The United States Department of Agriculture says twice a week, make seafood the protein on your plate. Increase the amount and variety of seafood consumed by choosing seafood in place of some meat and poultry.
As of 1:00am this morning (delayed flight followed by dead car) I am back from Chicago. It was a wonderful trip. The highlight was a half day "Fish School" workshop we held at the Washburne Culinary Institute, which you may know as the place they filmed Top Chef Season 4. The workshop was all about the culinary side of seafood. Since most all the attendees were dietitians, the "seafood is healthful" message is pretty familiar to them. But the tastes and textures of all the different species are less so.
To remedy this, we started with a blind tasting of 16 different fish and shellfish. The participants took a few bites of each and made tasting notes. Then at the end, we revealed what was what. It was fun, and I was thinking, would also be entertaining at home on a smaller scale. What a great way to introduce kids to different kinds of seafood - with all the options out there, every family member is bound to happen upon at least one they like.
Here are some tasting adjective ideas...
Taste
delicate peppery oceanic briny starchy earthy bold autumnal nutty sweet bitter spicy buttery seaweed potatoes salty chicken stock dill
Texture
small flakes rapid moisture release firm fibrous juicy large flakes crumbly oily sticky crisp dry mouth-feel silky creamy melting slippery
I am a registered dietitian with the National Fisheries Institute, so fish is my nutrition forte. I earned my BA in Communication from Southwestern University, just outside of Austin, TX. During college, one of my very favorite evening outings was a leisurely trip to the grocery market. My passion for food was undeniable, so I combined both of my interests by earning my MS in Nutrition Communication from Tufts University in Boston, MA. As well as my Registered Dietitian (RD) credential through the University of Delaware.
Beyond reading scientific studies about docosahexaenoic acid and selenium, I love to entertain, travel, watch reality TV, grill outdoors, and go to spin class. I live in Kailua, HI on the island of Oahu where my husband serves as a US Marine Corps JAG.
People in Hawaii eat more fish and shellfish than average, but over 80 percent of typical Americans don't eat seafood at least twice per week. Doctors and dietitians like me say that's the goal, so BlogAboutSeafood is here to show you just what plenty of seafood looks like in an RD's real-life diet.
Photo by Marco Garcia
