Alaska’s exports totaled 3.3 billion dollars last year this is the fifth best for trade in the States history. Alaska’s main exports are:
Zinc and Ore up 33.5% the minerals are shipped all over the World to Korea, China, Spain, Germany, Italy, Finland, Australia and Belgium.
Precious metals mainly gold up 6% in particular going to Switzerland
Coal and natural gas rose 42.8% Japan takes most of it and has been getting it on a consistent basis for the last 40 years
Forrest products
Seafood valued at 1.6 billion going to Japan mostly.
Alaska can be proud of its many exports and in particular its wonderful and sustainable seafood. Its model of well managed fisheries are the envy of the World.
America is home to some wonderful seafood festivals, throughout the year, here is a list so why not have fun and visit one of them, enjoy great seafood and entertainment:
May - Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival, Amelia Island Florida- featuring live music, crafts, pirates and lots of fresh shrimp http://www.shrimpfestival.com/
October 2-4th - Moorehead City, North Carolina Seafood Festival - with ship rides, cooking demonstrations and seafood http://www.ncseafoodfestival.org/
So there’s still time to catch a few, maybe your next trip could be visiting one.
What wine you choice to drink with your delicious seafood, is really a personal preference and there’s no right or wrong, but here are some suggestions:
Halibut and Oysters - chesin blanc, sauvignon blanc, pinio grigio
Crab and lobster - chardonnay, viogier, pinot gris
fried seafood - sparkling whites and champagne
clams,scallops and lobster - albarino and vedelho, proscecco, dry riesling,seyval blanc
boiled shrimp - dry fino sherry from spain, vinho verde
tuna, salmon and blue fish - pinot noir, sangiovese, grenache, vin gris, semillon
New Research suggests that a diet rich in fish may decrease the future development of dementia. The results of an observational study involving 15,000 older adults 65 years and above show that those who ate fish regularly had less dementia.
The study looked at people from China, India, Cuba, Venezuela, Peru and The Dominican Republic. Those who ate fish daily had 20% less risk of developing dementia and those who ate fish a few times a week had a 20% less risk compared to those who never ate fish.
In fact there was a gradient effect. Namely, the more fish that was eaten the lower the risk of getting dementia-the opposite effect of red meat. In particular oily fish such as salmon, trout, mackerel, sardines and tuna rich in omega 3 were better.
Just another reason to eat and enjoy Alaskan fish on a regular basis.
This is a gorgeous, spicy recipe that can be put together in half an hour. There are a number of variations - mine is a little sweeter than some, and with an extra kick. My husband described it as “a tangy puttanesca with shrimp.”
1/2 cup (or more) spicy Sicilian green olives, pitted and chunked
2 T capers (with juice)
1 T sugar
2 T lime juice
saffron threads
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper
cilantro
hot sauce (I use a wonderful thai chili/habanero blend for real kick)
rice
1. Prep the shrimp and get the rice cooking.
2. In a deep skillet (I use a wok), heat a healthy splash of olive oil over medium-high, and saute the tomatoes, garlic, and onions until the onions are translucent.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients (shrimp excluded) and adjust the seasonings. Allow the mixture to come to a low boil; add a splash of water if the sauce is too thick.
4. Once the rice is ready, toss the shrimp into the sauce and let them cook just until their color changes and they begin to curl. Taste one - be careful not to overcook them. They’re just right when they’re still sweet and not at all chewy.
5. Serve immediately over rice and garnish with cilantro. I served mine with slices of fresh, ripe avocado and hot tortillas smeared with goat cheese mashed together with chipotle adobo and garlic. Yum!
The above photo comes from a great seafood blog detailing a different variation on shrimp Veracruzana. Check out Rachel’s Bite!
This is a light and beautiful dish, perfect for springtime brunches or those first outdoor meals of the season. If you don’t have access to good crab, try substituting shrimp or salmon. Even smoked salmon can be a delicious alternative to the sweetness of crab.
You will need:
1/4 lb. fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch spears
1/4 lb. snow peas, rinsed and chopped in half (green peas will work - discard the pods or use the frozen, bagged variety)
2 small carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
3 c cooked rice - I like to use leftover rice for salads, but freshly steamed will work just as well
1 plump ripe slicing tomato, or two roma tomatoes, finely chopped
1/4 cup minced parsley
3/4 lb. crab meat, precooked (or steamed directly before assembling the salad)
sprigs of basil, chives, and tarragon for garnish
1/4 c olive oil
3 T lemon juice
1 tsp mustard
2 tsp minced thyme, chives, and basil
salt and pepper
1. Combine the last four ingredients in a small bowl and whisk them together to make the dressing.
2. Bring a small pan of water to a boil. Have a bowl of ice water on hand for blanching. Add the asparagus to the pot once it boils, and cook for one minute, or until the color brightens and they are soft but still have some crunch to them. Remove with a slotted spoon and dunk in the ice bath.
3. Repeat with the peas and carrots, cooking each just until tender but still crunchy. Drain the cooled vegetables well.
4. Mix together the rice, cooked vegetables, tomato, parsley, and crab. Drizzle with the dressing and stir gently to combine. Serve on chilled plates with herbs for garnish.
Optional add-ins: very thinly sliced raw celery, water chestnuts, chunked hard-boiled eggs, sunflower seeds, and chopped scallions.
While the health benefits of salmon for humans are widely known, the Idaho Fish & Game administration has recently put out a warning to sport fishermen and hobbyist anglers: don’t take your dogs to the river with you.
