Otolith Online

Fish chowder or sustainable winter necessity

2012-01-10T09:05:00.009-05:00

Already this winter, I have prepared four rather large batches of sweet and creamy nutritious fish and prawn chowder. At this time highest quality halibut and prawns still wildly available make an ideal ingredient for the following variations of savory fish chowder.

Original Fish Chowder favorite
Prep: 30 min Cook: 1 hr 45 min
Serves 6
Ingredients:
2 1/2 lbs assorted premium wild seafood, boneless 1/2 inch cut
1 pint of heavy cream
1/2 c. of olive oil or unsalted butter
2 bay leaves
2 medium onions, small diced
4 large celery stalks, small diced with some leaves diced
6 medium boiling potatoes, red or gold will work
6-8 cups of water or fish stock
white pepper and sea salt to taste
2/3 c. of unbleached flour or minced pilot crackers

Mix:
1.Wash and dice the onion and celery. Add oil or butter to large 6 quart soup pot, set heat to medium and add diced celery and onion. Saute onion and celery until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. 2. Add 4 cups water or stock and bay leaves to pot. Increase the heat to high and reduce to low once the mixture begins to boil, careful not to over boil vegetables throughout cooking. Add 1 Tbs. of sea salt to flavor the mixture if using salt. 3. While pot increases to the boil point, peel potatoes. Slice peeled potatoes into 1/4 inch thick one quarter rounds. This size is wonderful for soups as it allows to potato to absorb the other flavors without becoming too soft to the bite. Add potato to heated stock and increase heat once more just to the simmer point. 4. Add chopped halibut and prawns once soup begins to simmer after the potato has been added. Reduce heat to low and cover. 5. In separate bowl combine flour or crackers with the pint of heavy cream and a pint of cool water or stock. If using flour, whisk this mixture to eliminate lumps. While whisking, add mixture to soup pot and stir frequently until soup thickens slightly. Add white pepper and any desired additional sea salt at this time. 6. Remove cover and continue to cook soup for 30 minutes before serving. If soup becomes too thick add water 1 cup at a time to desired consistency. It is important to allow soup to cool before storing under refrigeration.

Variation One: Fish Chowder
Ingredients and Mix-
Reduce celery to 2 stalks and 1 carrot, small diced
Substitute 3 large leeks for onions, small chopped
Substitute 1 large bunch collard greens for potato, thick spines removed and leaves rough cut to 1 inch or so.
Cook vegetables in soup until tender before adding halibut and prawns.
Reduce fish and prawns to 1 1/2 pounds for recipe variation with collards and leeks.
Use flour rather than crackers to thicken this soup as it will lend to a silkier consistency that will contrast the leafy collard bits well rather then compete for a similar texture.

Variation Two: Fish Chowder with corn and chillies
Using original chowder recipe, make the following adjustments.
Add 2-3 dried red chili peppers to onion and celery saute.
Add 1 cup of corn kernels to soup while adding the potatoes.

Bricks of Gold

2011-12-22T14:15:00.011-05:00

Otolith's hot smoked king salmon portions are a one of a kind savory and nutritious delicacy. The average weight of each Brick of Gold is 1 1/4 lbs, perfect for a party. Once thawed a Brick of Gold may be enjoyed for up to 12 days while stored properly under refrigeration.

So far this December, I served 1/2 of our Brick of Gold as an appetizer at a small farewell diner for my father-in-law departing for Turkey, and I served the other 1/2 to my daughter and niece with their friends at my niece's annual Christmas Party the next evening. The Brick of Gold was served casually sliced alongside table water crackers and fresh grapes. For my family, Brick of Gold and Squaw Candy provide necessary moments of peace and healthful reward without creating more work. Otolith's hot smoked salmon can create a peaceful and healthful moment in your busy and wonderful life too.
Otolith's 2011 smoked salmon is hot smoked in the fall just after the close of fisheries. It is best enjoyed throughout the winter and spring to assure its highest quality. Quantities are limited.

CSS 2011 King Crab!!

2011-12-07T16:26:00.006-05:00

Otolith has CSS 2011 King Crab Program shares available for a limited time offer.

This CSS is OPEN for two weeks only!

Fall Harvest 2011 King Crab is now available through our unique and seasonal CSS created for the experience of enjoying an assortment of 2 species of Alaskan King Crab, Red and Blue.

Contents: [Weights indicate size and weight of half crab cleaned cluster]

3 lbs [1 cluster] #1 Red King Crab - best in the world
2 lbs [1 cluster] #2 Red King Crab - smaller but just as tasty
1.5 lbs [1 cluster] #1 Blue King Crab – limited harvest/deliciously exclusive

Total CSS Weight= 6.5 lbs -7 lbs for $190
Facts about King Crab…
1. U. S. Blue King Crab are only harvested in and around the Pribilof Islands, AK.
2. Blue King Crab U.S. fishery is managed for sustainable harvest and only fished about once or twice per decade to protect the uncommonness of the species
3. Red king crab, which can weigh as much as 20 pounds apiece, is the largest crab and the largest resource accounting for more than 80% of the world king crab catch. Taste-wise, true red king crab is the best in the world. The meat is snow-white, with highlights of bright red.
4. Blue king crab, which can be distinguished from red king crab by the more pronounced dark coloring on the tip of their legs, are almost as sweet as true red king crab. Blue king crab are smaller than their close cousins, red king crab, and are richer and meatier than brown [golden] king crab. There are only three species of king crab – red, blue and brown.

Click Here to Enroll. Other 2011 Harvested King Crab Programs are available by species. Limited time offer.

