Just Good Food: Seafood

 Seafood (and Fish)

The word seafood is a generic term describing any edible animal obtained from the sea–be it fish, crustacean, or mollusk.

I cooked all of these meals, save for the last one of the fish and chips. That was taken at Ye Olde King's Head in Santa Monica, California. The lead photo is of Shrimp Creole, which my family and friends consider to be my signature dish. 

All writing and images ©Cliff Hutson unless expressly noted. Do not use without permission.

National Fried Scallop Day

 #FriedScallopsDay

October 2nd each year, right at the beginning of National Seafood Month, is National Fried Scallops Day.

All writing and images ©Cliff Hutson unless expressly noted. Do not use without permission.

National Shrimp Day

It's back!

Once again, May 10 is, among other things, National Shrimp Day.

Shrimp Cocktail: photo by Cliff Hutson

Shrimp Facts

Type of Food: Seafood

Produced From: Decapod crustaceans

Total Calories: 99 (one serving, 99 grams)

Total Fat: 0.3 grams (one serving, 99 grams)

Total Protein: 24 grams (one serving, 99 grams)

Total Carbohydrates: 0.2 grams (one serving, 99 grams)

Shrimp Noodle Bowl: photo by Cliff Hutson

Shrimp is also a good source of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, in addition to astaxanthin, which may have a variety of health benefits.

Fiesta Shrimp Bowl: photo by Cliff Huston

Some say that shrimp is the most popular seafood in America; and seems to be a hit worldwide as well.

Shrimp Tacos: photo by Cliff Hutson

A search of "shrimp" in my food photography files seems to bear out the hypothesis that I am doing my share when it comes to consumption. I hasten to point out that I try to be judicious in my purchases. 

National Sardines Day

Sardines

Tin of Sardines: photo by Cliff Hutson

National Sardines Day is observed annually on November 24.

These small fish are said to be named after Sardinia, an island of Italy, because of the abundance that could be found there. However, they has come to refer to many varieties of small, oily fish in the herring family.

Canning is the most common form of processing and storing sardines.. Canned sardines have the oily, fatty flavor of fish. The medium can be water, pure olive or soybean oil, or tomato, chili, or mustard sauce, which cover the sardines to act as a preservation and sometimes enhance the flavor.  Presently, my pantry is stocked with water-packed (see photo), but the ones in oil may be the best.

Sardines are a good source of many vitamins and minerals –

• B2
• niacin
• vitamin B12
• phosphorus
• calcium
• potassium
• iron
• selenium
• omega-3fatty acids
• vitamin D
• protein

Another benefit of eating sardines is that since they are low on the ocean food chain, they don't have the high levels of mercury and other toxins that can concentrate in larger fish.

With the rise of farmed fish and overfishing, sustainability of seafood is is problem. Opinions vary, but, sardines can be considered one of the more sustainable fish available. They are still somewhat abundant in the oceans and don’t show the same signs of depletion that many species are experiencing.

So, the decision to consume them may be a difficult call. However, I read somewhere that there are 50 ways to eat sardines. This is one of them.

National Shrimp Day

National Shrimp Day

Shrimp & Tricolor Pasta: photo by Cliff Hutson

May 10, among other things, is National Shrimp Day in the US of A.

Shrimp Bowl: photo by Cliff Hutson

Some say that shrimp is the most popular seafood in America; and seems to be a hit worldwide as well.

Shrimp Fried Rice: photo by Cliff Hutson

A search of "shrimp" in my food photography files seems to bear out the hypothesis that I am doing my share when it comes to consumption. I hasten to point out that I try to be judicious in my purchases. 

Southwest Asian Salad: photo by Cliff Hutson

Scallops

We are wrapping up National Seafood Month with a brief look atone  of one of my very favorites - scallops. This turns out to be most fortune on my part as they seem to be among one of the most sustainable choices.

What Are Scallops?

Scallops are a type of bivalve mollusk, meaning the interior muscle is surrounded by two shells similarly to oysters, mussels, and clams. Inside the shell, scallops have a white adductor muscle (the part we to eat)  Scallops are called “hotate” when served in sushi.

Scallops Chuka Soba: photo by Cliff Hutson

Scallop Tacos: photo by Cliff Hutson

Scallops with Pasta: photo by Cliff Hutson

Scallops and Broccoli Slaw: photo by Cliff Hutson

Scallops and Peppers: photo by Cliff Hutson

Scallops Stir-fry: photo by Cliff Hutson

Risotto alle capesante: photo by Cliff Hutson

Cooking Scallops

I find scallops easy to cook. And, as the above photographs illustrate, I have come up with more than one way to make a meal out of them. However, I can not offer any recipes as I am at a point in my life where I just throw things together. Nothing is ever written down, and what is supposed to be the same dish turns out a little different every time. But, I offer the following which seem pretty good:

Sustainable Seafood Recipe  "This recipe is "a nice combination of flavors and textures." 

GLOBAL CAT DAY & More Seafood

Global Cat Day

Cat Crossing: photo by Cliff Hutson

October 16 is Global Cat Day which recognizes the need to adopt and foster cats. There have been two official Hutson family cats - the late great Pumpkin (זצ״ל) and Mini, the patch cat. Both were rescues.

Pumpkin and Mini: photo by Cliff Hutson

My neighbor does not actually adopt feral cats, but she practices Trap-Neuter-Return which benefits both the individual cat and the environment.

