Seafood — Food

~KitchenManager Wed, Dec 9, 1998 (22:48) seed

"Putting seafood on the menu is a continual reminder that there's an alternative to beef."

~KitchenManager Thu, Dec 10, 1998 (23:20) #1

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals announced a move to persuade restaurants to change the word "seafood" to "sea animals" to raise awareness of fish as "conscious individuals who treasure their lives as they struggle to survive." That, of course, would be the first step to persuading consumers to pass on the pompano, the organization hopes.

~terry Fri, Dec 11, 1998 (00:02) #2

How about sea folks, that's even friendlier, warmer and cuddlier.

~stacey Fri, Dec 11, 1998 (09:29) #3

sea creatures just doesn't cut it eh?

~KitchenManager Fri, Dec 11, 1998 (09:58) #4

guess not...and: More than three dozen restaurants banded together to boycott swordfish during '98 to allow the species to recover from overfishing. But in the year of the steak, the drive had its detractors. Even if swordfish were not as easy to cook as sirloin, some opponents said the fish was in no danger of extinction.

~PT Fri, Dec 11, 1998 (11:27) #5

I like seafood boycotts. Drives the prices down, and I can afford to eat more of it.

~KitchenManager Fri, Dec 11, 1998 (11:44) #6

The problem that arose with the swordfish was that the average size of each fish harvested had dropped so much that fish below mating size were being harvested as their weren't enough adults to go around...

~KitchenManager Fri, Dec 11, 1998 (11:49) #7

oops, typo...

~PT Fri, Dec 11, 1998 (11:57) #8

Sorry, I had no idea that they were in danger.

~stacey Fri, Dec 11, 1998 (12:00) #9

has the situation improved?

~KitchenManager Fri, Dec 11, 1998 (12:02) #10

The ban was called for by Chef2000, which I have yet to find on the web so if anyone knows their url... They were on the way to being in danger...I think that is why only a one year ban was called for, and that year is almost up... I'll keep my eye out for updates!

~KitchenManager Fri, Dec 11, 1998 (12:04) #11

Stace, slippin' in between us like that! btw, Tim, what's your favorite seafood? Stace, your's would be all, right?

~PT Fri, Dec 11, 1998 (12:07) #12

My favorite is lobster.

~KitchenManager Fri, Dec 11, 1998 (12:11) #13

I understand why a lot of people like it, but for my personal tastes both it and crab are over rated...at least that leaves more for everyone else...

~stacey Fri, Dec 11, 1998 (12:18) #14

wer, you ever had lobster fresh outta the lobster trap and into the pot on the East Coast (New England)?? It could possibly change your mind! My fave is, hmm... well there's salmon oooh and tuna (seared and rawish!) gotta love cajun catfish oh heck how about crawfish!! Halibut, with the right kind of marinade is AMAZING! not too big on cod. There. That's a better question (or easier answer) What's Stacey's least fave seafood... COD! Ahem... sorry bout that. *grin*

~KitchenManager Fri, Dec 11, 1998 (12:29) #15

and no, I haven't lobster in the prepared in the manner of which you speak...

~stacey Fri, Dec 11, 1998 (13:47) #16

a whole different breed of sea 'animal' as far as I'm concerned!

~PT Fri, Dec 11, 1998 (14:30) #17

I really like all seafood, It's just that lobster is a favorite. The only place I will eat lobster is in the Northeast. They ship the culls down here.

~MarciaH Sun, Jul 4, 1999 (22:05) #18

Wer, you have to eat it in Maine, you have to dine at picnic tables with newspapers for table cloths, and it is mandatory for partakers to wear bibs. Bathing afterward is recommended!

~MarciaH Sun, Jul 4, 1999 (22:10) #19

Mahimahi is also very good. Any pelagic fish is - not full of bones and most delightful to the palate.

~terry Tue, Jul 6, 1999 (07:36) #20

Mahimahi, sounds exotic. I see this as a menu choice from time to time, how does it compare with more familiar fish like trout or salmon, which I usually end up ordering.

~KitchenManager Tue, Jul 6, 1999 (15:23) #21

it's firm flesh...but not as much so as shark or swordfish...