Otolith's Oyster Stew

2011-11-19T13:12:00.009-05:00

This recipe is a combination of two recipes that were shared with me by word of mouth. The first recipe was described to me last spring by the octogenarian mother of my girl friend Suze. Sue's mom's recipe emphasized the importance of fresh butter, minimal ingredients to allow the delicate flavor of the oysters to prevail and finally carefully cooking oysters in simmering milk bath as the last step and removing from the heat as soon as the oysters appear to feather at the edges to avoid over cooking them. Lari Robling of WHYY's radio program FIT once shared her favorite cod chowder recipe with me. Lari's cod chowder was the inspiration for the technique of layering minimal ingredients to extract the most flavor from each ingredient without complicating the recipe and risking over powering the light fresh flavor of the seafood. Oysters like fresh cod are subtle and delicate in their sweetness and savoriness. My thanks to Lari and Dorthy for sharing their time and knowledge with me.
Ingredients:10 medium oysters-raw
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 large fresh yellow onion-diced
6 med/lg fresh yellow potatoes-peeled
Water
2 cups fresh raw* whole milk
2 Tbs white flour
1/2 Tbs sea salt
1/2 Tbs white pepper
Paprika and fresh dill sprigs to garnish

Mix:
Add butter and onion to a hot large 4 qt or larger stainless steel soup pot. Saute until onions are clear not browned. Add diced potato to onions. Potatoes should be cut in half then thickly sliced into scalloped rounds then in half again to create 1/4 inch thick quarter round scalloped potatoes. Add just enough water to barely cover potato such that some potato may be sort of exposed on top even when you press them flatly down into the onions. Boil covered and reduce heat to simmer once boiling. Simmer 5 minutes to soften potatoes and onions. Potatoes should be aldente and not fully soft when milk and flour is added. Combine the milk and flour using a wire whisk to avoid lumps. Add to the hot cooked pot when potatoes are aldente. Stir and bring to a gentle simmer uncovered; please don't boil any more during this recipe. You may want to hang out with the stew at this point to watch carefully as avoid another boil. Add pepper not salt. Shuck oysters and place in a bowl with their juices. When milk and other ingredients are showing signs of steaming and lightly beginning to froth without boiling, add sea salt then stir and add oysters with juice and stir again. Check oysters quickly for feathering. Usually takes about 2-3 minutes. Remove pot from heat and serve with a dash of paprika and some torn sprigs of fresh dill in each bowl.
I used 6 gigantic oysters for this recipe and chopped them a bit while in their bowl of juices. Last night Suze, my family and I enjoyed this sweet and creamy fall oyster stew.
The Gravelling Point, NJ oysters were an ideal and even-colored ivory shellfish to compliment the other fresh and local ingredients used.
*optional
Happy Thanksgiving!

Shucking Directions

2011-11-18T17:23:00.003-05:00

Serving the perfect oyster on the half shell requires careful shucking. The oyster knife should be inserted through the hinge since this is the thickest part of the shell. Even experienced shuckers should wear gloves to protect their hands while handling oysters because of the sharp fluting typical of these shellfish.

1. Place the oyster cup-side down firmly cupped in the palm of your hand with the hinge pointed toward Your body. Insert the point of your shucking knife between the upper and lower shells at the hinge. Apply pressure while slowly rocking the knife point back and forth between the shells.

2. Once the hinge is broken, twist the knife to pry the shell open about one-half inch. Slide the knife along the upper (flat) shell to about midpoint until encountering the adductor muscle. Sever the muscle from the flat shell, freeing the flat shell. Be careful to contain the liquor (oyster juices) in the cupped shell. Discard the detached flat shell.

3. Slide the shucking knife along bottom of cupped shell until the adductor muscle is severed. Flip the oyster meat in the cupped shell for the best visual presentation.

CSS 2011 Fall Oysters are HERE!

2011-11-18T16:34:00.006-05:00

Congratulations to Otolith's CSS Oyster shareholders for your courage to face these live, local and sustainable oysters head on! You have embarked on an amazing journey that not only includes access and consumption of the freshest tasting most wonderful oysters in the world and also includes a increased awareness of origin, handling and environment of your oysters and many of the other CSS species available through Otolith Sustainable Seafood that you have enjoyed as well.

Otolith's CSS 2011 Fall Oysters were harvested from Great Bay, NJ on 11/16/11 by John Maxwell, Maxwell Shellfish.

Live oysters should be kept under refrigeration until ready to eat or cook. If properly handled these oysters may be eaten raw until 11/23/11. Proper handling includes: 1) Maintain 34-40 degree temperature control using refrigeration or ice, 2) keep oysters alive by providing adequate ventilation - do not store in an air-tight container and throw away any dead oysters whose shells have popped open before cooking indicating that they are no longer alive, 3) keep live oysters moist by covering them with wet food safe paper - use the brown bag they came in to wet and cover while refrigerated and 4) store oysters carefully with the bowl side down and their flat side up so as to reduce their anxiety and maintain their health - keeping them nestled in their own juices will reduce stress and maintain healthy and safe oysters.

Otolith received our CSS Oysters from Maxwell Shellfish today, 11/18/11, and has carefully stored each oyster bowl side down, covered with wet paper, and stored under refrigeration to maintain their health and the safety of your fresh live local oysters. It is important that you protect your hand while shucking any oyster to prevent injury. Please read the Shucking Tip below before shucking your wonderful oysters. Otherwise, a fabulous alternative to shucking is to clean and bake at 400 degrees the live oysters and eat them hot and ready with a dash of lemon or choice tapenade. My favorite tapenade is chopped sauteed spinach and garlic tossed with freshly grated hard white cheese and a bit of lemon juice served on hot cooked oysters and eaten with a small fork. Caution oysters will be hot if cooked at 400degrees and they will only take about 10 minutes to cook and pop open.

Shucking Directions
Otolith will distribute CSS Oysters at Headhouse Farm Market on Sunday, 11/20/11.

