homefries » The Table Set

This week’s party is all wet as the guys talk seafood. Greg and Andy are longtime seafood lovers. Land-locked as a child of the Sonoran desert, it took a move to Portland, OR for Nathan to get on board and now that he’s there he’s trying to get his folks to join him. “Come on in Mom and Dad, the water’s fine!”.

Salmon. Scallops. Sushi and more. This week they’ve got something for the seafood lover in you. No it doesn’t include a trip to Red Lobster, you know these guys love lowbrow– but please, let’s get serious.

In fact Greg has just returned from a very highbrow fishing trip to Alaska with the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI). Greg learned that Alaska is a big, awe-inspiring place. From the majestic beauty of its land and sea, to the fish he caught and the salmon he observed swimming achingly upstream for the chance to spawn and die. Greg seems mighty impressed and shares some of those experiences both here and on his blog.

So listen as fisherman Greg tells a few fish tales from his Alaskan adventures. Yes, there’s puking. Someone always pukes. But mostly there’s a lot of really good Alaskan seafood.

Greg’s not the only one partying with the fishes this week. Andy made a trip to Seattle where he traveled to an historic island inn near Bellingham, WA to experience a most impressive meal. Salmon was served and Andy ate it up. This special place is called The Willows Inn and it’s where a young chef named Blaine Wetzel is wowing Pacific Northwesterners with his seasonally foraged and locally harvested creations. The menu changes monthly so these treats are best enjoyed straight from Andy’s mouth. So to speak.

Nathan’s party was at home in Arizona with his parents at their annual Tiki party. The festivities always include a whole roasted pig, and will certainly appeal to the land lubber in you. You can hear and see more about this party from earlier years by tuning in to the guys’ Tiki episode. Because right now Nathan wants to tell you all about his sushi epiphany. It came from the movie Jiro Dreams of Sushi and if it can’t make you eat raw fish– nothing can.

Which brings us to the meat of the matter. Greg is convinced that people are afraid to cook fish at home. He swears it’s no more difficult than cooking potatoes. He’s serious. You can fry, bake, boil, broil or sauté both of them. Really it’s that simple.

But if you’re still afraid to cook fish at home. Well, there’s always oysters, you can eat em raw. They’re NOT like SNOT. In fact there’s an oyster for every palate.

What isn’t so simple is the entire issue of choosing seafood. Knowing where to buy the quality stuff, avoiding what Nathan calls “fishy garbage”, is hard enough. But according to the Los Angeles Times, DNA tests have shown that even the best restaurants and markets often mislabel their seafood. Meaning you might not always get what you pay for. And if that’s not worry enough, what about sustainability? It’s a touchy subject, and everyone is entitled to make their own decisions about what works best for them regarding the choices they make. But information is the best way to make the best choices. Seafood Watch has a download. But even that can be confusing according to Greg.Well all this is all very interesting– important even. But the guys, they just want to have fun. So they turn to the Hot Pot this week and fill it full of Betty Crocker recipe cards from the 1970s. Listen up as they pull all sorts of questionably fishy choices from the pot and try to make heads or tails of them from a modern cook’s perspective. Dilled Torsk anyone?

Though Dilled Torsk certainly gave these guys a good laugh. They want to leave you with something a bit more highbrow. So here is an adaptation of Julia Child’s Bouillabaisse a la Marseillaise and a few of the recipes Greg did for his Fishing in Alaska series: Simple Pan-Fried Cod, Seared Jumbo Sea Scallops with Wilted Arugula, Corn, Shiitake Salad & Soy Ginger Vinaigrette, Grilled Halibut with Green Bean & Tomato Salad and Seared Salmon.