David Hammond wrote:A sustainable sushi joint in Seattle: http://www.sushiwhore.com/

Chicago needs a sustainable sushi bar. In the right neighborhood (Bucktown, Logan Square, you know what I'm talking about), a place like this would tap into people's love of sushi and their green concerns.

It would be excellent if someone with the capital and vision (Rich Melman? Kevin Boehm? Jerry Kleiner?) would take it upon themselves to be the first in Chicago (and among the first anywhere in the country and probably the modern world) to create a sushi restaurant that would serve only sustainable seafood.

This assumes people care more about the fish than how "totally awesome" a place's rolls are. I'd think the two would have to be combined in order to be financially viable given the nature of this town's sushi market.

Hawaii bans shark as food.

David Hammond wrote: Hawaii bans shark as food.

I guess I don't understand this. As I read it, possession of shark fins will become illegal in 2011. But it unless I'm mis-reading, it doesn't ban the use of shark flesh as food. Certainly, the practice of catching sharks, finning them and throwing away the rest of the carcass, is wasteful at best. But if you're processing shark meat for steaks or filets, using the entire fish (or as much as possible) for food, will you still be in violation of the law if that shark you're butchering happens to come with fins?

nr706 wrote:

David Hammond wrote: Hawaii bans shark as food.

I guess I don't understand this. As I read it, possession of shark fins will become illegal in 2011. But it unless I'm mis-reading, it doesn't ban the use of shark flesh as food. Certainly, the practice of catching sharks, finning them and throwing away the rest of the carcass, is wasteful at best. But if you're processing shark meat for steaks or filets, using the entire fish (or as much as possible) for food, will you still be in violation of the law if that shark you're butchering happens to come with fins?

Excellent question...for which I don't have the answer.

Supreme Lobster supplies sustainable US Sturgeon to Lockwood, Sepia, Blackbird.

Sustainable sushi: read all about it. This looks to me to be a very useful site for a home-schooling sushi lover like me.

By the way, Geo's right. There are a variety of efficient ways to store electricity. Now back to food.

Whatever you may think of Chipotle as a decent dining option, they've succeeded in leveraging the tendency of people (not all people, but enough) to make a buying decision (in part) based on what they think is right: http://blogs.bnet.com/business-news/?p=3062

Hey guys. This is Carl from Supreme. Good to see that folks are talking about these issues. The sustainable sushi website is run by a real pioneer in the sustainable movement. A guy named Casson Trenor. We've worked with him from time to time and most recently I put him in touch with Chef Dan Tucker at Sushi Samba who's company recently mandated that their menu would be transferred to be 100% sustainale by year's end. Not an easy task at all, trust me.

Lionfish, Anyone - or, Eat That Invasive Predator...

Genetically modified salmon grows faster, and so could address sustainability issues, but there are concerns.

Speaking of farmed raised...is it me or does it seem that Tilapia is on just about every menu? I have seen it served at fine dining establishments, chain restaurants as well as burger joints as a featured fried fish sandwich. I am not a fan of farmed raised salmon. Plus farmed raised salmon gets bad reviews from foodies. But there seems to be little or no dialog regarding Tilapia and its popularity seems to be growing. Can this be the exception to the farmed fish rule?

Elfin wrote:...farmed raised salmon gets bad reviews from foodies. ...

Curious about this: which foodies give farm raised salmon bad reviews? Sustainability issues aside (and there are some varieties that sustainability "experts" do say are fine), I think farm-raised salmon is usually unctuous and delicious. For some culinary purposes, I absolutely prefer it to wild.

No, it's not an exception. Tilapia is the tofu of seafood. (Someone else wrote that previously, I can't take credit for it.)

Elfin wrote:Speaking of farmed raised...is it me or does it seem that Tilapia is on just about every menu? I have seen it served at fine dining establishments, chain restaurants as well as burger joints as a featured fried fish sandwich. I am not a fan of farmed raised salmon. Plus farmed raised salmon gets bad reviews from foodies. But there seems to be little or no dialog regarding Tilapia and its popularity seems to be growing. Can this be the exception to the farmed fish rule?

It is not you. It's everywhere.

It's popularity is growing because it's extraordinarily easy to farm and the taste is basically neutral. They grow fast, they're omnivorous, and they can be grown in pretty crowded conditions. Basically, they're a very profitable fish to farm. I'm not entirely sure what came first, the supply or the demand, but it's a very cheap fish that sells well and it's easy to maintain a constant supply of: so, a lot of places are going to put it on their regular menu.

For what it's worth, my favorite tilapia preparation that I've had in town is the mojarra frita at [url=http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=3743]La Oaxaquena[/b].

