Posts Tagged ‘sustainable seafood’

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Sustainable Seafood at the Best of the West Chowderfest
Posted by FCEC | March 18, 2013

Seafood for the Future, a non-profit seafood advisory and promotion program, hosted a “Best of the West Chowderfest” on Saturday, March 9 at the Aquarium of the Pacific to celebrate one of the things we all love here at FCEC – sustainable seafood. The event featured local chefs preparing one-of-a-kind seafood chowders made from locally caught or sustainably raised seafood. During the event, FCEC asked Primal Alchemy’s Chef Paul Buchanan why events that highlight sustainable seafood are important to the community:

“Events like these bring awareness to what the local seafood situation is out there… and will prompt consumers to ask where their fish are coming from.”

Participants of the event, like Philip Isenberg who believes that “it’s important to protect fish so that we always have them,” had the opportunity to sample many unique varieties of seafood chowders prepared by knowledgeable chefs and was then able to vote for what he considered to be the “Best of the West Chowder.”

Below is a list of the best of the west chowder contenders and their sustainable seafood choices

To find out who won the Best of the West Chowderfest, view our photo slideshow below!

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Getting Geared Up for March Events
Posted by FCEC | February 28, 2013

How are you gearing up for some spring time fun? We have listed some of our favorite upcoming events this month to help you swing into Spring the right way. From dancing under the sea stars to an incredible ocean adventure and a sustainable seafood festival, there’s plenty of action to keep you moving this month.

>> Start the month off with a night under the sea stars on March 1! Join the Aquarium of the Pacific for their annual Noche de Estrellas for live Latin music, dancing, dinner, underwater dive shows and more.

>> It’s celebration time! March 1-3 the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium celebrates its 10 year anniversary. The celebration is happening all weekend long, so be sure to be a part of the fun with Heal the Bay, Aquarium staff and volunteers for this exciting benchmark. There’ll even be birthday cake and ice cream for those of you with a sweet tooth!

>> Learn about the ocean’s most feared predator in a three part series of lectures from an underwater cinematographer on March 5, 7 & 13. There will also be a shark exhibit titled “Sharks: The Beauty of the Ocean Predator” through May for you to enjoy at the Aquarium of the Pacific.

>> Want to go on a journey of a lifetime? Cabrillo Marine Aquarium has just the trip for you. March 7 – 15, go on a nine-day ocean voyage filled with the friendly whales of Baja, offshore island hikes and more!

>> Love Chowdah? Seafood for the Future is hosting a Best of the West Chowderfest March 9 to celebrate sustainable seafood and enjoy one-of-a-kind chowders cooked with local California seafood. FCEC will be attending this event, so don’t miss out on this one!

>> Aquarium of the Pacific celebrates divers on March 23 at their 12th annual Divers Day. Take a look at live dive demonstrations, meet local organizations related to the sport and science of diving, and learn how to get involved with dive related organizations and volunteer opportunities to protect the ocean and marine life we all love.

More information about these events and others are on our FCEC calendar.

Where will you be this month? Share with us below!

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For the Love of Fish
Posted by FCEC | January 21, 2013

“For the past 50 years, we’ve been fishing the seas like we clear-cut forests. It’s hard to overstate the destruction. Ninety percent of large fish, the ones we love — the tunas, the halibuts, the salmons, swordfish — they’ve collapsed.” – Dan Barber

Watch this insightful Ted Talk by Dan Barber, a renowned New York chef and scholar, as he describes how he fell in love with fish and the sustainable recipe for the future of good food.

Is this healthy and self-renewing ecological network Dan describes possible? Wouldn’t you want all your food to come from these sustainable conditions? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section and join the conversation!

 

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And The Sustainable Seafood Recipe Contest Winner Is…
Posted by FCEC | December 14, 2012

FCEC is proud to announce the winners of our first Sustainable Seafood Recipe Contest.

First, we would like to thank all those passionate fish lovers for their entries and promoting healthy and sustainable seafood.

