relief funds for the area. The communities along the Yukon river depend on salmon for food and income. They have suffered significant hardship in recent years.
The declaration of a disaster may earmark federal funding for research and payments to the more than 800 fisherman in the area. The last two years has seen historically low salmon returns and 2010 is not predicted to be any better.
The last time a federal fishing disaster was declared was in 2000 in regard the Bering Sea snow crab and the salmon fishery in Norton.
Lets hope the communities along the Yukon get the assistance they need and the salmon return home.
Alaska’s cod fisheries are all set for being awarded a sort after Eco label from the Marine Stewardship council. The label informs consumers that cod is caught from sustainable and environmentally friendly sources. Fisherman hope to get a higher premium with the label. Since cod is the globes most popular fish and stocks being depleted in the Atlantic Alaska is in a prime position to meet demand.
Alaska’s salmon, Pollock, halibut and black cod all have the label.
Alaska continues to lead the way in sustainable and Eco friendly fish that taste great.
Flake crabmeat with a fork in a medium bowl; stir in mayonnaise, scallions, soy sauce, wasabi, and zest. Stir in 2 tablespoons panko crumbs. Cover with plastic wrap; chill 1 hour.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and pepper; set aside
In a small bowl, beat eggs with 1 tablespoon water; set aside.
In a shallow bowl, stir together sesame seeds and breadcrumbs. Form one tablespoon crab mixture into a ball; dip in seasoned flour. Flatten into a cake. Build up sides a little and rounding it out. Repeat with remaining crab mixture. Dip cakes in egg mixture, then roll in breadcrumb mixture.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add half the crab cakes; cook, turning once, until golden and crisp on both sides, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spatula, transfer to paper towel-lined plates to drain. Repeat with remaining cakes, adding more oil if needed. Let cool completely.
Transfer crab cakes to a baking sheet. Freeze (uncovered) until firm, about 1 hour. Transfer to an airtight container; freeze until ready to use, up to 6 weeks.
To serve, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place the crab cakes on an ungreased baking sheet, and bake until heated through, 10 to 14 minutes.
The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute has just released a booklet titled Alaska Seafood Sustainability in Plain English. It is aimed at the food service industry to be able to clearly inform consumers about their source of seafood and in layman’s terms why its the best choice in the World.
The little booklet was even illustrated by Rie Munoz a famous Alaskan artist it simplifies the technical aspects of fishing with themes such as enforcement, management, governance, responsibility and commitment.
The booklet can be ordered through the website or you can call Claudia Hogue Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute
The following deliciously simple Lobster recipe comes from five star foodie
The baked lobster was just excellent with a very simple preparation. The chunks of lobster meat were first simmered in butter, Savignon Blanc, and marjoram for just about a minute and then baked in ramekins for another 6-8 minutes in the oven, sprinkled with panko breadcrumbs on the top.
The Navy held a meeting last Thursday in Kodiak to hear from residents about their proposal to increase training in the area. Kodiak residents have reservations about the Navy’s plans in fact a representative from The Alaska Marine Conservation Council has concerns. In particular related to the underwater noise from sonar.
The Navy uses the area to conduct carrier strike training with submarines it is very fond of the area and the conditions are good for training. However it overlaps with the habitat for white whale, halibut and the migratory path of salmon. The Navy states that it has a good track record of marine stewardship and is open to discussion.
The public has till Jan 25th to post comments on the proposal - http://www.gulfofalaskanavyeis.com/GetInvolved.aspx
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