~stacey Tue, Jul 6, 1999 (16:35) #22

less firm than tuna steaks too not very fishy (i suppose that could be phrased.."very mild")

~MarciaH Wed, Jul 7, 1999 (14:55) #23

Mahimahi is the Hawaiian word for the fish the rest of the English-speaking world calls Dolphin fish (not to be confused with Flipper!) It is much more fine-textured and moist than any species of very large ocean fishes, less fishy, too. That, and the fact that they are pretty small in comparison makes them most costly to consume - but definitely worth it! If you are considering ordering it, ask if it has been frozen. It really matters in this case! When I first moved to Hawaii I bought a huge chunk of fresh Marlin. It was wonderful, but the meat was so dense we could not get our teeth through it. Most frustrating. My kindly neighbor told me they grate the older tougher fish and press it through cheesecloth to make fishcake, Japanese style.

~riette Tue, Jul 13, 1999 (12:58) #24

DOLPHIN fish? You can EAT dolphins? WOW! How does it taste?

~MarciaH Tue, Jul 13, 1999 (17:03) #25

Dolphin FISH tastes wonderful - light, delicate and moist. Dolphin MAMMAL is not on my menu. I do not even know of anyone who would eat one - or would admit to it, at any rate. If I find one, like about the Jellyfish, I will report back immediatly!

~KitchenManager Tue, Jul 13, 1999 (19:00) #26

I'm sure dolphin the mammal is served somewhere in Japan...

~MarciaH Tue, Jul 13, 1999 (20:30) #27

You can count on that, but they also eat Fugu. It is unfortunate someone named the Mahimahi as they did. Most places now it is called by the Hawaiian name so people do not think they are ordering Flipper for dinner. BTW, if they do not stop eating everything they can get their hands on dolphinwise, they will cease to exist anywhere!

~riette Wed, Jul 14, 1999 (13:27) #28

Dolphins probably taste pretty good. It's more the idea of eating a creature that's more intelligent than some humans that turns me off. (Not you, Wer!! �grin�)

~MarciaH Wed, Jul 14, 1999 (13:40) #29

Wer is in an entirely different food group!(We shall not discuss this delicate subject here)...pretty good? What does it resemble? Oh, and BTW, Welcome back. We missed you, Ree!

~riette Thu, Jul 15, 1999 (09:51) #30

Thanks, Marcia. That's really kind. I think Wer can only be clasified as 'mafio tiramisuculus'...

~MarciaH Thu, Jul 15, 1999 (11:09) #31

Please, for the isolated Lady in Hawaii, please explain Tiramisu to me. I have heard of it but have no idea what it is.

~stacey Thu, Jul 15, 1999 (12:39) #32

think edible orgasm...

~MarciaH Thu, Jul 15, 1999 (12:52) #33

thinking....*grin*

~KitchenManager Thu, Jul 15, 1999 (13:24) #34

try a Marsala custard layered with espresso soaked ladyfingers and garnished with chocolate covered espresso beans... (that's a short description of mine, anyway...)

~MarciaH Thu, Jul 15, 1999 (13:41) #35

OK, thanks! I used to help my Mom make that under a totally different name. We did not garnish with what you use - they were not available that I know of. We used curls (potato peeler) of semi-sweet and bitter chocolate instead.

~riette Fri, Jul 16, 1999 (16:17) #36

I don't think I've ever had the Tiramisu 'edible orgasm'. Only the Scottish one, called (honest to God), 'spotted dick'.

~MarciaH Fri, Jul 16, 1999 (16:47) #37

Had both, liked the Scottish one best. How about a trifle (the biggest misnomer in the universe if you have to make it.)

~MarciaH Fri, Jul 16, 1999 (16:50) #38

I think now that I must find someone who can make me an edible orgasm. That is too incredible to miss, I am sure. I cannot die until I have had this experience (which just make me immortal!)

~terry Fri, Jul 16, 1999 (19:48) #39

Leave it to our ree reee to have, uh, "spotted dick". See Jane see. See spotted dick run. And just what is, dare I ask . . .