Sustainable Fish for the Kosher Consumer

2011-10-25T14:31:00.003-04:00

By Hannah Lee and Published in The Philadelphia Jewish Voice on Oct. 17, 2011
Murat Aritan and daughter, Isabella in Adak, Alaska

Earlier in the spring, my husband asked me to serve more fish. As I am a vegetarian, it would mean shopping for items I do not eat (or taste, so recipe adjustments happen at the dining table). However, I knew there was a fish purveyor at the Headhouse Square Farmers' Market and I started chatting with them. An interesting bit of news was that the male head of household, Murat Aritan, had left for Alaska and he'd brought his young daughter along on their summer journey. So, I asked to interview the couple when the family reunited again.
Earlier this month, I met the adults, Murat and his wife, Amanda Bossard, in their Fishtown office. Amanda wanted to talk about sustainable fishing, Murat wanted to talk about their CSS (Community-Supported Seafood) and I wanted to know if it could be kosher. It was a lively conversation.
Fishermen are the sentinels for our oceans, said Amanda. They're the first ones to know about the changing conditions of our oceans-- indicators of the health of our environment-- even before the scientists who may sample only sporadically and periodically. And Alaska can be the test model for sustainable fishing.
What is sustainable fishing? Comparable to organic produce, it means harvesting sea life via means that do no harm to the environment or collateral damage to other species. This means avoiding the most popular varieties served in restaurants, as over-fishing depletes the ability of the species to maintain its population. Knowing which species are sustainable is difficult, but the Monterey Bay Aquarium provides an updated list on its Seafood Watch, downloadable to your printer or as an app for your mobile phone.
How did the couple become involved in fishing? They were high school sweethearts, growing up in Fishtown, a Philadelphia neighborhood bordered by the Delaware River, Frankford Avenue, and York Street. Amanda left town first, winning a partial scholarship to study in Anchorage, Alaska. Murat went north independently and fell in love with the pristine clime of Alaska. He learned fishing and crabbing from the professionals. Amanda worked for the Alaskan Fish and Game Department until the birth of their second child, now 5. Their first child, a daughter now aged 7, was introduced to fishing on the family boat, the FV (for Fishing Vessel) Sunset, at the tender age of 1-1/2, when they made a 10-day ocean crossing to the Aleutian Islands in the Northern Pacific Ocean. Their second child, a son, made his water debut at age 2-1/2. This summer, Murat served as Chief Engineer, re-habbing a Fairbanks Morse (marine diesel) engine for a tugboat; he and his daughter slept on their own boat. Murat and Amanda no longer fish together, because with two children, it's no longer possible to monitor both of them on board while working.
They founded Otolith Sustainable Seafood in 2004 to: "encourage responsible harvest methods; reward harvesters who promote effective management of sustainable fisheries; provide transparent and unbiased evaluations of seafood resource management; and network the shared interests of responsible seafood consumers."
Otolith's CSS provides its patrons with the freshest product, without the middlemen. Substantially different from the CSA (Community-Supported Agriculture)programs now increasingly popular for organic produce, this CSS offers tremendous flexibility. The subscriber pays in advance, but can choose when and how much of which species to collect; each item is individually packed into small vacuum-sealed pouches about a pound in heft. The fisherman is guaranteed a market before he embarks on his expedition. The products are cleaned and processed at the dockside and immediately flash-frozen. Otolith brings the items in by barge and truck to Philadelphia, where the items are held in a cold-storage facility until claimed. The consumer is guaranteed a product, because the fisherman is paid only after he returns to dock, with the right species.
Otolith, a name that refers to the earbone of fish (which can be used to assess the age and health of fish), works directly with hook-and-line fishermen, not the ones who haul fish by trawling (pulling a huge net through the waters), a process that results in large amounts of "by-catch," untargeted species including dolphins, sea turtles, and sharks, and may also include sub-legal or immature members of the targeted species. The by-catch die in the process.
As part of their five-year plan, Murat hopes to return to fishing, but permit rights are expensive, ranging from $20,000 to $60,000. Quota rights are also costly, as quotas were set about by the Magnuson-Stevens Act of 1996 (popularly known as the "Sustainable Fisheries Act") and newcomers have to buy the quota rights from those who were in business then or were grandfathered into the system. And he would like to expand his markets into franchises, retail stores, and restaurants. The latter is an especially hard nut to crack, as chefs usually prefer to work with large wholesalers. There's also the prejudice against "flash-frozen" products, but the "fresh" fish offered in some of the restaurants are simply defrosted fish, tagged as fresh. They are looking for a business partner who shares their vision.
Fish are amazing creatures. Do you know that adult salmon can find its way home (up to 5,000 miles away) by its sense of smell, some two to five years after spawning in the breeding grounds? This skill means that salmon can detect minute concentrations of contaminants in the water. Also, fish are not equivalent or interchangeable. For instance, tilapia does not offer much nutritional value compared to King salmon (I compare it to anemic iceberg lettuce versus robust vitamin-rich kale). The oceans were also amazing in its ability to rebound from a multitude of assaults-- small catches by many fishermen-- but with the advent of trawl fishing done by a few, large operators, they have floundered in their recovery.
What about Paul Greenberg's 2010 book, Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food in which the author touted the future of farm fishing? Amanda disputes his claim, saying "the ocean reigns supreme in its ability to efficiently and affordably produce the largest biomass of renewable and healthful fish." Farm fishing still relies on wild catch to feed its stock. "Instead of fixing the existing situation, get us back to where we were," she says, farm fishing is alluring because it offers the potential for a lot of short-term profit, but in the long-term, it will not be sustainable. Farm fishing has environmental costs that affect even people who do not eat fish, because it impacts on watersheds and the availability of protein for other species.
So, is sustainable fishing kosher? I asked my local kosher grocer and he said that the halachic (religious legal) rulings constantly change (because of changing conditions). Currently, he is allowed to bring in fresh salmon and tilapia, but only with the skin on. That means the fish are processed aboard ships that are dedicated for that species. So, I reported back to Murat and Amanda, their CSS fish are no different! Their canned salmon even has the OU kosher certification and all of it was responsibly harvested. They're now interested in finding delivery sites for kosher consumers.
Murat is a first-generation fisherman, so he has no cushion against the economic vicissitudes. He bought a boat, but the permits and quotas are extra investments. It is still possible for high school graduates to start work as deckhands and to retire with a comfortable living. "We can show young, ambitious men not bound for college that there is another way." Is the industry sexist? Not really, because women can work as captains and deckhands and they can serve in field-and-stream research and management roles. However, if one wishes to raise a family, it's not tenable to leave one's family for three months at a time. "We need to create a generation of fishermen who can maintain the front line of defense for our oceans," proclaims Amanda. The consumer can participate by making personal sacrifices, in choosing to not eat fish that are not sustainably harvested.