The reason? Apparently, raw salmon can encourage the development of a particular parasite within the dogs’ digestive tracts, causing symptoms that begin with weakness, nausea, and vomiting, and can result in death within two weeks of contracting the illness.
The disease poses no threat to humans or other animals, it seems; in fact, raw salmon is a staple of many other creatures’ diets, including bears and some birds. The condition is also extremely responsive to treatment: if your pet has eaten raw salmon and exhibits any of the symptoms above, a quick trip to the veterinarian and a short course of antibiotics should do the trick.
One of my favorite ways to prepare salmon is to rub a zesty combination of spices into the fillet, let it sit to come to room temperature (and give the seasonings time to penetrate), pan fry the fish to create a crust, and then bake it until it’s cooked through - but only just.
This technique allows for a tremendous amount of leeway and creativity: I’ve done tenderloin seasonings - horseradish, mustard, thyme, and black pepper; I’ve used chili spice rubs with cumin and ground chipotles; crushed nuts or grated cheese can make a nice addition, as well.
This recipe uses a variety of Asian flavors to balance the richness of wild Alaskan salmon; it has just enough tang, and can be kicked up a few notches, for those who really like heat.
1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Rinse the salmon fillet under cold running water, and dust it with salt.
2. Pour about a tablespoon and a half of Thai chili sauce over the surface of the fillet, and rub it in. This will create a sticky surface for your other seasonings to adhere to.
3. Sprinkle the fish with a healthy dose of 5 spice, along with a shake or two of cumin and a generous amount of freshly cracked black pepper. Drizzle with soy sauce, and set aside.
4. Heat a small amount of olive oil in an oven-proof skillet. Place the salmon skin-side-up into the skillet, searing the surface. When you can see the color of the fish changing on the cross-section of the fillet, flip the fish over. Shake soy sauce and a liberal squeeze of lime juice over the top and let cook for a couple of minutes.
5. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the fish is just cooked through. Baste periodically with lime juice to keep it moist.
Serve immediately with hot steamed rice and something fresh and green.
This is possibly the simplest fish dish I’ve ever prepared, but my husband used the word “outstanding” not once, but twice during the meal, so something must have gone very right. This was a last-minute inspiration based on desire to balance our love for the tangy zing of Thai chili sauce with the delicate taste of halibut, all the while keeping preparation to a minimum and moisture in the fish to a max.
lime juice (I keep a bottle of it on hand; I use it in great quantities and love adding it to soda water for spritzers alongside meals like this one)
Thai sweet chili sauce
cayenne pepper
salt
olive oil
1. Preheat oven to 375. Rinse the fish and dust it with salt. Place the fillet in a glass baking dish and drizzle a tiny amount of olive oil over the top, then roll it in the pan a few times to coat.
2. In a small bowl, combine the mayo and chili sauce and beat with a fork. The result should be pink. Add lime juice and stir until the sauce becomes the consistency of salad dressing. Season liberally with cayenne and a little salt. Taste and adjust lime and chili sauce to taste.
3. Spoon the sauce over the fish and turn the fillet so that it is coated on all sides. Heap extra sauce on top, reserving some in the bowl.
4. Bake at 375 until the halibut is opaque through and flakes easily. Add more sauce to the top halfway through the process, to replace any that has melted down the sides. The sauce should form a soft golden crust by the time the fish is cooked through.
5. Serve with lime wedges and rice. Save any pan drippings to drizzle over the rice on the side. Outstanding!
While most Americans think of corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day, seafood and fish dishes are in many ways more traditional Irish fare. Savory pies and cobblers are favorites throughout the region, either wrapped in flaky pastry, or baked under a thick layer of mashed potato crust, like this preparation. This is a hearty, delicious way to start your evening - and will help soak up all the Guinness and whiskey that comes later!
1. Combine the flour and salt in a medium bowl, and then cut the shortening into the flour mixture, using a pastry cutter or a pair of knives. Continue to work the shortening and flour until the chunks are the size of small peas. Sprinkle in the water 1 T at a time and blend with a fork until the flour is moistened and the dough pulls the flour from the sides of the bowl. Shape the dough into a ball and then flatten it into a round. Wrap with plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator as you prepare the filling.
2. Preheat oven to 425. Cut the scallops into 1-inch pieces. Heat 2 T of butter in a large skillet and add the mushrooms and leek. Saute until the mushrooms release their liquid and turn light brown. Once the liquid evaporates, remove the vegetables from the skillet and set them aside.
3. Heat 2 more T of butter in the skillet until hot. Add the scallops and cook until they are opaque but not chewy - about 4 minutes. Remove them from the skillet with a slotted spoon, then reserve the liquid.
4. Heat the remaining butter in the skillet over low heat, and stir in the flour, salt, mustard and pepper. Cook until smooth and bubbly, stirring constantly.
5. Pour the scallop liquid into a measuring cup, and add white wine until you have 1/3 cup of liquid. Add that to the half and half, then bring to a boil, still stirring. Let cook another minute or so, then add the mushrooms and scallops. Remove from heat.
6. Pour the filling into a shallow 1 1/2 quart casserole dish.
7. Unwrap the pastry and place it on a well-floured board. Roll the dough into a sheet an inch larger than the casserole all around. Cut out designs from the center of the dough - this is not only decorative, as it allows steam to escape and the liquid to bubble through and evaporate.
8. Place the pastry over the top of the casserole, turn the edges under, pinch them to seal, then flute the edges, using your thumb and forefingers as pincers. Beat together the egg yolks and water, then brush the mixture over the top of the pastry.
9. Bake until golden brown - about 25 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.
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