Now for the winners, the envelope please…

The title of 2nd Place and a $60 Slapfish gift certificate goes to Eileen with her Family Favorite Barbeque Shrimp recipe. If you want to check out her recipe, see it in the comment section here.

The 1st Place prize of a $60 Slapfish gift certificate as well as having their recipe featured on the Slapfish menu for 1 week goes to…drum roll please…

Dominique with the Rockin’ Rockfish recipe!

Check out the Rockin’ Rockfish recipe below and give it a try! If you aren’t a fan of the kitchen, Slapfish will be featuring this recipe for you to try! Stay tuned to our Facebook page for when you can visit their restaurant and taste the winning recipe!

FCEC would like to send a big thanks to Slapfish for partnering with us in this contest and donating a generous prize!

Rockin’ Rockfish Recipe

Sustainable Seafood Type: Pacific Rockfish

Ingredients:

  • 2 avocados
  • 1/2 tomatillo diced
  • 1 medium jalapeno minced
  • 2 Tbs cilantro chopped
  • 1 red onion sliced thin
  • 2 tomatoes chopped
  • 2 green peppers sliced
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 cup olives sliced
  • 2 Tbs olive juice
  • 2 Tbs olive oil
  • 1 Tbs butter
  • 1lb filet of Pacific Rockfish
  • Pinch of cayenne
  • Salt

 

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season your rockfish fillet with cayenne and salt. Over medium heat, sauté onions in olive oil for 3 minutes then add the peppers, tomatoes, tomatillos, and white wine. Allow to reduce for about 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the sliced olives and olive juice. Heat an oven safe pan with the butter and then add your rockfish face-down for about 2 minutes. Flip the fish and bake in the oven for about 5 minutes. You can do this as the sauce is reducing. Put it all together adding sliced avocado and cilantro on top!

*Photo courtesy of Dinn Bros

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FCEC is Thankful for Fishing and More This November!
Posted by FCEC | November 5, 2012

November is the time of year to reflect and give thanks for what we appreciate most in life, whether it’s fishing, a warm meal or living in sunny Southern California. This November take some time to be thankful for what you have and celebrate with your community at some of these exciting events:

>> November 10, join Heal the Bay as they help restore Malibu Creek State Park from invasive plants.

>> Remember to thank a veteran, November 11. In honor of Veterans Day, all veterans will get in free to the Aquarium of the Pacific and receive special discounts at the Redondo Pier.

>> Sea Stars and kids can feast every Tuesday in November at the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium for FREE! Take your kids to help feed the sea stars and they can eat for free at Rusty’s Surf Ranch on the Santa Monica Pier.

>> Get your cook on! November 16 is the last day to get your healthy seafood recipe entries in our Sustainable Seafood Recipe Contest to win $60 to the best seafood restaurant in Orange County – Slapfish!

>> Are you thankful for free fishing? Join Sportfishing with Dan Hernandez as he hosts a Youth Fishing Derby for all kids under 15 to enjoy some free fishing at El Dorado Regional Park November 17.

>> It’s feasting time! Treat yourself and your family to a traditional Thanksgiving meal on November 22 and dine with the Aquarium of the Pacific family.

More information about these events and others are on our FCEC calendar.

How will you be celebrating your thankfulness this month? Share with us below!

*Photo courtesy of Galveston Daily News.

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Get Your Cook On in FCEC’s Sustainable Seafood Recipe Contest
Posted by FCEC | September 10, 2012

Are you a master chef, busy mom, bachelor or a creative person that likes to play with new recipes in the kitchen? Or are you the kind of person who likes to keep it simple in the kitchen and grill outside on a sunny California day? Whichever you may be, we have a fun food-related contest just for you!

Join FCEC for our first Sustainable Seafood Recipe Contest with a chance to win a delicious meal at SlapFish, a famous sustainable seafood restaurant in Huntington Beach. This contest aims to celebrate healthy and sustainable seafood. New to sustainable seafood? We’ve got you covered! To see what classifies as sustainable seafood, check out the West Coast Guide of the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Guide. The guide recommends cleaner, greener, safer substitutes for popular, but often less sustainable and healthy, seafood items. Contestants are encouraged to submit their recipes using any of the fish selections recommended in the guide.