Wall Cat: photo by Cliff Hutson

Global Cat Day is also known as Feral Cat Day. Either way, it is a good day to reflect on how to help our furry neighbors. 

Neighborhood Cat: photo by Cliff Hutson

Seafood

Lobster Tacos: photo by Cliff Hutson

My daughter and I met for dinner, this past Monday, at La Grande Orange Cafe in Pasadena, which led to a very fortunate National Seafood Month encounter. 

One of that night's specials was Lobster Tacos. Our server highly recommended this entree, but we were a bit leery - imagining some chopped up "lobster" in a taco shell. However, we both ordered it and were blown away by the dish. 

I guess that one could call it a deconstructed taco as what was placed before us was an actual lobster tail, with marvelous tortillas on the side. (Sadly, in my excitement, I neglected to include a tortilla in this photo.) Thus we I had to build my own tacos and enjoy one of the best meals that I ever had. 

Reading Log: September 2019 & Seafood

The books that I read in September 2019

September 2109 Books: photo by Cliff Hutson

“Creative Spaces,” Ted Vadakan and Angie Myung

“The Life of Python,” George Perry

“How To,” Randall Munroe

“How to Change Your Mind,” Michael Pollan

“Land of Wolves,” Craig Johnson

“Cows, Pigs, Wars, and Witches,” Marvin Harris

It is National Seafood Month

October is National Seafood Month. While anytime is a good time for seafood, this is a propitious opportunity to celebrate the sustenance provided by the sea and also make an extra effort to enjoy seafood. Just keep these three tips in mind:

1. Purchase sustainable seafood.

2. Shop in season.

3. Try something new.

Lionfish: photo by Cliff Hutson

Here is another way that you can participate.

Breaded Fish with Salad: photo by Cliff Hutson

Seafood Month Challenge

Lionfish: photo by Cliff Hutson

National Seafood Month

October is National Seafood Month, a time to highlight smart seafood choices, sustainable fisheries, and the health benefits of eating a diet rich in seafood.

Scallops and Broccoli Slaw: photo by Cliff Hutson

How to Celebrate National Seafood Month

There is more than one way to celebrate the month. The one I really like is put forth by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch, which helps us make better choices for healthy oceans. They have issued a challenge ( #SeafoodMonthChallenge ) to post one seafood dish each week on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. 

I am not going to throw myself in to this, but I was challenged enough to go through my archives to find some photos that I thought were pretty good.

Shrimp Tacos: photo by Cliff Hutson

Calamari Steak and Pasta: photo by Cliff Hutson

Cod and Greek Salad: photo by Cliff Hutson 

It should be noted that I prepared all of these dishes prior to photographing them. And, I ate them soon after that.

Lionfish

I am issuing an additional challenge that people should try to eat more Lionfish. Eating an invasive animal for lunch or dinner is a great way to protect our environment. It reminds me of the the TV program, "Dexter". Which is to say, this is one of those instances where I can kill and eat something without any pangs of remorse nor guilt.

A Batch of Books & Another Anniversary

August 2017 Reading: photo by Cliff Hutson

Harlem Detectives Series

All of the books that I finished reading this August were from one series by the American author Chester Himes. Interestingly enough, my binge watching the Netflix series "Luke Cage" led to my discovery of the author. I read six of the eight books which feature two black NYPD detectives — Gravedigger Jones and Coffin Ed Johnson.

The stories are very well done, and can be said to rival the works of Raymond Chandler and Walter Mosley, as Luke Cage remarks more than once - this show is very clever in its allusions to culture and literature.

While the depictions of police brutality and blantant racism may be disturbing to many people, I highly these books to fans of the hardboiled detective genre. And, the TV show is not all that bad, either.

Jambalaya: photo by Cliff Hutson

10th Anniversary

"The general rule [is] that whenever anything artistic is described as a “journey,” you can be pretty certain of going nowhere. "

- Peter Schjeldahl

I began writing this blog ten years ago this week. The first post was on September 4, 2007. It has been an interesting journey, even if the progress is uncertain. This morning I scrolled through a list of all the posts and found that by a large factor, the most viewed post is "Jambalaya with Shrimp, Ham, and Andouille Sausage", from January 2008. Why that is I have no idea. I have, in my mind, written many more informative posts, and may be even a thoughtful one or two. But, I guess my reading public knows what it likes.

Salade méditerranéenne

Salade méditerranéenne: photo by Cliff Hutson

Avocat, laitue beurre, houmous, le flétan pané, huile d'olive et vinaigre

Michael Poland
"Eat food, not too much, mostly plants" 


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Food Friday

piatto della pasta

piatto della pasta: photo by Cliff Hutson

Pasta integrale con gamberetti e peperoni rossi

Po Boy

Dining in the Big Easy?

"Po Boy": photo by Cliff Hutson

Another one of my photographs has shown up in an odd context. This article on restaurants in New Orleans uses a photo I took of a sandwich I made as an illustration of a proper Po Boy sandwich.

I have never been to the "Big Easy". But, maybe I should relocate and start my own food truck.

Shrimp & Avocado Salad

Shrimp & Avocado Salad by Cliff Hutson

Shrimp, Hass avocado, and Roma tomatoes on hearts of Romaine lettuce with Italian dressing

Shrimp Po' Boy

Originally a classic from Louisiana, this po’ boy sandwich is my creation of breaded shrimp, lettuce, tomato and my secret dressing on a fresh baguette.

Shrimp Po' Boy