Oysters, Halibut, Prawns and Sablefish

2011-09-28T13:09:00.008-04:00

OPEN CSS 2011 Fall Harvest programs include:

2011 Fall Oyster Program/ $24 for 2 doz.
2011 Fall Spot Prawns/ $150 for 10 lbs
2011 Fall Halibut/ $180 for 10 lbs
2011 Fall Sablefish/ $180 for 10 lbs

Your wild fish and shellfish when you want it, caught in season this Fall and delivered to you. All fisheries end November 15, 2011. Get your winter supply now to enjoy through spring. Otolith will coordinate and organize all CSS delivery and farm market p/u. All available locations are listed on the Enrollment Form.

Each CSS has 2-3 deliveries to your local market and arrives individually packed in average weight 1 lb peices in the quantity you request. Otolith sustainable seafood is always wild, blast/frozen, highest quality sushi-grade, additive and preservative free fish and shellfish sourced from artisanal domestic harvesters of a healthful renewable resource.

Click here for the Enrollment form.

Rouleaux de Poissons - Fish Rolls

2011-08-04T12:52:00.012-04:00

This recipe' is best when using cold cooked sablefish! The sablefish higher omega-3 content allows it to withstand the additional cooking required to lightly fry the uncooked rolls of wonton. As far as I know, this is an original recipe and a family favorite among us sablefish lovers in my home.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
1 c. cooked cold sablefish flaked
2 c. cabbage [any variety] shredded or thinly sliced
1 c. shiitake sliced and cooked [any type mushroom is fine]
1/2 pack of wanton wraps - uncooked
bowl of water for sealing wrappers
1/4 c. bell pepper sliced thinly*
1/4 c. bamboo thinly sliced*
* optional, reduce cabbage by same volume
1/2 cup of grape seed oil or frying oil

Sauce*: mix, heat and serve on the side
1 tsp. ginger freshly grated
2 Tbs. soy sauce
1 Tbs. rice wine vinegar
1 tsp of garlic freshly grated
4 Tbs. of orange or other fruit juice or puree.
* optional

Mix:
Combine all ingredients except the wonton wraps, oil and water in a large bowl. Mix well. Using one wonton at a time, place a tablespoon of the mixture into the center of each wonton if using 4 inch squares and two tablespoons in the center if using 6 inch squares. Using your finger, wet the edge of the wonton all the way around the square with the water. Begin at one corner and fold over the mixture, then fold over each adjacent corner to create and envelope. Finally, roll the stuffed wonton over sealing the final corner and voila'. Set each Rouleaux de Poissons aside and continue rolling until you have at least four per person or until all of the mixture has been used. Unused mixture can be sauteed and served with rice - cooked about three minutes. Unused wontons can be frozen for use at another time or stored under refrigeration for at least 10 days in a sealed bag.

Heat oil until hot [at the smoke point its ready] in a deep saute pan or deep pot. Frying pans require more oil and create more splatter. I use a 2 qt saucepan to allow the oil to rise just about half way up the side of each lateral fish roll. A splatter screen is helpful for this stage of the recipe but not necessary if you have a deeper pan or pot. Fry each fish roll until golden and flipping at least once. Remember that most of your ingredients are already cooked or delicious raw. It is not necessary to have super even doneness. Golden is terrific. If rolls starts to burn flip at least once then remove from the hot oil regardless and add new uncooked fish rolls to lower the oil temperature before attempting to decrease the heat source. Frying in low temperature oil makes for oily food.

Serving Suggestion:
The Rouleaux de Poissons go great with any rice. Incidentally, the rice may cook while you are rolling your wontons. I add a salad to almost every meal I serve. This recipe inspired me to create a salad using some of the remaining sliced cabbage and carrot combined with fresh lettuce of any sort, canned sliced water-chestnuts and dressing of oil, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, pickled ginger and fresh plum segments or canned Mandarin orange [if your partner can handle fruit in their salad otherwise on the side or omit]. This salad is simple and is a quick variation on the same ingredients so there is very little prep time and anyone can combine the salad while you complete frying the Rouleaux de Poissons. Cilantro and seasame seeds make a nice garnice and fresh radishes can be substituted for water-chestnuts.

Simple Summer Cod, yummm...

2011-07-15T11:57:00.003-04:00

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes [rest fillet for 5 minutes before serving]

Ingredients:
5 small squash for every pound of cod you plan to cook
sliced
1 pound of cod for every pound and a half of squash you cook
1 clove of garlic, smashed or finely diced
1 giant ripe tomato - over ripe is good here too, chopped
2 tsp of olive oil - not EVOO
white ground pepper and sea salt to taste
1 large piece of foil or a covered oven safe dish
1 lemon in wedges

Preheat your grill or oven to 400 degrees.

I do not thaw my cod for this recipe as it will thaw during the cooking. Place frozen cod fillet on sheet of foil, top cod with squash slices, add tomato, then garlic, and finish with olive oil over everything. Wrap foil securely around fish and vegetables like a pouch gathering at the top and rolling over the edges into one another until it is tight and won't fall apart when lifted with tongs or a metal spatula.