How to Enter:

1. Submit your favorite healthy and sustainable seafood recipe in the comment section below.

2. Recipes must include:

  • Title of dish
  • Type of sustainable seafood featured in the dish
  • List of ingredients
  • Simple directions to prepare the dish

3. Sustainable seafood recipes must be submitted by 11:59pm on November 16, 2012.

Want to step up your game? Cook the recipe, snap a photo of your healthy and sustainable seafood dish and upload the photo using the form below. Submitting a photo of your dish is optional and does not affect the judging for the contest.

Prize:

The top two recipes will each win a $60 gift certificate to Slapfish and will be cooked in the Slapfish kitchen to decide the winning recipe. The winning recipe will be selected by Slapfish owners Chef Andrew Gruel and Jethro Naude and will be announced on November 30, 2012. In addition to the $60 gift certificate to Slapfish, the winning recipe will also be featured on the Slapfish menu for 1 week , and during that week, the lucky winner will be able to eat their dish for FREE!

FCEC will create a photo album on our Facebook page to highlight the healthy and sustainable seafood dishes, so make sure to check it out.

On Your Mark, Get Set, Cook !

Thank you to chef Andrew Gruel of Slapfish for partnering with FCEC on this contest and for the generous prize donation.

If you would like to submit a photo of your dish, fill out your name, email and upload the photo below. To enter your recipe in the contest, enter the required elements in the Add New Comment box below.

Your Name

Your Email

Upload File

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Go Fish: Knowing When To Hold ‘Em
Posted by FCEC | June 7, 2012

The best anglers fish responsibly—for their own health and for the environment’s. That’s why, when it comes to fish, any can be fun to catch, but not all are a good idea to keep. The danger is not because of recreational anglers. More often the biggest threats to individual fish species or the ocean’s ecosystem as a whole come from large scale commercial and industrial practices. Still, everyday anglers can make a big impact with small, but smart decisions.

Probably the best thing you can do as an angler to protect the ocean, and fishing, for yourself, your kids and beyond is to learn about which marine species are the most threatened. Some are valuable catches, such as the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, that are in serious danger of extinction! So while you can’t always control what you catch, you can choose what to release. If you reel in an endangered species, take a picture then put the fish back in the water because, seriously, it will last longer.

The same caution should apply when going out to eat seafood. Even if you’re not catching the fish yourself, supporting sustainable seafood can help to ease the pressure on fish populations. Whether you’re placing an order, or doing the cooking, consider alternatives and substitutes that will give you the flavor you’re looking for tonight and ensure that it will be there tomorrow. Luckily for the West Coast, many of our local species from California to Alaska have stronger numbers than their Atlantic counterparts. That means less hard choices on the water and fresher options at the table.

But it’s also important to make choices for your own heath as well. Some seafood options may have strong populations in the wild, but they are exposed to toxics that they absorb from their environment. Large roaming predators like sharks can have extremely high levels of mercury built up from eating smaller species. Smaller fish can be highly impacted based on their surroundings. So, it’s always a great idea to know where your fish is caught and how it is prepared to minimize your exposure to harmful chemicals. You might not feel the effects right away, but consuming contaminated fish can lead to bigger health risks down the road.

There’s no denying the love anglers have for catching fish, and that we all have for eating them. That’s why it’s important to learn about which fish we should avoid, to protect both the fish and ourselves, to ensure delicious meals, to secure a fun hobby and to keep a healthy environment for generations to come.

 

*Photo courtesy of Rodale.

 

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Go Fish: DNA Barcoding Takes the Guesswork out of Seafood
Posted by FCEC | January 17, 2012

How many different types of fish would you be able to identify in a blind taste test? While it may sound like an episode of Man V. Food, this culinary challenge is actually a serious financial and health concern for the FDA, restaurateurs and you!

