Take a Fresh Look at Frozen

This summer I took advantage of our neighborhood farmer's market to buy pristine fresh halibut and troll-caught king salmon from a fishermen by the name of Gene. Every Saturday he drove into Seattle from the fishing town of La Push, on Washington's Olympic Peninsula Coast, to peddle his catch.

Now Gene's no dummy, which is why he was leapfrogging the distribution chain and selling direct to consumers. He also knew what Whole Foods was getting for the same fish, so he priced his accordingly. At $18.95 a pound for the king fillets and $14.95 for the halibut, it wasn't cheap. But it sure was good and for the line of eager shoppers waiting at his stall it was certainly worth it. more

One-Dish Wonders

How can you entertain friends for dinner and still enjoy yourself without being run ragged? One way is to build your menu around a One-Dish Wonder. These six one-dish meals contain all the elements of a main course: fabulous seafood complemented with a starchy base, colorful vegetables and piquant flavorings. All you'll need to round out the meal is a salad, some crusty bread and a dessert. And if a guest should offer to bring something, you can always accept.

These one-dish wonders are ultimately very versatile, making it even easier to tackle them when time is short and the list of things to do is long. We've included alternative seafood suggestions for each so that you can be open-minded-to availability and price-at the fishmonger or supermarket. more

Mussels

It's been a long time coming, but the blue mussel of North America is finally getting respect. Although Native Americans have long enjoyed them, as did many European settlers, mussels have been largely ignored by diners on this side of the Atlantic. Fortunately, with mussel farms booming, North Americans are waking up to the exquisite taste and value these bivalves offer. more