Place covered pot or pouched foil on the grill over the heat for 4 minutes and close the grill. After 4 minutes move the pot or pouch to be placed indirectly with the flames and heat source. If you are cooking in the oven, it is not necessary to relocate the pouch or pot. Close the grill and cook undisturbed for 16 minutes. Remove the pouch or pot from the heat and allow everything to rest unopened for 5 minutes while you set out some pita or baguette. Open the pouch or pot and remove the vegetables to a separate dish to serve. Serve the fish directly from the pot or foil with a plate to catch drippings once opened. Salt and pepper squash and fish to taste. Garnish and serve cod with lemon.

Serving Suggestion: This recipe serves three adults or two adults and two children. I recommend serving this meal with fresh made hummus, preservative free store bought hummus if its fresh, or EVOO with hot pepper flakes and sea salt. The pita or baguette with go well with the hummus or seasoned oil and you won't need any butter. You may also consider serving the pita toasted on the grill during the last 4 minutes.

Entertaining: This meal is excellent for inviting over friends. Double the recipe and invite four friends. Ask each friend to bring a dessert or a bottle of wine. Voila! For less than 30 minutes of work and less than $30 dollars of cost you can have a lovely summer evening with your friends. If you are alfresco, don't forget the bug dope and incense to repel flies and other pests. Your guests will appreciate your thoughtfulness.

Dear Amanda,

2011-07-06T14:32:00.000-04:00

We had the halibut for dinner tonight. AMAZING!!! I had to let you know how good it was, although you already know. I roasted it with a topping of panko/ground almonds, fresh herbs, and a tad of Dijon mustard to fix the bread crumb mixture. Jeff and I finished the entire piece, which, in a normal/polite situation, might have served four!

We are so delighted to be part of the Otolith CSS.

See you on July 10, if not before,

Ellen Friedman and Jeff Cohen

Cooking Tips for Halibut and Sablefish

2011-06-24T17:26:00.006-04:00

Halibut and sablefish are two very different wild fish species harvested from the North Pacific ocean. Their availability usually occurs together since their harvest seasons run concurrent with one another. If your reading this then maybe you are one of the fortunate who will soon be enjoying the newly caught seasonal best tasting halibut and sablefish of the 2011 spring/summer catch. Otolith sources sustainably harvested halibut and sablefish from small low environmental impact harvesters and sells direcly to our market via Community Supported Seafood, CSS. CSS Enrollment Form

Halibut vs. Sablefish

Meat color: white vs. white
Omega 3's: 2.0g vs. 13.0g
Raw Texture: smooth vs. silky
Cooked Texture: firm vs. buttery

What does all of this mean to you? It means that you must be careful not to over cook your halibut or else the delicious delicate flavor of the fish will dry out and the valuable omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids you want will depart your halibut along with its moisture if you over cook it. It also means that if you want a suple and flakey cooked sablefish fillet then it you have to add some salt and acidity to your recipe for sablefish before cooking and not add salt or acidity to your halibut until after it has been cooked. These two different fish make two very delicious additions to any meal.

Halibut should be cooked hot and fast and always allowed to rest for two minutes before serving. Hot means 400-450 degrees. Fast means 10 minutes per inch of thickness. Remember that thinner fillets will be easier to handle and cook because they will cook faster. Thicker fillets shouls be seared in a hot oven safe caste iron skillet for three minutes on each side before being finished in a 400 degree oven for the remaining time necessary. Ex. a 1 1/2 inch fillet of halibut will pan sear for 6 minutes total, bake for 9 minutes, and rest for 2-3 minutes before serving. So I recommend, thaw your fillet of halibut and set your complex carbohydrates to cook while it thaws. In the meantime prep your fresh vegetables or salad. And when everything is ready, cook your fillet of halibut and when it is ready to rest for 2-3 minutes then dress the salad or vegetables before serving the entire meal together.

Sablefish likes to be marinated. The marinade is a great place to encorporate the salt and acidity this white fish craves to bring out its best flavor and texture. I usually cook sablefish directly in its own marinade and braise it in a preheated 350-400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Thinner fillets cook best at 350 and thicher than one inch generally at 400 degrees. When selecting your mainade ingredients use the theme of your meal to create a coordinating marinade recipe. For Asian inspired try sake and miso or orange juice, grated ginger and soy sauce. For a Mediterranean style use lemon and sea salt. My personal favorite is left over white wine and sea salt which goes with almost anything and tastes great. Remember to dilute your acidic liquid with a 1/4 c. of water. The marinade should only come half way up the side of the fillet and not drown your sablefish in liquid so select your pan size accordingly. Owing to its complex flavor, sablefish makes a great accompanigment to very hearty vegetables such as beets, collards, chards, and mushrooms or fresh summer vegetables such as new tomatoes, squash and onions. This is one of the best fish out there.

CSS 2011 Winter Pacific Cod and Rockfish Program...

2011-01-03T18:46:00.012-05:00

...is OPEN for enrollment. Each share receives 15lbs of seasonal 2011 February harvested sustainably caught Pacific Cod and Rockfish [10lbs cod and 5lbs rockfish] sourced by Otolith Sustainable Seafood to be purchased from the Fishing Vessel "Sunset" owned and operated by Otolith's managing partners, Murat and Amanda.

To enroll: Mail completed form with CSS payment to Otolith, 2133 E. Huntingdon Street; Phila, PA 19125.
Enrollment Form: Click Here

What is CSS?
CSS is a buying club that allows informed consumers to buy sustainable seafood sourced directly from sustainable harvesters. It is the seafood equivalent of the CSA. There is a shared risk in the event that the harvester, vessel, gear or any crew member do not survive the fishing harvest season however, all CSS share payments are reimbursed if the harvester or Otolith cancels the CSS program at anytime for any reason.

