Stop Blogging and Cook

It’s a good thing to have fish in our lives. . . .  I’m not saying that we should stop  fishing or that we shouldn’t have this wild food; quite the contrary.  I think it’s a beautiful thing to have abundant, wild food in our lives. . . . fifty percent of our seafood is now farmed.  We could end up replacing a very good and beautiful and functional wild food system with an expensive, potentially environmentally degrading farmed food system.  And I don’t want that to happen; I want there to be wild food.  I think there has to be some farmed fish, but we need to figure out a way to farm it in a way that does not affect wild populations.
~Paul Greenberg (NPR Interview)

TODAY’S ELABORATION

SALMON, SEA BASS, COD & TUNA
Whether you are concerned with the future of fish as a culinary commodity or an important part of the earth’s ecosystem, you will get a lot out of Paul Greenberg‘s book, Four Fish:  The Future of the Last Wild Food.  The New York Times prints an excerpt, and he is interviewed on NPR‘s Fresh Air.  Greenberg is to fish as Michael Pollan is to plants and animals, and believes fish is just as important to humans as land-based food sources.

In the interview, Greenbeerg explains how fish are farmed, how this form of wild life is coming to be over-harvested, and the far-reaching consequences.  The selective breeding of salmon developed in Norway resulted in a way to feed farmed fish that required half the feed of the wild vairent.  That was a positive outcome of farming development he says, but

while the per fish efficiency is better, the overall footprint of the salmon industry is getting bigger and bigger.

And the food industry’s growing footprint this is a growing global concern.  Drawing parallels to land-based food production, Greenberg tells us how food monocultures are not good for the earth, the plants or animals, consumers or their health.  He explains terms like commercially extinct, forage fish, and fruits of the sea, concepts humans would do well to understand.  We all know that fish is better for humans than red meat, but Greenberg tells us why, from the point of human health which is, after all, the point of food.  If you’re wondering why the antidote to the Gulf oil spill may be worse than the oil, he enlightens us.

Greenberg’s kind, thoughtful message is born out of a lifetime of eating fish that he caught and he bought, and he understands the nuances of the great and small ones who swim in the waters of the world.  Wanting them to be around for a long time after we are gone, Greenberg puts the ecological needs of fish in context with humans’ responsibility for maintaining the health and well-being of the animal kingdom.  Maintaining nutritional density benefits both fish and man.

Advocating eating less red meat, and more fish and plants – as does every independent food professional today – the author provides a sensible plan to sustain the fish population, enjoy while preserving it:  incorporating fish each week into our meals is a good thing.  Indeed.

CONSIDER THE ANCHOVY
High in omega 3 nutrients, Greenberg advocates eating the forage fish, the smaller fish that feed the larger:  sardines and anchovies.  Actually, they make a flavorful enrichment for soups and gravies.  Julia Child puts it in her stewed beef (pot roast).  And if Julia Child can put to good use this tiny, nutrient-rich food source, we would do well to follow her lead.  Anchovies and sardines are very French.  We could make use of it as a kind of silver bullet to give us a nutritional boost and to help preserve the health of the larger fish population so that, not only we can enjoy them today, but future generations – your grandchildren’s children – can benefit from them for many tomorrows.

FIVE THINGS
Off the top of my head, I can think of these things to say about anchovies:

1. For starters, forget about the fact that they are quite salty.  We’re already addicted to salt, and anchovies probably don’t have any more salt than most food products we’re already buying.  Salt brings out the flavor in food, so using anchovies to flavor and salt food is actually a pretty good way to go since the salt is inherent rather than added.  You can always rinse the anchovies in cold, running water  before using.  This will diminish the salt, but leave the nutrients intact.
2. Anchovies can be used interchangeably with sardines in any recipe.  Try each and see which suit best.  Anchovies are smaller, and their skeleton less noticeable; I recommend beginning with them.
3. Rich in protein and essential fatty acids, fish oil is great for making hair healthier.  So if you want to nourish your tresses, add anchovies to your weekly food intake.
4. If you’re concerned about health, use anchovies in place of bacon.  No, not fried beside eggs for breakfast, but as a flavoring, in dried bean dishes for example.  Because they are bland, dried beans (chickpeas, black beans, pea beans, etc) need added salt.  I can think of no better pairing of foods than beans and anchovies to get the best from both.  Other dishes that need salt are those with heavy tomato concentrations, and egg dishes.  Both suited to the addition of sardines while omitting the added salt.
5. Substitute the oil from sardines or anchovies for olive oil (or half the amount) to make salad dressing, or for cooking pasta or other dishes.
   

I like the idea of anchovies so much, I’m going to add them to my list of Good-For-You Foods, now thirteen in number.  And I’m going to experiment with the beans, reporting back what I discover.

Now, you know that I wouldn’t end without giving you some things to do with anchovies right off the bat.  Anchovies could be the new bacon.  Today’s Elaboration gives you ways to incorporate anchovies or sardines into your weekly meal planning.  Here are five general categories of them:

1. SNACKS Liptauer Spread, or blend anchovies into cream cheese thinned with plain yogurt or milk for a dip with chips or crudités.  Blend into Humus, store-bought or home made (omit the added salt), for a robust flavor when dipping bread, corn chips or crudités.
2. SALADS Caesar salad, already have a preparation for that.  But don’t stop there.  Traditional antipasto includes anchovies.  Also part of a traditional Salad Nicoise, anchovies go right on top of tuna, hard-cooked eggs, tomatoes, olives and blanched green beans.
3. SIDES Combine softened, unsalted butter with anchovies or sardines to put into other things, like mashed potatoes, noodles, polenta or pasta.  The next time your child won’t eat anything but noodles, try it.
4. MAIN Add to quiche, souffles or scrambled eggs to flavor these dishes without using added salt.  You’re going to be pleasantly surprised.
5. FUN Put into Tacos, on home-made Pita Pizza or blend into the sauce.
   

Whoever said you can’t teach an old cook new tricks was just wrong.  The practice never ends; nor does the fun.

Tags: anchovy, fish, food, gluten-free, good for you food, healthy choices, hummus, lunch, real food, sandwich, snack, vegan, vegetable soup