~MarciaH Fri, Jul 16, 1999 (20:05) #40

Ree, is it not raisins which are added to the mex which cause it to be thus named (as far as the spots go...)? Not even going to guess about the rest of the name...

~MarciaH Fri, Jul 16, 1999 (20:07) #41

...actually sounds somewhat painful and highly contageous...!

~terry Fri, Jul 16, 1999 (22:51) #42

Changing subject, I had some wonderful catfish at Central Market tonight, superb!

~riette Sat, Jul 17, 1999 (00:45) #43

Well, spotted dick just looks like a dick with measles, doesn't it? It's a hot, sweet sort of pudding, Terry. And, I daresay most Scottsmen regard it with a look of envy when the wife orders it. Marcia, TRIFLE!!!! I adore trifle! And sticky toffee pudding!! Oh God, this is the wrong topic! But I haven't had fish for ages and ages. You don't really get good fish in Switzerland.

~terry Sat, Jul 17, 1999 (07:51) #44

Where do you have to go in your part of the world to get good fish? Norway?

~MarciaH Sat, Jul 17, 1999 (12:08) #45

Lots of Deep lakes around Switzerland. Do you get much fresh water fish? I am sure imported stuff like Scottish Salmon at a price...! We just need a dip-net for dinner here.

~riette Sat, Jul 17, 1999 (15:52) #46

Yes, we do get fresh water fish here, but I've never taken a liking to it. I'm used to the different kinds of salt water fish that you get on the west African coast - snoek, steenbra, kabeljou, and so on. There is just no comparison. Also, I'm not prepared to pay fifty bucks for a thing that travelled a thousand miles just to get to the market, let alone stay in their freezers for a further few weeks. That's not for me.

~autumn Sun, Jul 18, 1999 (13:23) #47

A dick is a bread pudding; the spotted part's the raisins. When my mom picked us up at the airport on a trip back from London I announced, "S. got spotted dick in England!" To which my mother responded, with a raised eyebrow, "Is it catching?" We think we are soooo funny when we're together!

~terry Sun, Jul 18, 1999 (14:52) #48

Was she wearing her steenbra?

~riette Sun, Jul 18, 1999 (15:06) #49

Very funny, sir. Autumn, at least she didn't ask whether it was 'cunt-agious'. SORRY; WEBMASTER!!! I just couldn't resist that one!!

~MarciaH Sun, Jul 18, 1999 (15:14) #50

*giggle* Yes, I can see the remorse all over everyone's face.*giggle* Autumn, has your mother been lurking about?! How funny!

~KitchenManager Sun, Jul 18, 1999 (15:16) #51

I see nothing, I hear nothing...

~riette Mon, Jul 19, 1999 (03:00) #52

---and I shall say no more. Admit it, William, you LOVED that one! Didn't ya?

~MarciaH Mon, Jul 19, 1999 (12:51) #53

Selective deafness and blindness has served us all well from time to time.

~stacey Mon, Jul 19, 1999 (14:34) #54

oh my!

~MarciaH Mon, Jul 19, 1999 (15:00) #55

Has anyone tried Fugu? (yup, Stacey, it is a talent I have developed to survive in a cutthroat academic world.)

~riette Mon, Jul 19, 1999 (15:37) #56

What tha fug(u)?!

~MarciaH Mon, Jul 19, 1999 (16:39) #57

You're not going to believe this, but in very expenive restaurants in Japan they serve this dish. It is the flesh of a reef which has such toxic organs that if it is incorrectly prepared will kill you - dead! It is a macho thing - it is no better than any other bony reef fish, but it is the excitement...or something!

~stacey Mon, Jul 19, 1999 (17:07) #58

... or something!

~MarciaH Mon, Jul 19, 1999 (18:10) #59

Ya Know, they drink powdered rhino horns over there as an aphrodesiac. If they can not tell the difference between bladder irritation and excitement, perhaps they get off on toxic organs. I do not think I want to do the research on that.

~KitchenManager Mon, Jul 19, 1999 (22:42) #60

that means I have to... and, I think Ree has been kidnapped and replaced with a nonperfect clone as she called me William... can't recall the last time anyone on here did that...

