Posts Tagged ‘aquarium of the pacific’

Trace and Trust Southern California at Sea Fare 2011

Thursday, October 13th, 2011

 

We are so excited to debut Trace and Trust™ Southern California at the Aquarium’s 8th annual Sea Fare fundraising event this Saturday, October 15, 2011!

 

Trace and Trust™ is a network of fishermen, distributors, processors, and restaurants committed to providing full seafood supply transparency by telling consumers exactly who caught their seafood, as well as when, where, and how it was caught. The concept was first tested in Rhode Island, where local fishermen and chefs regularly use Trace and Trust.  As Chef Beau Vestal of New Rivers Bistro explained in The Providence Journal,

 

“It has kind of made me wonder, what have I been buying all these years? The advantages as far as quality goes are night and day. Before, I had no sense of when and where it was caught and stored…(Now)…I [am] cutting fish that was in the water eight hours ago. You just kind of pinch yourself. I always tell my young cooks, remember this. There’s no way you’re going to get better quality.”

 

Chef Michael Poompan of Renaissance Long Beach & SIP Lounge

 

Chef Michael Poompan of SIP at the Renaissance in Long Beach will be serving fresh caught Uni, supplied by Santa Barbara Fisherwoman Stephanie Mutz, with Anson Mills grits from organic heirloom grains and fresh herbs. The Trace and Trust site featuring Stephanie’s vessel and landing information will be on display at the SIP booth along with the QR code that is also linked to Stephanie’s information on the site.

 

Trace and Trust was created as a pilot program in 2010 by the Cap Log Group, a small consulting company based in Davis, CA, after many meetings with experienced fishermen and dedicated chefs about how to help the fishermen benefit from the tremendous care and pride they take in landing their products.

 

Seafood for the Future learned about the program and its great success in Rhode Island and wanted to bring that high quality to chefs, transparency to consumers, and success to the fishermen in Southern California. We feel that this program can reward fishermen with a higher price return, chefs with a fresh, higher quality product, and the consumer for choosing local, sustainable seafood by showing them the men and women their choice is directly supporting.  

 

“I am involved in the Trace and Trust project so I can connect directly with my community.  We need to get back to having a relationship with your food harvesters to know where you food comes from and how it is harvested.  It also makes me, as a fisherman, more accountable for my product so I consistently get quality product. Knowing first hand how my seafood was prepared and enjoyed, and knowing none of it went to waste is important to me,” agreed fisherwoman Stephanie Mutz, owner of Sea Stephanie Fish and President of her local fishermen’s association Commerical Fishermen of Santa Barbara.

 

Fisherwoman Stephanie Mutz with her freshly caught Sea Urchin in Santa Barbara

 

Join us at Sea Fare this weekend to share in the debut of this fantastic program and support our local fishermen!

 

 

 

Sea Fare is the Aquarium of the Pacific’s largest annual fundraising event. Guests enjoy live music, silent and live auctions, the ever-popular “Go Fish” opportunity game, and experience the cuisines of more than 30 restaurants including 11 Seafood for the Future partners. Tickets are $100 and all proceeds benefit the Aquarium and its inhabitants. For tickets to Sea Fare 2011 to: aquariumofpacific.org/seafare

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in events, Restaurants, Sustainability | No Comments »

Eat More Fish – Win the Lottery

Monday, January 3rd, 2011

Eager to eat your resolutions for 2011- to consume only simple and healthy food? Why not start now with a side of blackjack (minus the card counting)? For thousands of years people have been following the tradition that fish is a lucky New Year’s food. Fish are believed to be symbolic of moving forward and of good fortune in the future. In Denmark they eat boiled fish, in Sweden fish salad, in Poland preserved fish and in Japan they eat Herring for fertility, shrimp for long life and sardine for good harvest.

Don’t quit your job just yet, but if you are a glutton for superstition, head to your local fish market ASAP. Bring in the New Year with a bite of luck that also tastes good and promotes sustainability. Put some of that champagne to better use than a hangover with this simple and lucky New Year’s dish.


Gently Cooked Pacific Cod with a Champagne Cream Sauce
Serves 4
Prep Time 30 minutes

4 each 6-8 oz Pacific cod filet
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

For the cream sauce:
1 cup champagne
1 shallot
2 garlic cloves
3 sprigs of thyme
¼ cup water
1 cup cream
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoon chopped chives

Preheat the oven to 350 F

Directions:

1. Add the champagne, shallot, garlic and thyme to a pot and reduce over high heat for about 10 minutes (or until 50% reduced).

