A Guide to Picking Wisely from the Sea: A conversation with Alton Brown and Lunch with Bob Kinkead by Ingrid

Last weekend I was fortunate enough to participate in a weekend celebration of ocean life sponsored by the Smithsonian Resident Associate Program. The purpose was to explore the connection between a healthy ocean and the seafood we eat, with an emphasis on minimizing our impact on the environment. Being a professional environmentalist and foodie, I was ecstatic! What an opportunity! So, Friday night Monica and I headed to the National Museum of Natural History to taste a wide variety of sustainable seafood treats and other goodies, prepared by 30 of DC’s and our nation’s best chefs. We grazed our way through the Mammal Hall, eating delectables right next to the African mammals, and continued on to the Ocean Hall, nibbling under the North Atlantic Right Whale. Of course we also stopped in the Rotunda for a sample of wine! Highlights included the following:

Bruce Barnes, Mitsitam Café, National Museum of the American Indian: Mequen Chili Spaced Black Cod Ceviche, Carcia, Black and Red Quinoa Salad
Jeff Black, The Black Restaurant Group: Smoked Museel Escabeche on Lavash
Andrew Evans, Thai-Ki: Thai Squid Salad with Lemongrass and Cordiander
Scott Drewno, The Source: Rock Shrimp Dumplings
Kate Jansen and Tracy O’Grady, Willow Restaurant: Sauteed Kona Kampachi with Fresh Chick Peas, Extra Virgin Olive Oil Emulsion and Preserved Lemon

On Saturday morning I continued my sustainable seafood foray and attended two panel discussions moderated by Alton Brown: Keeping Seafood in Our Future and Sustainability in the Restaurant and in Your Kitchen. Panel members, reflecting various occupations associated with sustainable seafood, brought different perspectives to the discussion. Thus the answer to the question, “What should consumers do?”, wasn’t straight forward, and Panel members did not entirely agree on the best approach to sustainable seafood in the home or restaurant. However, here is what I thought were some of the “carry out” messages:

• Consumer choices can drive the market, Don’t select seafood that is caught or farmed in ways that cause harm to marine life or the environment. Select sustainable seafood, which encourages the market to head in a more positive direction. To help you do this, consider using the Seafood WATCH guide, which can help you make more educated decisions. See http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.aspx
• Look for the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) logo. MSC is the world's leading certification and ecolabelling program for sustainable seafood. http://www.msc.org/
• Expand your pallet to a variety of fish, which lessens the pressure on the most popular species.

The event concluded with a sustainable seafood luncheon beyond all expectations. My goodness, what a lovely meal – wild rice and watercress salad, lobster short cake with tropical fruit and rum vanilla sauce, braised pork cheeks with crispy halibut cheeks with a citrus glaze, wild Florida shrimp, and dessert. Plus wines to match! And I had the good fortune to sit with a waterwoman from VA; Bob Kinkead, chef and owner of Kinkead’s Restaurant; a seafood distributor; television producer, and a geologist. What a lively discussion we had!

Now you must be thinking, what about your conversation with Alton Brown? Well, I just had to go and introduce myself! What a bright, charming and savy guy! We chatted for a few minutes about seafood and sustainability as well as about his previous visit to the Smithsonian, which focused on his book, “Feasting on Asphalt”. It was a fantastic evening, full of wit and with lots of audience participation and laughs. My husband and I just loved it!

So, next time you prepare seafood, make it a sustainable feast!