Once a catch has been cut, processed, cooked and served, it can be difficult for even the most trained eye—and sometimes palette—to be able to identify the species. For some unscrupulous marketplace sellers this can lead to “seafood substitution,” where one type of fish, usually of poorer quality, is mislabeled and sold as a premium product. This practice, a violation of federal law, not only cheats buyers and diners out of the product they are expecting but can also expose them to toxins found in lower grade fish species. In an even sadder turn, endangered species can be passed off as commercial catches.

To face this seafood mislabeling issue, The Barcode of Life has developed a new technology, officially approved by the FDA this Fall, that is able to scan a fish protein and identify it by comparing short strings of DNA just like a grocery store checkout scanner reads a barcode! Since 2003, The Barcode of Life, has built up a DNA database of more than 167,000 species and hopes to have 5 million cataloged by 2015. This technology could be used to identify 500,000 species and prevent mislabeling. That means when your date orders the lobster, you won’t be paying for monkfish, or even worse, buying monkfish and actually eating toxic pufferfish which caused several people to become sick in 2007. Since seafood is one of the most highly traded commodities in the world, there is a big movement to make the DNA barcoding of seafood a standard industry practice. The more widely applied this technology becomes consumers can enjoy their fish without wondering what that fish actually is.

Have you ever had a seafood experience that was a bit too fishy for your taste? If you have, tell us about it and let others know about this issue!

 

*Photo courtesy of Greenpeace.

 

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It’s Time To Slap Some Fish On Your Table
Posted by FCEC | November 16, 2011

While Monty Python’s Fish Slap Dance is considered by some as a staple of absurdist British comedy, SlapFish, a self-styled modern seafood shack—in truck form—is quickly becoming a staple of both Southern California street cuisine and sustainability. And along with an appreciation for the comedic potential of fish of all sizes, SlapFish owners, Chef Andrew Gruel and Jethro Naude, share with the Pythons a large helping of smarts behind their irreverent public persona.

Chef Gruel’s menu shows that everyday seafood can be innovative, fresh, healthy, fun and affordable. To support this message, Gruel and Naude work with local artisans to bring in ingredients that are seasonal, sustainable and directly from the source and informed by experts and scientists in the fields of conservation and marine biology from groups including: the Aquarium of the Pacific’s Seafood for the Future program, FishWatch, and The World Wildlife Foundation. For foodies and snackers on the on the streets of LA and Orange county, this means that SlapFish doesn’t just offer a mobile infrastructure of in-your-face deliciousness; it’s a way to support local entrepreneurs as well as global conservation. On both those counts, searching for and dining at the SlapFish truck is well worth the effort.

This is the kind of business-model innovation that we at FCEC are thrilled to watch take off; one that delivers a superior product to a wide range of people in a way that promotes environmental stewardship.  We hope you all get the opportunity to try out SlapFish’s “Losbticle” along with their other great dishes, but more importantly, think about ways you can bring this same sort of 1-2 punch model into your own life or business. And if you stumble on a really great idea, or know someone else who has, write back and share it with us!

Have you eaten at the SlapFish food truck? What dishes did you taste? Share your experience with us!

*Photo courtesy of SlapFishSoCal.

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Picking The Right Fish to Eat
Posted by FCEC | August 11, 2011

Are you concerned about the vitality of sea life in our oceans? We have all heard that fish in the sea aren’t what they used to be. This is due largely to over-fishing in our oceans, which has depleted fish populations. If you love to eat fish, it can be difficult to know which fish are sustainable and okay to eat.

Recently, based on the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch List, a cool diagram put together by GOOD and Always With Honor displays The Right Fish to eat. Take a look at the diagram and see which types of fishing practices are safe and which fish are good to eat based on the species’ population.

The Right Fish illustration allows you to find the fish that are okay to eat depending on the region where you live. Keep this easy-to-use map handy when you are picking out a meal — post it on your fridge and share it with your friends!

Will you be using The Right Fish diagram? Let us know what you think of it by leaving a comment below.

Photo courtesy of GOOD.

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