How does the CSS get distributed?
All shares arrive in [1lb vac/pac bast/frozen portioned fillets of boneless and skinless sushi grade fish. There are three 5lbs share deliveries each approximately 3 week apart beginning as soon as the harvest arrives into Philadelphia [usually 20 days after it harvest]. All communication between the CSS Manager and the CSS shareholders is done via email or phone, and each shareholder selects the location of their pick/up from the list of locations on the enrollment form. You get an e-receipt for your deposit once your enrollment is processed. After the CSS is caught each shareholder receives an email with the upcoming p/u distribution schedule for each location.

Why should I buy cod through CSS verses a super market?
CSS is the opposite of the complex systemic failures often associated with concepts of "Too Big To Fail". The harvester, market and seafood distribution company are all sharing the burden of risk together for an agreed priced which reflects the actual costs that have not been artificially lowered by economies of volume which are unsustainable over long periods of time. CSS is an opportunity for informed seafood consumers to eat seasonally and responsibly while engaging in a proactive relationship with harvesters. CSS begins the process of encouraging harvesters to contemplate fuel efficiencies instead of fishing efficiencies by sharing the values of the market which establishes the financial foundation and future of the harvester. CSS provides an opportunity to know your seafood harvester and inquire as to specific details of each CSS harvest which can improve the responsible judgment of even the most informed seafood consumers.

Amanda Bossard, CSS Manager
Otolith Sustainable Seafood

Behind the scenes at Otolith

2010-11-24T13:37:00.005-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving! We are making a point to remember the many things for which we are grateful: family, friends, etc. We hope you are able to see the blessings of your life through all the hassles of living. Otolith is the focal point of this article written by Andy Sharpe and Tara Savage-El for Philadelphia Neighborhoods: Behind the Bylines. I met Andy at Independence Hall this month while attending a public meeting on proposed changes to existing Philadelphia zoning codes [photograph by Andy Sharpe: Amanda at Independence Hall]. http://murltemple.blogspot.com/2010/11/port-richmond-zoning-seafood.html

Please accept our thanks for your interest in Otolith Sustainable Seafood.

The Academy of Natural Science welcomes Otolith Sustainable Seafood

2010-09-23T12:59:00.003-04:00

“The Academy of Natural Science in Philadelphia welcomes Otolith Sustainable Seafood to demonstrate oyster shucking and cooking and to discuss sustainable oysters during the Philadelphia Shell Show and Festival, October 9 and 10.

Otolith will present 2 shows daily at the celebrated natural history museum during its popular Shell Show.”

Date: October 9th and 10th
Show Times: Noon and 2pm
Duration: 20 minutes per show
Price: Visit http://www.ansp.org/shell/index.php

Thank you for your interest in sustainable seafood! Properly handled oysteres from sustainable harvests can be a seasonal and savory seafood delicacy for parents and young adults. Oysters provide an unique and nutritious component to any meal. They are delicious raw however Otolith's representative, Amanda Bossard, will be demonstrating the simple basics of serving delicious cooked oysters and reminding seafood lovers that sometimes it is fun to put a little mollusk into your dinning experience. Shucking oysters can be easy if you are responsible and careful to use the proper shucking utensils.

Sourcing Sustainable oysters can be challenging, and although the oyster harvest season is coming to an annual closure for many small harvesters, there are plenty of oysters to look forward next year and Otolith will provide access to sustainable oysters through Community Supported Seafood, CSS, next Spring 2011. For more information on CSS click CSS on the menu bar at the top of this page.

CSS 2010 Fall Harvest Programs are OPEN for Halibut, Sablefish, Lobster, and winter shellfish

2010-09-14T17:46:00.006-04:00

Otolith's CSS 2010 Fall Programs are open through 10/8/10. Current shareholders still need your support of wild sustainable fisheries to continuing improving all of our access to the most healthful and delicious seafood available. If you haven't joined CSS yet then you can only guess what terrific sustainable seafood your family could be affordably enjoying this Fall. Otolith shall begin to source 2010 sustainable fall harvest halibut and sablefish in October. Joining now assures your direct supply to the world's best tasting and most responsibly harvested sustainable seafood. Your options for delivery include various farm markets and alternative p/u locations. Please check www.otolithonline.com/css.html and scroll down for the complete list of p/u locations.

There are CSS 2010 Fall Harvest Programs now OPEN for halibut, sablefish, lobster, and winter shellfish. To enroll or read more about the available prices and weights for CSS, click here for the detailed enrollment form. Mail your completed form and CSS payment to Otolith, 2133 E. Huntingdon Street; Phila, PA 19125 or call us at 215.426.4266 or email inquiries@otolithonline.com.

All CSS enrollment and distribution questions should be sent to CSS Manager, amanda@otolithonline.com. Please respect Otolith's cooperative relationships by not calling the businesses listed among our pick/up locations about CSS.

Participating CSS locations include:
Rittenhouse Square Farm Market in Philadelphia, PA
Arrowroot Natural Foods in Bryn Mawr, PA
Doylestown Food Club in Doylestown, PA
Milk and Honey Market at 45th and Baltimore Aves in Philadelphia
Otolith Sustainable Seafood at 2133 E. Huntingdon Street in Philadelphia
Creekside Coop in Elkins Park, PA
Power and Energy in Warminster, PA

Email: amanda@otolithonline.com now to announce your support of CSS! Halibut, sablefish, lobster and winter Shellfish seasonal fisheries end soon. Check back with Otolith again for more seasonal fishery CSS 2010/2011 Harvest Program availability. www.otolithonline.com/css.html

Sustainable development and the tragedy of commons

2010-08-18T17:08:00.002-04:00

The 2nd line of the graph in this video represents cost vs. benefit. Imagine a way to reduce cost and lower yield without diminishing benefit. Hydrogen fuel cell technology does this already by doubling fuel efficiency. If only fisherman knew how easy it could be to reduce costs without reducing benefit. How can we let them know?
I wouldn't be surprised if there were other good ideas out there too. I must keep working on this.

