‘Anacostia Fish Market #34’
courtesy of ‘andertho’
Barton Seaver, executive chef at Northwest DC’s restaurant Blue Ridge appeared on CNN today to speak about the realities of seafood sustainability and ways that Americans, and the world for that matter, can make their menus more sustainable when it comes to seafood.
Seaver recommends switching out mainstream choices such as tuna, swordfish and salmon, which have been seriously over fished and over eaten, with smaller, plentiful species like mackerel, sardines, clams, catfish, oysters, and my personal favorite, anchovies. Another practical and healthy suggestion is for restaurant and home chefs to use more vegetables in their dishes. And with the DC farmers market season ready to kick into gear, it’s the perfect time to incorporate produce from local sources into our cooking.
These simple and implementable cooking choices, according to Seaver, can have a measurable impact on depleted fish populations and can help in comprehensive efforts of seafood sustainability.
A born and bred New Yorker, Rebecca made the big trip “down south” to DC in 2006 and hasn’t looked back. She spends her days strategizing/planning/ideating how interactive products can help her clients and change the world. In her free time, she explores DC’s ever expanding bar, restaurant and small business scene, plays a crap ton of soccer, attends concerts that contribute to her sleep deprivation and embarks on local adventures. Read why Rebecca loves DC or follow her on twitter.
My favorite resource is the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program. They have regional, national, and sushi-specific pocket guides to sustainable seafood choices available on the web. They help break out some of the nuances of trying to buy and eat seafood – for example, wild Alaskan salmon is a good choice, whereas farmed Atlantic salmon (often what you find at the grocery store – any that says ‘color added’) is a very poor choice. They easy to print out and take with you to the grocery store or dinning out.