~MarciaH Mon, Jul 19, 1999 (22:48) #61

Uh.....No, you do not!...( she and I have been playing today)

~KitchenManager Mon, Jul 19, 1999 (22:51) #62

(be careful...both of you)

~MarciaH Mon, Jul 19, 1999 (23:11) #63

*grin* Promise! *big smile* We'll be careful...*grin*

~KitchenManager Mon, Jul 19, 1999 (23:14) #64

(don't like the sound of that...)

~MarciaH Mon, Jul 19, 1999 (23:24) #65

William...don't you trust me?

~riette Tue, Jul 20, 1999 (01:06) #66

Nonperfect clone indeed! �sulk�

~KitchenManager Tue, Jul 20, 1999 (11:01) #67

Look, Ree, you've started a trend! (how much is it gonna take to make up?)

~autumn Tue, Jul 20, 1999 (11:14) #68

Toxic food on purpose? Why not just hire snipers to pick you off as you approach the restaurant?

~aschuth Tue, Jul 20, 1999 (12:01) #69

Beg your pardon? Did you just call me, Mrs. Moore? Alexander Resident ***Censored, But Willing To Do Anything To Get This Spell-Thing Worked out***, The Spring

~stacey Tue, Jul 20, 1999 (12:12) #70

WOULD YOU STOP IT WITH THE FRUSTRATING EPILOGUES BEHIND YOUR NAME PLEASE (unless of course you are willing to spell out all the blather and tell me what in the hell you are so preturbed about!!!)

~MarciaH Tue, Jul 20, 1999 (12:51) #71

*lol* Autumn! That is probably quicker than the lingering death and paralysis that goes along with a mis-prepared Fugu. I like your idea. Too funny!!!

~riette Tue, Jul 20, 1999 (13:08) #72

LOL!!! (Wer, many a kind word will help, but grovelling will work fastest!)

~KitchenManager Thu, Jul 29, 1999 (12:31) #73

Here's the sauce I promised, amounts are approximate as I have never made it with measuring devices, and should be enough for two fillets... 3 tablespoons butter 3/4 cup heavy cream 1 tablespoon Green Tabasco (or more to taste) 1 tablespoon lime juice (or more to taste) 1/4 cup frozen peas, thawed 1/2 jalapeno, slivered 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic 1 can lump crab meat (or fresh, amount to suite yourself) Place all the liquid ingredients in saute pan along with the spices, and reduce by a third. Add peas and jalapeno and lumb crab, continue cooking until sauce is desired consistency. That's it.

~MarciaH Thu, Jul 29, 1999 (14:10) #74

Thank you, Dear!

~riette Thu, Aug 5, 1999 (08:21) #75

And what about the grovelling?

~MarciaH Thu, Aug 5, 1999 (10:56) #76

I did it for you while you were on hiatus (wherever that is!)...besides, fresh fish does not keep all that well in the hot summer. We needed the recipe. BTW, any suggestions, William, for the sort of fish we should use? You mentioned fillets, which probably does not mean Shark or Marlin unless you at least double the recipe...trout perhaps? Halibut? Menini? Mempachi?

~KitchenManager Fri, Aug 6, 1999 (13:42) #77

I've only done it with flounder, but it should go with any mild white fish

~MarciaH Fri, Aug 6, 1999 (13:45) #78

Ok, thanks!

~MarciaH Mon, Oct 18, 1999 (21:45) #79

I "experienced" a green fish sauce on Ahi (Yellowfin Tuna), but instead of crab they used fresh mushrooms. I also think they used lemon juice rather than lime juice, which is not nearly as pleasant. Actually, checking the posted recipe here with the taste of the one I had...there was very little but the heavy cream and garlic in common. I am sure I would have enjoyed the one here more than the one I had...!

~MarciaH Mon, Oct 18, 1999 (21:48) #80

(Does everyone know that a flounder (and a sole) start out like regular-looking fish?! Somewhere during their development into adulthood one eye starts to migrate and the shape changes into what eventually becomes a flat fish...!)