Elfin wrote:Speaking of farmed raised...is it me or does it seem that Tilapia is on just about every menu? I have seen it served at fine dining establishments, chain restaurants as well as burger joints as a featured fried fish sandwich. I am not a fan of farmed raised salmon. Plus farmed raised salmon gets bad reviews from foodies. But there seems to be little or no dialog regarding Tilapia and its popularity seems to be growing. Can this be the exception to the farmed fish rule?

To the sustainability question: US farmed tilapia is currently a recommended fish choice by sustainability experts. They are farmed in closed inland systems with no known serious disease, escape, or pollution problems.

I've never yet bought tilapia to eat at home, but given its high marks for sustainability, I'm wondering how it would do in a dish with a lot of strong flavors, i.e., ceviche. Would it hold together well?

Hi,

I have seen tilapia used for ceviche in restaurants. I believe Taco el Norte's ceviche is from tilapia.

Regards,

A potentially useful app; info was forwarded to me today, and I include text from email:

In a world of information overload, it can be difficult to dine responsibly. Blue Ocean Institute (BOI) and Brancott Vineyards have partnered to provide diners with a comprehensive list of sustainable seafood choices and wine pairings via their new iPhone app, FishPhone, now available at the iTunes store free of charge. The technology provides accessible, up-to-the-minute information that assists users in making educated dining choices.

The app includes a seafood guide with detailed environmental information, wine pairings for ocean-friendly choices and alternative fish suggestions based on flavor profiles for fish with conservation concerns. The app also provides recipes from renowned chefs such as Barton Seaver, a Washington D.C. area chef who has been a pioneer in the sustainable seafood movement and recently named 2009 Chef of the Year by Esquire magazine.

For those without an iPhone, BOI has rolled out its new version of the FishPhone, a free service that provides fish rating information and also sends users alternatives to fish with significant environmental concerns. Users can text message "FISH" along with the name of the species in question, to the number 30644, BOI will reply with an assessment.

David Hammond wrote: Hawaii bans shark as food.

I had a Shark Sandwich once. Two word review.

To the sustainability question: US farmed tilapia is currently a recommended fish choice by sustainability experts. They are farmed in closed inland systems with no known serious disease, escape, or pollution problems.

That's true - but when I ask, usually the server doesn't know where the fish was farmed, or it's from China. Tilapia from China is rated poorly because it's often raised in substandard conditions. Tilapia from Latin America gets a middling rating. The tilapia farm I saw in Guatemala was a big concrete tub in a woman's backyard, and the water was so murky I couldn't tell if there was fish in it.

AngrySarah wrote:

David Hammond wrote: Hawaii bans shark as food.

I had a Shark Sandwich once. Two word review.

Ha!! I caught that. Very clever. Spinal Tap is my favorite movie of all time. No matter how many times I watch it, I always end up busting a gut.

Just saw this interesting article, that I pretty much agree with. The basic premise is that individual choices have less (or little) to do with fisheries, but governmental action does. I would extend this issue to many food issues, including what pesticides are allowed and which aren't, etc. Letters to your representatives lobbying for change may do more good than changing your personal habits.

Mhays wrote:Just saw this interesting article, that I pretty much agree with. The basic premise is that individual choices have less (or little) to do with fisheries, but governmental action does. I would extend this issue to many food issues, including what pesticides are allowed and which aren't, etc. Letters to your representatives lobbying for change may do more good than changing your personal habits.

While I agree that the wholesale change that government can bring about can have a broader impact, I'm a huge believer that personal choice matters too. It shouldn't be an either/or, it should be a both.

We are the demand side of the market equation. We're also the constituency that our legislators are accountable to. We need to use both positions of power to affect change.

-Dan

Swordfish bounces back

Legal Seafood in Boston hosts dinner of unsustainable seafood, with multiple media reports excellently aggregated on Grub Street

Swordfish bounces back

It takes some of us longer to evolve than others. I once professed complete troglodytic obliviousness to the fate of fish. Now I actually do care (somewhat) about species going extinct, and occasionally make my choices based on this. For instance, I have avoided eating swordfish, even though I love it. I'm glad to hear I can eat it again.

Lionfish is still invasive, still delicious.

Anyone know if it's being served in the Chicago area?

I volunteer at Shedd and we have a card that was adopted from the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It is called Right Bite and it is something that can be carried in your wallet as a resource. Pick some up when you visit Shedd and pass it to your friends/relatives.

I also volunteer at an Urban Farm where I have been trying to get them interested in growing saltwater fish in freshwater! Yes, this is possible. Here is a farm that does it now,


Virginia Cobia farms

These are the Patents if anyone is interested in following up:

Patent #1

Patent #2

Patent #3