2. While the champagne is reducing, place the cod on a sheet pan, rub with the oil, salt and pepper and place directly in a 350 F oven for 20 minutes.

3. When the champagne is reduced and the fish is cooking, add the cream and reduce over a low heat for about 5 minutes. To thicken the sauce, mix the cornstarch and water in a separate dish and drizzle into the cream sauce while it is simmering. Whisk and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Add the chives and set aside.

4. To finish, place the fish in a bowl with any accompaniments and pour the sauce over the fish.

This dish is great served over freshly sliced tomatoes, roasted potatoes and sautéed spinach.

Seafood for the Future note:

Pacific cod is a well-managed species whose population is abundant and not under threat of being overfished. Pacific cod management relies on limited entry, quotas, seasonal and area closures, mandatory observers, reporting requirements and gear restrictions. Pacific cod is very similar to Atlantic cod in taste and texture with a mild taste, soft and delicate texture.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Recipes, Sustainability | 1 Comment »

Four Fish Dinner at Ammo – Sustainable Tastes Better

Monday, August 9th, 2010


What does it take to get people interested in eating responsible seafood? Sustainability is confusing. Certainly it doesn’t help when the word is loosely tossed around in social and business settings as if it were the next political movement. Is the answer to blanket people with scientific reports, possibly scaring them towards more responsible seafood? There is biology indicating that we could be harming our oceans by fishing in environmentally unfriendly manners, yet at the same time, there is a significant amount of science showing that we need to eat more seafood. So how is it possible to achieve this balance?

Fortunately for groups like Seafood for the Future, Paul Greenberg, author of Four Fish- The future of the last wild food, recently introduced an effective strategy which is already involving people in making more conscious decisions about the food they eat. In one condensed effort he put aside all the calculated seafood talk and told a story. Actually he told many stories, covering four different species of fish and the voices of fisherman and fish farmers all over the globe. At the heart of his story is the relationship between a once abundant food source and the people that live on its survival. To make this story even more relevant, and actually follow through with a call to action such as “eat more sustainable seafood,” Paul Greenberg himself, the man,the myth, and the soon-to-be legend, co-hosted a dinner in Hollywood at AMMO restaurant last night (Sunday, August 8th) featuring only sustainable seafood.

If the goal of AMMO chef Daniel Mattern (formerly of Lucques, AOC and Clarklewis in Portland) was to make the diner think “wow sustainable tastes better!” than he succeeded 100%. Arctic Char, Carlsbad Oysters, Mussels, Clams, and Barramundi were all prepared with both simplicity and perfection. Chef’s skill was seamlessly laced through each dish, not in an arrogant manner, but instead as brief but bold brushstrokes, making each dish that much more flawless and further exemplifying our mission here at SFF that “seafood should be approachable.” Textures were certainly not forgotten either, something that can easily magnify any fish dining experience. The crisp celery in the hot smoked arctic char salad was an unexpected but impeccable addition and certainly a playful crunch. The fennel amongst the clams and mussels added essential tooth, and the innovative use of flat leaf Italian parsley within the grilled Barramundi dish played brilliantly against the richness of the fish. For those people whose number one seafood choice is the “bad boy” Chilean sea bass, chef’s grilled Barramundi should quickly jettison this new fish to the top spot as he has mastered the art of making barramundi as rich as fried rocky road ice cream.

Interestingly, every item on the menu was farmed. And while Greenberg doesn’t explicitly state that he wholeheartedly supports all fish farming in his book, his positive and encouraging statements were certainly a breath of fresh air in the world of Anti-Fish Farming campaigns.

Here are three condensed lessons to be learned:

1. Sustainability is more than numbers, it is about a story and the interrelated nature of the story’s elements. By not eating fish all together, communities reliant on the economies created through this trade will be destroyed. On the same note, however, by overfishing species, many communities are in peril as they no longer have a product to support their profession. Every story about this paradox is a springboard towards awareness and eventually mobilizing people to act through compromise and improvement.

