Here, Fishy Fishy Fishy...

I was posting the previous blog post onto my twitter feed (ahem) when my eyes caught this post from Slow Food USA:

Pacific Bluefin Tuna Overfishing


This, my loyal readers is TERRIBLE NEWS. Sadly, this news isn't new at all.


First of all, show of hands: who even knew bluefin tuna was in this much trouble? If you didn't, you're not the only one. At many a sushi restaurant here in Chicago you can still easily find it on the menu. It's not like shark fin soup, which everyone seems to know is bad. If a reputable US restaurant has it on the menu, it can't be that bad or unethical to eat, can it?


I admit that until a few years ago, I didn't think so. On our third date, the BF and I went to a sushi restaurant where he whipped out his copy of the Monterey Bay Seafood Watch list so he could order responsibly. I had never seen or heard of this thing. Clearly, our waitress did not either: as he probed where and how certain fish were caught, she kept assuring us the fish was fresh. Not was he was asking, ma'am. 

But I was intrigued (after the date, he remarked that he was glad I didn't run out of the restaurant thinking he was some sort of a freak for having a seafood guide). As I didn't have a smartphone to download the electronic copy, he gave me a nifty little wallet-sized Shedd Aquarium seafood guide. I've used the same one ever since. 

Which reminds me: I now have both a smartphone and a need for the updated guide. Hold on a sec.... okay, I'm back.

But when it comes to making only intelligent seafood choices, I'm not perfect. Sushi is far and away my favorite food, so it's really hard to say no to things that I'm just a sucker for, although they may be in the yellow zone. However, I do put my foot down on bluefin. There is a sushi restaurant near me that has a special (although I'm not sure why its called a special when it seems to be on the menu every time) that serves tuna sashimi 3 ways: otherwise known as 3 levels of fattiness. And make no mistake, it's delicious, without comparison. Every time a good friend from New York visits, she always requests one evening at this restaurant simply because of the tuna special. Last time, though, I inquired with the waitress about the type of tuna they used for it. As soon as she told me, I just couldn't order that appetizer along with her. You get one guess why.

Don't get me wrong- I wanted it. But I also want to be part of the solution, and the solution is not really all that difficult. By making my voice known with my dollars and decreasing demand, fishing will decrease. When that happens, the tuna population can relatively quickly bounce back. Fishermen overfish because they say their livelihood depends on it. But yet they've never given an answer to what they will do if they cause their own livelihood to go extinct. Cutting back won't make them a ton of money, but it will keep them in business for far longer than if they continue down this road. And with proper regulation- if that ever happens- we can all happily enjoy bluefin moving forward. But if not, enjoy your next piece, because it may be your last.

By the way, curious about what the Seafood Watch is? Click on that link above. They even have an app (available here) that you can download to have at your fingertips. Not only will it help guide you on responsible purchasing choices as it relates to seafood populations and ecosystems, it will also help you make healthy choices in terms of mercury levels, and your own health. 

Edible Chicago

My lovely boyfriend borrowed a copy of the magazine Edible Chicago for me- what a sweetheart!  I was thrilled to find this read, since I actually had been pondering how to find like-minded organizations/publications/people in order to expand my Au Naturale knowledge and sources.

The publication is a quarterly one and includes articles with seasonal recipes, restaurant profiles, and information about how and where to eat local in the Chicagoland area.  "Eat local?" you may ask. "Duh, just go down the street and you can find an abundance of restaurants and stores, and you can just eat local there.  Idiot." you mumble to yourself.

Before you judge, though, let me clarify "local".  If you follow this blog with any regularity, you have probably read that part of my Au Naturale conversion is to not just eat organic and additive-free, but to eat locally and sustainably as much as possible.  When finding certain items in the dead of winter, however,  sometimes you have to compromise.  I admit that the pacific wild-caught salmon I had for dinner last night (btw- an "excellent" choice on the Monterey Bay Seafood Watch chart, which you can download here) was garnished with (among other things) organic grape tomatoes labeled "from Mexico".  That is about as non-local as you can get.

Truthfully, the actual writing in this publication is just okay.  But I was elated to see them visit and profile local farms and the organic and sustainable methods they use.  Even better, they include a list of Chicago-area stores where you can find the farm's products-- a boon to me, since I had been feeling like I've only had two to go to, and in an instant my store list tripled.  In the current issue Edible Chicago focuses on Iron Creek Farm in Indiana, who is not only certified organic, but is also experimenting with hydroponics in a greenhouse in order to grow greens and tomatoes in the dead of winter.  Tomatoes in February from Indiana instead of Mexico?  Sign me up!

But what I love even more is the reinforcement of the types of farms, products, and stores I want to patronize.  As you've seen, I do some online research on the farms that provide items like my eggs, cheese, and meat, but I'm always just a little suspicious. After all, there is a lot of scrutiny of the organic/cage-free/vegetarian-feed, etc. industry as it's not as tightly regulated as it should be, and I'm tempted to jump in my car and visit these farms.  (It'll never happen, though.)  When I see multiple sources such as this magazine or the Slow Food movement's Chicago chapter all visiting, profiling, and recommending the same farms, I feel more convinced that the food I am buying from those specific growers is truly the food I want to eat.  And you never know what you might learn- there is an article in this edition about NorthStar Bison, a bison ranch in Wisconsin.  Bison from Wisconsin!  Who knew!  Again, sign me up.

Are you a loyal reader who doesn't live in Chicago?  Fear not!  Visit www.ediblecommunities.com to find the magazine for your locale- they are everywhere, including multiple boroughs of New York.  Read online or subscribe through the mail.  Happy local eating!