~Isabel Tue, Oct 19, 1999 (12:31) #81

I'm HUNGRY! Oh, eh, sorry....

~riette Wed, Oct 20, 1999 (05:59) #82

That's weird though, isn't it? Marcia, why would a fish that looks like a regular fish evolve like that? What in nature created the need, do you think?

~aschuth Wed, Oct 20, 1999 (11:03) #83

Mebbe they all was paranoid and wanted their backs to a wall, and still see all that'S going on... And try to get your back to the wall in the ocean! That oughto have kept 'em busy, no?

~MarciaH Wed, Oct 20, 1999 (15:09) #84

Actually they are bottom-dwellers who wriggle down into the silt so just their eyes are peeking out. I suspect that as young fish they needed more to eat than they would have gotten if they had been born flat...and as they matured they evolved into what we now have...interesting evolution!

~riette Thu, Oct 21, 1999 (13:20) #85

Cool! Recently they had a 3-D nature series on tv, and the fish one was great. I think those flat fish were in it too - hiding from sharks as well as their own prey. Would that be right? I love those 3-d things. Why don't they have those cinemas anymore?

~MarciaH Thu, Oct 21, 1999 (13:31) #86

Yes, that is their defense mechanism and their stealth quality for stalking prey. Pretty neat, isn't it. Have not seen anthing 3-D but I'll bet it is great for fish and reef stuff.

~MarciaH Thu, Oct 21, 1999 (13:35) #87

Don't know why they no longer show 3-D movies in theaters. I guess it was a fad. They tried it on television and it worked a bit...but it was still blurry!

~riette Sun, Oct 24, 1999 (13:03) #88

I WISH they'd bring it back. I must have just missed it, and by the time they bring it back I'll probably so old there'll be cataracts over my eyes, and I'll STILL not be able to see it!

~MarciaH Sun, Oct 24, 1999 (14:28) #89

They do from time to time here for novelty's sake and nostalgia...You shall not have cataracts. But even if you do, by the time you get them they will remove the cloudy lens and replace it with an artificial one like they do now, in out-patient surgery. It is not as dire as one might think!

~MarciaH Sun, Oct 24, 1999 (14:29) #90

I guess we are on topic with this discussion - it falls under the category of "see food"...

~aschuth Mon, Oct 25, 1999 (16:04) #91

I see...

~riette Tue, Oct 26, 1999 (03:36) #92

ha-ha! Good one! You know what, I had a fishy dishy in the Swiss mountains this weekend. It was a little surreal, but very good. Just don't ask me what it was!

~autumn Tue, Oct 26, 1999 (19:24) #93

Did you go with Chris?

~riette Wed, Oct 27, 1999 (02:51) #94

No, just me and the girls.

~MarciaH Wed, Oct 27, 1999 (16:02) #95

I know you said not to ask you what it was. but...what was it? crab? lobster? sea urchin? fish? eel? other?

~autumn Wed, Oct 27, 1999 (22:20) #96

Oh, now I know all about it from the travel conf...

~riette Thu, Oct 28, 1999 (05:15) #97

It was DEFENITELY a fish, Marcia. It was battered, and there was a sort of nut sauce all over it. Wundafool! And we had fondue. Country folk REALLY know how to make fondue!

~terry Thu, Oct 28, 1999 (08:45) #98

How do you make fondue, Ree Head?

~riette Thu, Oct 28, 1999 (12:48) #99

First you get the cheese mixture from a good cheese shop - only 'rezent', you know, STRONG cheese. You stick it in the pot, put it on the stove. You add af good fondue wine - to cover about 2 cm of the bottom of the pot. Then you wait until the whole thing melts and forms a big sort of clump in the bottom. Then you mix a spoonful of mais powder with a (kirsch) glass full of kirsch. That binds the fondue. You stir it until it's smooth, add a heap of mixed pepper and nutmeg, and there you go! Apart f om bread you can dip potatoes (the smaller, the better they taste with cheese), raw button mushrooms, pickles, olives - all of those things are great with the bread and fondue.

~terry Thu, Oct 28, 1999 (13:55) #100

rezent, what's that wee?