Sustainable Seafood: It's the Future

Welcome to the Spring edition of the Simply Seafood Newsletter. You may have the heard the phrase "sustainable seafood" on more people's lips lately. Just this March, for example, the retail behemoth Wal–Mart surprised the seafood industry when it said that within three to five years it was committed to buy its wild seafood only from fisheries that have been certified as sustainable.

So exactly what is sustainable seafood and who decides if a fishery is sustainable? So far the London–based Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is the only organization set up to certify a fishery as sustainable. Patterned after the Forest Stewardship Council, which has had considerable success convincing large home products stores to sell only wood from forests that are harvested on a sustainable basis, the MSC has been in business for almost 10 years. more

Fast Food

It's already past 6:00. You just walked in the door and you're bushed–too tired to dig for inspiration in cookbooks and too beat to go out. You want to enjoy a satisfying and healthful evening meal, but you can't face another night of off–the–shelf–ease or out–of–the–box convenience–and cooking from scratch just seems like too much hassle. Well, take heart (and take your time), these easy–to–make dishes don't sacrifice flavor or nutrition–or your evening–on their way from the kitchen to table. Each quick and simple meal takes you from fatigued to well–fed in just 30 minutes. So you CAN have a healthy, satisfying seafood meal that your whole family will love. more

Mother's Day Menu

Since 1914, the second Sunday in May has officially been set aside to honor the mothers in our lives. This year, May 14th, is the day to thank them for the patience, care and devotion that only a mother can offer. And what better way to say thank you to your mother (or your wife, or sister, or aunt) than with a special springtime meal made just for her?

Lucky for the cook, Mother's Day falls in the fullness of late spring, after the last vestiges of winter's cold have subsided for another year. Brightness abounds all around, in the flowers and the produce and the fish that will all help to make a spectacular meal on this special day. more

Picnic Pleasures

What better way to mark the season's passage from winter to spring than with a picnic! A picnic can be as simple as good bread, cheese and fruit or as elaborate as chilled vichyssoise in a thermos with cold fried chicken. It can be a quick weekday escape from the hustle of work or a leisurely weekend feast for two (or twenty). You can dine in your own backyard, on your apartment terrace…or just spread a blanket on your living room floor (add a big handful of daisies–now you've got the idea!). Picnic favorites are always fun, but for a change from traditional take–along foods, we've assembled some well–traveled seafood picnic ideas that can go wherever you do. So dust off your picnic basket, grab your favorite blanket and dig into these easy picnic recipes. more

Go For The Gusto

Eat healthy or eat delicious? We tend to think that the choice is one or the other, seldom both. But think about all the flavor packed in a sprinkle of lemon zest, a handful of minced fresh herbs or sliced fresh chile pepper. So much flavor that you won't even miss the high amounts of fat, salt and all those other flavor-enhancing ingredients we're trying to cut back on.

Here's a quick look at three high-flavor, no-fat ingredients that can really spice up your seafood cooking. You won't believe how tasty low-fat cooking can be! more