Up Stream

I find it absolutely amazing that a fish that is born in fresh water, migrates to the ocean, then returns to fresh water to reproduce. Tracking studies have found that certain species will return to the exact spot where they were born to spawn. Amazing.

But here is the really good news; there will be a Pacific Salmon Season along the California and Oregon coast for the first time since 2007!

Chinook - King Salmon

Here's The 411 of My Top Salmon Varieties:

Chinook- aka King Salmon (left) is the largest, weighing in over 30 pounds. 

Coho- aka Silver Salmon, likes sea life in Alaska and British Columbia.

Sockeye- Red Salmon prefers a diet of shrimp and squid, lives in the Pacific.

Steelhead Salmon - the true salmon found in the Columbia River, near my friends in Portland, OR.

 Buying Tip: Avoid Farm Raised Salmon. Instead choose Wild-Caught Salmon from Alaska, which is considered a "Best Choice" and is certified as sustainable to the standard of the Marine Stewardship Council.

On Thursday April 15th, the Pacific Fishery Management Council voted to allow both commercial and recreational boats to head out to sea. They will limit the number of fishing days, and carefully monitor the number of fish caught.

To keep the river system healthy with a plentiful supply of salmon for our future; I suggest keeping a catch, as well as releasing a catch. You know - only keep what you can eat.

Calling All Cods

Buying food and reading labels can be a dizzying task. One can't help but be overrun with questions like - Is this good for me and my family? Is it safe to eat? Where did this come from? Is this sustainable? Reading labels can work most of the time, but what if there’s no label; as with fish? You would think if a fish has been around since the beginning of time and spawned billions of eggs - there wouldn’t be any problem, right? But not so fast, too much of anything can be harmful, even cod. 

click image for Seafood Watch List for 2010

Here's a solution - Seafood Watch, provided by the same folks who operate the Monterey Bay Aquarium; which by the way is a fantastic experience to visit in itself. I’ve had the occasion to visit for both leisure and as a keynote speaker and celebrity chef a few years back to kick off the Monterey Food & Wine Classic. 

Pardon me while I digress, I will get right back to cod...While I have you in Monterey, I want to mention a one degree of separation between John Steinbeck’s Cannery Row (the gritty side of life in this seaside post depression novel) and lovely Monterey. One of my friend’s families was the basis of a character in Steinbeck's tome. It is also that same good friend, Bert Cutino from the famed Tortilla Flat neighborhood on Canary Row who owns the famed Sardine Factory, a must stop when in town. 

Now, back to the cod. With it’s mild flavor, low fat content and a dense, flaky white flesh, it's no wonder cod is one of the most common fish used for fish & chips along with haddock and plaice. But, did you know it is currently at risk from over fishing in UK, Canada and other Atlantic waters? So be in the know with Seafood Watch. Use this guide to find ocean-friendly alternatives to seafood on the Seafood Watch “Avoid” list. It’s a good thing to use discretion and follow their lead so in the future when we are calling all cods, there are still some around.

Avoid: Cod: Atlantic, Iceland and Northeast Arctic (trawled),  and Pacific (imported)

Best Choices: Cobia (US farmed), Cod- Pacific (trap, hook-and-line, longline from AK)

Good Alternatives: Cod- Atlantic (Northeast Arctic and Iceland), Cod- Pacific (U.S. trawl)

Menu du Jour

What’s for dinner tonight? Have you ever waited until the first pains of hunger scream feed me to make a what's for dinner tonight decision? Please don't shove a frozen mac-n-cheese in the oven or dial out for pizza. 
If you're stumped, I think this weeks' Daily FOOD posts should give you a few good, healthier ideas. 
Each day this week I built a menu, course by course. Say Cheese reminded you of a good cheese, Dubliner; a combination of a mild cheddar and a Parmigiano Reggiano. Serve with a chilled Pinot Grigio or Prosseco. The Fruit Whisper offered ideas for a salad course using pears instead of the same old lettuce and tomatoes; as well as the recipe for Roasted Pear with Raspberry Sauce Recipe. Upstream Fish Meets Cedar Planks gets you outdoors to grill a healthy main course, with a very easy and flavorful way to prepare salmon. After all, just how may times can you bake salmon, right? Serve a Zinfandel with the salmon (or whatever you like); the smoke from the salmon pairs very well with this red. And of course make everyone happy with Georgie Porgie Pudding, a basic but good rice pudding recipe.
Well friends- have a great weekend. See you back here on Monday.