Fish

[Reesha]

well, i did have some delicious blackened catfish in louisiana when I was down there last. didn't taste like dirt

tilapia has that same taste though to me. i don't know what it is... the taste of a bottom feeder?

[Grog]

No recipes, but some info about fish:

For those who may be curious about the provenance and sustainability of the food they eat, a little detour by the Monterey Bay Aquarium's web site might be of interest: http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx Check out their links to "Learn about the Issues" and "See what you can do." There is also info about specific species.

For those in Canada, OceanWise works along the same lines: http://www.vanaqua.org/oceanwise/news.html

Sad as it is, I now keep my consumption of fish in check. The super-low salmon runs in the PNW this year have got me really worried and I'll leave my portion to the bald eagles who are not too good at cooking chick peas. We do have salmon for extra-special meals, though.

This article was published in the Can. Med. ***. J. recently and I thought it was quite interesting, too: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0317142843.htm According to them the evidence supporting fish's health benefits is not very strong, in part because other variables were not controled too well. (Ex: People who happen to eat more fish may have a healthier diet over all.) I LOVE fish and find it delicious, but the state of fisheries has got me extremely concerned...

[shootingstar]

I have not bought any fresh tilapia, red snapper, etc. for home cooking. Not sure why. When I did see the rare fresh catch of freshwater pickerel, whitefish at the market, I did buy 1 since it's been several YEARS I've had one of those fish. Those fish are more common in Central Canada (probably northern central U.S.).

The salmon runs have been noticeably low this year. It is reflected in the still high pricing of fresh salmon at the fish mongers in the Greater Vancouver area when right now the pricing should be lower if there was a healthy run of salmon. Wonder what Seattle is witnessing right now.

Federal Canadian Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) is trying to figure out why (as they have been for past few years) since it is this govn't authority that has the legal right to impose limits on river/ocean activities that can threaten salmon sustanability. There was a recent article in the press a month ago, that the silt dredging from the Fraser River might be one particular cause, a major river which all of the Pacific salmon enter in to lay eggs upstream in the river beds and in the secondary rivers/streams..

DFO does impose real limits on construction /industrial activities by rivers where there are the salmon runs at certain times of the year. Int he environmental protection world it is called the "fish window", for that time period. I worked for nearly 3 years at a construction site near the mouth of the Fraser River/Pacific Ocean where traditionally over 1 million salmon swim inland.

But still, the sea/marine ecosystem is a fragile thing where 1 event can spin-off effects for many years thereafter.

Best to eat salmon....reverentially and not waste the fish that you have on hand.

[Grog]

Best to eat salmon....reverentially and not waste the fish that you have on hand.

Actually that's how I try to eat all food. But I do think about it more for fish and meat. Thanksgiving is every day.

(Connected to the veggies gardening thread: I had to thin my beets seedlings the other day. I pulled out the 3 or 4 tiny little beets, feeling truly awful, and made a tiny but enjoyable snack of the leaves.)

[indysteel]

Thanks for the inspiration, ladies. I bought some tilapia fillets for the first time. Sprinkled them with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Fried them in a little olive oil and served then with a black bean, corn, tomatoe and red onion salsa, and drizzled with lime juice. I really liked them!

[Grog]

served then with a black bean, corn, tomatoe and red onion salsa, and drizzled with lime juice. I really liked them!

That sounds yummy, I think that'll be a part of my dinner tomorrow.

Love the lime juice in the salsa.

[jesvetmed]

I've never been brave enough to try tilapia. You all may have talked me into it. i'm spoiled here in the Pacific NW -- fresh line caught halibut and king salmon are always in the stores (ok.. not always, but close). spendy though. And I notice tilapia is not nearly as expensive.

Anyone know anything about the nutrition comparison between salmon or halibut and tilapia?