Otolith reads Grid Magazine

2010-07-25T15:36:00.002-04:00

On June 7, 2010, Grid Magazine writter, Scott Orwig, kindly inroduced the Philadelphia area's decerning audience of sustainable enthusiasts, aka Grid subscribers, to Otolith Sustainable Seafood, "Fish Story".

What Summer Means at Otolith

2010-06-23T11:57:00.007-04:00

It is officially summer. When I was young this used to be the best time of the year. My mother took me, my brother and sister to the beach nearly every weekend. We loved to swim in the ocean and spend lazy days at the beach. Since 1996 when I moved my home to Alaska, summer has become a time of the hardest work and deepest sleeps I have ever known. In Alaska, summer is the season when the salmon run and the sunlight lasts until 10pm. Harvesters frequently off load wild caught fish in to the middle of the night to begin the next harvest with the first break of day. For fishery managemnt professionals samples of scales, DNA, and otoliths from harvested fish are recovered night and day to produce the data upon which we all depend for the thoughtful and effective management of the seafood we love to eat. Now, here in Philadelphia while I look forward to selling the most perishable and volatile product from which one could ever hope to make a living in an economy some might hope to never know, I suspect, like last year, summer will still mean hard work and sound sleep at the end of a long hot day. To be sure this is not a complaint. It has been, and with hope shall remain, that summer days enable me and my family to appreciate the cool quiet winter days and nights ahead and the awesome summer memories when you stop for a moment and realize you did it as well as it could be done. And of course we shall not forget to make time to spend a day or so at the beach.
It is our pleasure to source sustainable highest quality seafood for you!

Sustainable Sushi Lesson Event

2010-06-15T16:30:00.006-04:00

What: Otolith Sushi Lesson Event including instruction and hands-on preparation of three sushi rolls using the highest quality sustainable seafood, [one each] wild Alaskan salmon, halibut and sablefish, all necessary ingredients and accompaniments such as seaweed salad, soy sauce, saki, wasabi, pickled ginger and mochi ice cream dessert.
Date: July 31st, 2010
Time: 7-9:30pm
Place: 1514 South St; Phila, PA 19146 [Philly Kitchen Share]
Host: Otolith Sustainable Seafood
Contact: Amanda Bossard, amanda@otolithonline.com
Cost: $35/person - Reservations are Required*

In the past Otolith's Sushi Lessons Events have been a deliciously good time for everyone providing a contemporary and creative opportunity for sushi lovers to enjoy the art and preparation of sushi with confidence using Otolith's sustainable seafood.

Call Otolith, 215.426.4266, to make your reservation today.

*Most major Credit/Debit cards accepted

Awesome Rockfish Stew w/ fresh seasonal vegetables

2010-06-14T11:34:00.002-04:00

This recipe was submitted by a participating CSS shareholder, Michele Rifkin. Michele had improvised the original recipe [June 2010,Cooking Light] to include available farm fresh ingredients and she encourages us to have fun and do so the same. Michele's results were received with gratuitous praise from her family for preparing such a nutritious and delicious seasonal meal highlighting her best quality seafood available. I am eager to try this recipe this week and on behalf of Otolith it is worthy of mentioning to you.

Ingredients:1 lb. Yukon Gold Potato, cut in 1 1/2 inch pieces
2 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt - optional
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper or white pepper, ground
3 cups of cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup of light coconut milk
1 tsp curry powder
4 medium ears of cord, shucked and cut into 2 inch pieces
1.5 lbs of Rockfish, Mussles, or Prawns, in 5oz. portions
1 cup green onion, chopped
3 Tbs. fresh mint, chopped
Lime Wedges

To make successful substitutions keep the main theme of the dish intact and substitute only similar items for one another, such as sweet potatoes for Yukon Gold to replace one complex carbohydrate with another or yellow squash in place of tomato, etc.. If you omit the mint, lime or coconut milk or your results will be entirely different.

Preheat Oven to 400 degrees
Cook Time: 35 minutes; Prep. Time: 20 minutes
Combine:Potatoes, oil, salt and pepper in a large roasting pan, tossing well to coat and arranged single layer. Bake for 20 minutes and stir once after 10 min.
Mix:
After 20 minutes cooking, add tomatoes, coconut milk, corn and curry powder, scraping pan to loosen brown bits on bottom and incorporate flavors. Nestle seafood into vegetable mixture and continue to cook for additional 15 minutes at 400deg.or until vegetables are tender. Stir in green onions and copped fresh mint.

Serving Suggestion:
Spoon 3 cups of seafood mixture into each of 4 bowls; spoon cooking liquid evenly over the top. Serve with lime wedges.

Our continued thanks to all shareholders who made this past 2010 Winter Rockfish season possible for us and our fishing vessel, Sunset.

30 Minute Rainbow Halibut Dinner

2010-06-09T13:55:00.004-04:00

You may have heard, eating a rainbow [selection of diverse colored fruits and vegetables] increases your chances for nutrient balanced diet. The 30 minute Rainbow Halibut Dinner was designed to provide a variety of necessary nutrients in one simple and quick meal.

First you will need to choose your ingredients. Take care to select ingredients which do not share a color to assure a complete rainbow dinner. This dinner has three components: the halibut, cooked vegetable side dish, and vegetable salad.

Ingredients:
[all of the following are required for this recipe]
1.25lb halibut, thawed and cut into 5oz portions for grilling, baking or searing
1 lemon - juiced and seeded
3 Tbs. Olive Oil
1 clove garlic - finely chopped or pressed
sea salt and white pepper to taste

The Cooked Vegetable Side - Select 1 of the following and cook accordingly
1.5 c. Quinoa [uncooked], use 3 c. water to boil and simmer, 20 min
1.5 c. bulgar [uncooked], use 3 c. water to boil and simmer, 20 min
2 lbs purple potatoes, quartered - toss with garlic and oil, bake/grill 375d.,1/2 hr*
2 lbs. beets, peeled and quartered - toss w/ garlic and oil, bake/grill 375d.,1/2 hr
2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/2 in. rounds, oil, grill 375d., 1/2 hr.