2. Four Fish is a must read and a great gateway novel into the world of sustainability

3. If you haven’t been to AMMO restaurant, go ASAP- you won’t regret it

Ammo’s Sustainable Seafood Menu:

“Four Fish”

Carlsbad oysters on the half-shell with shallot mignonette & fresh horseradish

Hot-smoked Arctic char with marinated beets, chopped egg & celery seed vinaigrette

Pan-roasted mussels & clams with summer shell beans, pickled chili, and fennel pollen

Grilled barramundu with eggplant caponata, basil & aioli

Roasted figs with honey ice cream

*************************************************

AMMO Restaurant
1155 N. Highland Ave.
Los Angeles, CA

323.467.3293

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in events, Restaurants, Sustainability | 1 Comment »

The Lido Deck Restaurant and Wine Bar

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

New Seafood for the Future Partner : The Lido Deck Restaurant and Wine Bar – On a cruise ship, outdoor pools and the surrounding facilities are referred to as the lido deck, but off the deck of The Lido Deck Restaurant and Wine Bar in Newport Beach expect a view of multi-million dollar yachts or the reflection of a multitude of bay establishments across still water. The scene from any table at The Lido Deck could be taken from a seafood advertisement for al-fresco waterfront dining. This small intimate restaurant opens up directly over the Newport Marina. But beyond this elegant view is the ultimate reason to visit The Lido Deck: perfectly cooked sustainable food.

Don Shoenburg, chef-owner of The Lido Deck, certainly knows his fish. Upon first meeting him, our conversations regarding sustainability were held with ease and almost felt as if we were each preaching to the choir given Don’s extensive knowledge of marine conservation and the fact that I work with one of the best aquariums in the world (mind you though, I do work in a cubicle). Don is an avid diver and fisherman who knows the waters off the coast of California well. His menu certainly reflects his knowledge of the marine eco-system with a frequently changing array of seasonal seafood species. The benefit for the diner is the fact that chef Don is the one who is in the restaurant, every single day, cooking the food. He sources all of his fish personally and ensures it comes from the right sources. This culinary perfection is a rarity these days, as many chefs work to open multiple restaurants or fish for their 3 minutes of fame on television.

One of the main reasons that we are excited to have The Lido Deck in our portfolio of dedicated restaurant partners is because the restaurant encourages its guests to enjoy and examine every single aspect of their meal, from start to finish. As we always say here at Seafood for the Future, our goal is to encourage people to reflect on the food they eat, even outside the realm of seafood, to ponder the choices made related to our misguided food system. At The Lido Deck, a dining tryst travels far beyond the main entree. Chef Christi Carter is responsible for an amazing dessert selection, so don’t expect a tired dessert menu bloated with the same choices. In addition to the food, the wine and beer menu is tailored to answer the food-beverage riddle for your palette as every menu item can be paired with precision to each of the chef’s offerings. Don’t feel pressured into a 15 course meal, however, just a seat on the deck with a glass of wine and a bite of some healthy delicious seafood should be enough to renew your passion for ocean-friendly cuisine.

It’s not just one entree or even the specific species of seafood on a menu, but the entire experience as a whole that makes a restaurant complete. The Lido Deck is about dining and real food; it’s about food that is seasonal, local, and sustainable. Too many times we run through a meal, not thinking about what goes into our bodies, not considering the experience of good food, consequently treating our natural resources with disrespect and indifference. Coming across a restaurant that puts so much personal passion into preparing inspired food in a great setting, devoted to sourcing only the most sustainable seafood, is a luxury. When dining at The Lido Deck, tell chef Don and chef Christi you are ready for the best, and leave yourself a surplus of time to enjoy everything they offer. And don’t forget to pick up your Aquarium of the Pacific ticket when you order that delectable eco-friendly seafood dish.

A few of Chef Don’s seafood dishes:

Wahoo alla Bequia
Oven roasted wahoo filet, haricot vert, corn, red onion, green peppers, tomato, coconut milk, sweet corn cake

Seafood Nage
Grilled calamari, garlic, Kalamata olives, capers, tomatoes, head on prawns, PEI mussels, Manila clams, fish of the day, leeks, vanilla nage

Barramundi
Sautéed barramundi, Meyer lemon risotto, with fennel, field cress salad

Pan Roasted Trout
Pan roasted rainbow trout, haricot vert, onions, capers, tomatoes, parsley, carrots, white wine sauce

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Restaurants | No Comments »

First Press Event!

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

Chef-Brian-Casey
Two hours ago, we held the first Sustainable Seafood Featured Tasting here at the Aquarium of the Pacific to coincide with the launch of the new website, the new look, and the fantastic new logo. I think it’s fair to say that it was a resounding success, with all the chefs bringing their A-game and all of the participants, judges, and members of the media looking full and happy. (more…)

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Restaurants, Sustainability, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »