“In the hands of an able cook, fish can become an inexhaustible source of perpetual delight.” Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826)
“Fish, to taste right, must swim three times -in water, in butter, and in wine” Polish proverb
“Monkfish is called the poor man’s lobster. As long as people never see what it looks like whole, they love it.” Werner Auer, Executive chef, Hyatt Regency Hotel, Houston
“Fish should smell like the ocean. If they smell like fish, it’s too late.” Unknown
Give me a fish and I eat for a day. Teach me to fish and I eat for a lifetime.” Chinese Proverbs quotes
“There are fish in the sea better than have ever been caught” Irish Sayings quotes
“Don’t bargain for fish which are still in the water.” Indian Proverb quotes
Ruling a large kingdom, is like cooking a small fish.” (Handle gently and never overdo it) Lao-tse, Chinese philosopher (6th century BC)
“Fish is meant to tempt as well as nourish, and everything that lives in water is seductive.” Jean-Paul Aron
“There was a Young Lady of Wales, Who caught a large fish without scales; When she lifted her hook, she exclaimed, ‘Only look!’ That extatic Young Lady of Wales.” Edward Lear, English artist, writer; known for his ‘literary nonsense’ & limericks (1812-1888)
Cod is very important to New England and is used as Massachusetts State Emblem
They feed on mollusks, crabs, starfish, worms and small fish
Portuguese people claim to have 365 ways of preparing dried salt cod
10% of the worlds fish caught is cod
Cod can live up to 30 years
Cod can produce a natural antifreeze allowing it to venture into cold waters
Cod have been around for 120 million years
Cod is the most popular fish to make fish and chips, Brits have been eating this for over 150 years
Cod fishing in the Atlantic and North sea is strictly monitored to prevent over fishing, numbers were extremely low in the last few years.
Alaskan Cod stocks are healthy making it a great choice. It has wonderful white flesh and mild flavor, its low in fat and rich in nutrients and protein.
Alaska’s long line cod fishing companies are in talks to form an export group. Complete with federal backing, export guarantee and anti trust exemptions. It will give more power to the fisherman to be able to set fair prices and divide up export markets and deny products to unapproved sellers.
It is to ensure that products are paid for to protect the hard working fisherman of Alaska. Long line fishing is well known to do the least damage to the environment. At present almost all the Cod caught in the Pacific is sold within the US with small amounts going to China and Russia.
The salmon forecast for 2010 has just been set at 138 million slightly lower than last year due to lower pink catches. In particular it is predicted that Chinook and sockeye harvests will be higher and coho and chum about the same.
Due to the lower numbers of salmon returning the Alaska department of fish and game has allotted more than $1 million for salmon research. The agency is looking for help to develop salmon assessment projects and to better understand why king and chum salmon numbers have declined.
The Controversial Pebble Mine project, was fined this week for unauthorized water use. The mine currently in the developmental stage is set in Alaska’s Bristol Bay home to the Worlds largest Salmon run. The mining companies have agreed to pay a $ 45,000 fine to the state due to the unauthorized drilling of water for the exploration of gold and copper deposits. Because of this their permits to continue exploration have been suspended. In order to get them reinstated they will be closely monitored to ensure water is drilled in the agreed area.
The project has been plagued with issues and opposition from the beginning with many fearing it will damage the salmon run in the area, some large Jewelers even plan to boycott any gold mined from the area.
The Craft Guild of Chefs in the UK is partnering with Alaska Seafood this year to host the Alaska Seafood Challenge. The competition is open to all professional chefs and was held in the famous M and J Seafood test kitchens in Covent Garden. The chefs were to create a contemporary main course featuring either Alaska Salmon, Black Cod or Pollock.
The final was held on Monday Feb 15th, the finalists were:
Neil Snowball of Gordon Ramsay at Claridges with a braised pollock with a warm fennel salad, crispy chicken skin, purple broccoli and a truffle infused egg yolk and chicken veloule
Sudha Shankar Saha from Saffron Restaurant with pan fried scented salmon, kasoori methi flavored baby spinach and mushroom bhaji, tomato achar and moilee sauce
Robert Stordy Chef Lecturer at the University of Derby with roast salmon supreme, squid ink linguine, mussels, coconut and lemongrass.
And the winner was….Sudha Saha from Birmingham.
This competition puts Alaskan seafood on the map as a succulent, gourmet fish and most importantly sustainable.
As a physician, I do my best to heal my patients. I address symptoms and perform procedures when necessary. As an Interventional Cardiologist that at times involves treating heart attacks and placing stents or other devices to open up blocked heart arteries, restore blood flow and reverse years of damage. I try to help restore their health so they may enjoy the rest of their life. Yet after the procedures are done and the prescriptions written, after a time, all I can give is advice and guidance. It is ultimately up to the patient. Counseling often involves trying to establish a balance about what to eat, a realization that your food is your best medicine-or your worst poison. As their physician I want them to consume more things like fresh vegetables, fruit and items rich in fiber. I want them to prepare things in a healthier manner and lower their consumption of foods high in cholesterol, salt, fat and sugar. The latter three being the common evil found in everyday over processed and fast food.
By consuming extraordinary amounts of the over processed fast foods we incur the negative effects of too much cholesterol, salt, fat and sugar. It is a double edged sword because not only do we reap negative effects, but we miss the beneficial effects of fresh, natural alternatives. This includes the delicious bounty from the sea. The Institute of Medicine noted that : “Seafood is a widely available, nutrient-rich food that provides high quality protein, low in saturated fat and rich in polyunsaturated fats, and particularly the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosapentaenoic acid (DHA). Research conducted over the past several years suggests that there are benefits linked to eating seafood that include the dietary advantages associated with consuming a low-fat protein source and possible additional benefits linked to brain and visual system development in infants and reduced risk for certain forms of heart disease.”
Omega 3 fatty acids are poly-unsaturated fatty acid, a good type of fat. They are essential for growth and good health. Many studies have shown that a diet rich in omega 3 fatty acids may help lower triglycerides and increase HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol). Even though their diet was high in fat, because it was primarily derived from seafood and contained omega-3s, the Inuit people were found to have reduced triglycerides, heart rate, blood pressure, and atherosclerosis. That’s good for my heart patients. Omega 3 fatty acids may also act as an anticoagulant to prevent blood from clotting and may help lower high blood pressure. That’s also good for my heart patients. In addition these compounds have been shown to potentially protect against Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis and improve immune function. That’s good for everyone. One of the best sources of these omega-3s are cold water oily fish such as salmon, and to a lesser degree fish like tuna. Yet, none of these health benefits means anything if people won’t eat it. As a Chef, I know people won’t eat any of the food if it doesn’t taste good. It has to taste good. If it doesn’t taste good it’s not food-it’s just medicine. The beauty of consuming these products fresh from the sea is that they simply taste better. They have a delicious flavor you want to savor. Fresh product like this is what I use when I do my Grassroots cooking. It is what I use to cook with and serve, because it is what I want to eat. It is a pleasure. As a Chef, for me, it is all about taste. Translation: It’s great tasting food that’s great for you. And that’s what Doc’s all about. -Michael S. Fenster, MD, F.A.C.C., FSCA&I; Interventional Cardiologist, Chef and host of What’s Cooking with Doc (www.whatscookingwithdoc.com)
It is often said that an army marches on its stomach (Napoleon). Omega 3 fatty acids abundant in oily fish such as salmon have many health properties from protecting the heart, lowering triglycerides, brain function, eye function and combating depression the list goes on.
It is also viewed as Nutritional armour in particular its ability to improve soldiers stress resilience and general wellness. These issues were recently discussed at a conference held in December last year dietitians also stated that millions of dollars could be saved in health care costs if the military’s diet is supplemented with Omega 3 fatty acids.
Of particular interest is Omega 3’s role in decreasing depression this is a big concern for troops returning from duty and there is a high rate of suicide and post traumatic stress syndrome.
So if you are in the military or have family members in service why not order some omega 3 rich seafood for them!
Royal Dutch Shell has big plans to drill for billions of oil in the Arctic of the coast of Alaska. However conservation groups and Alaskans have filed a legal claim to prevent drilling in the Chukchi sea this year. Two years ago the company paid $2.1 billion to the US Government for leases in the area. It is believed that the area contains a whopping 15bn barrels of oil and 76tn cubic feet of recoverable natural gas. It is also the home to endangered species of Whales, polar bears and rich fish stocks.
Environmentalists fear that further drilling will warm the arctic and increase the risk for oil spills that are almost impossible to clean. There is however a political push to find US sources of fuel and reduce dependency on foreign sources of energy. It is a catch 22 as Alaska depends on oil, about 40% of its tax revenue comes from it and every citizen gets oil royalties. The oil industry also gives $300 million to the University of Alaska, this is a sensitive issue for many.
Shell pledges to abide by whatever decisions are made and to cut down its air emissions. It is prudent to carefully plan and preserve wildlife and the fish in the area, while still extracting sources of energy.
Research shows that Americans tend to eat more meat than fish in fact 100lb a year compared to 7lb. However eating fish is viewed to be the single best dietary change to reduce our risk of heart disease. In particular oily fish such as salmon that are rich in omega 3 known to protect the eyes, slow down the rate at which cells age, lower triglycerides and blood pressure and decrease the risk of arrhythmias. Eating fish appears to also have a better effect than obtaining omega 3 from plant sources and supplements.
Women who consume more fish have a 34% lower risk of heart disease. Fish is lean, high in vitamin A, iron and protein and low in saturated fat.
Tips:
Choose wild caught fish it is often higher in omega 3, and lower in pollutants
Choose sustainable sources of fish
Have fun and look through our recipe blog for many fun ways to cook it.
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