The Vegetable Side - Select 3-5 of the proposed following ingredients
1/2 c. red pepper, 1/2 inch diced and seeded
1/2 c. farm fresh tomato, 1/2 inch diced*
1/4 bunch parsely, finely chopped, keep some aside for garnish*
1 whole cubanelle [green frying] pepper, 1/2 inch diced and seeded*
1/2 c. fresh corn kernals, cooked*
1/2 c. orange pepper, 1/2 diced and seeded
1 small can maderine orange slices, drained
1/2 small purple onoion, finely chopped*
1/2 farm fresh cucumber, 1/2 inch diced and partially peeled for added color

Preparation: 30 minutes - without interuptions
Start to cook the selected cooked vegatable side first [10 minutes]. While your cooked vegetables are cooking prepare the [3-5] selected ingredients for the vegetable salad, combine them with 1/2 the olive oil and 1/2 the lemon, salt and pepper to taste and set aside until ready to serve[10 minutes]. Use any remaining oil to lightly coat thawed and portioned halibut. Grill/bake or sear halibut at 400 degrees for 10 minutes per inch of thickness; if grilling or searing flip halibut only once after 5 minutes. Keep grill lid open if juices create excessive smoke to prevent gray smoke colored halibut. Grill/sear halibut directly over a med/high flame. If baking halibut do not flip or open oven until completely cooked according to 10 minutes per inch of thickness. If grilling cooked vegetables flip once over high heat just before cooking the halibut. Careful not to burn if cooking sweet potatoes. After fish is done cooking allow halibut to rest for 2 minutes before serving. Remove any vegetables from the heat. Drizzle halibut with salt and lemon to taste. White pepper can be used on white fish if you must have pepper to taste.[10 minutes]

Serve all dishes together and sprinkle the cooked vegetable side with remaining parsely if using that ingredient.

*Recommended ingredients for your first version of the 30 minute Rainbow Halibut Dinner

Some variation of this recipe is prepared at my home at least once each month. I particularly like to grill colorful root vegetables before cooking the fish. Once I select my base color ingredient to cook than I use the necessary colors left in my refrigerator to create a fresh and colorful corsely diced salad for texture/crunch. Because this recipe requires halibut, I chose lemon as the acid ingredient du jour. Another acid may be substituted for other proteins, ie. balsamic with beef or lamb and red wine vinegar for salmon, etc. I try to be creative and I hope you will too.

2010 Summer Salmon CSS Is Open for Enrollment

2010-05-22T15:54:00.002-04:00

What: 12-15 lbs seasonal best summer harvest 2010 salmon
When: Deliveries to Philadelphia Shareholders in July/Aug/Sept 2010
Where: Rittenhouse Farm Market, Milk & Honey Market, Arrowroot, Elkins Park Farm Market, P&E in Warminster and Otolith
How: Enroll online. Click CSS. Mail in your completed form and $180
Why: Buy direct from fisherman, eat the best quality seasonal seafood, support sustainable seafood

Don't delay. Join NOW!

Video Playlist for Sustainable Oceans

2010-04-21T17:35:00.015-04:00

Click here for "Ocean Pollution" video courtesy of NOAA.

Trawling is Destroying the Earth's Single Largest Ecosystem - The Oceans
This video may contain advertisements not endorsed by Otolith

Caring Professionals are Essential to a Healthy Ocean
http://www.ehow.com/video_4871705_education-required-become-oceanographer.html

Quick and Easy Pan Seared Rockfish

2010-03-18T17:46:00.005-04:00

Otolith's Rockfish harvested by long-line vessel F/V Sunset, 2010.

This is the ultimate rockfish recipe to ease you into the joy of cooking white fish while respecting your time to get back into a rhythm for cooking regularly. Many of us have not gotten the grille's propane refilled yet this spring [some are on it already]and for you and I, let's keep it simple and enjoy a taste of the greatest seasonal fish winter/spring has to offer. It has been widely enjoyed by myself and friends to follow this meal with a light dessert of simple lemon meringue pie.

Cook Time: 15 minutes (add 20 minutes to thaw) Prep: 4 minutes

Ingredients:
1lb boneless/skinless sustainable rockfish, cut into 5oz. portions
4Tbs. flour
4Tbs. EVOO
1tsp Hungarian or other paprika
1/2 lemon, cut into sliced wedges
sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
On a clean cutting board reserved for your seafood, slice the lemon first to avoid any raw fish juice on your lemon and set it aside. Cut rockfish into approximately 4 inch pieces of about 5oz each then dredge the pieces thoroughly with flour seasoned with sea salt and pepper. Heat a cast iron or other fine skillet on med/high heat and add to the pan the EVOO. When the oil just begins to smoke, add the rockfish to the pan. Sear one side for 4 minutes or until golden then flip each piece and cook for 3-4 more minutes depending on your taste for done. I prefer 3 minutes. Remove from heat onto a platter immediately. Continue to cook accordingly any remaining rockfish. Sprinkle the cooked rockfish with paprika while still hot and serve the platter garnished with lemon. You may drizzle a bit of lemon on the fish before serving.

Serving Suggestions:
Typically, when I make this dish I want to have dinner on the table in 30 minutes. I also want to maintain the light and fresh spring flavor of the meal so I can enjoy the fresh taste of my delicate fish. Therefore, I often start a pilaf of sorts, cooking on the stove just after I begin thawing the fish and rinse and dry the greens for a salad before cooking fish. It may be interesting to add additional flavors and textures to your pilaf but if little is available adding saffron, excellent cumin or turmeric to the pot will work well. My favorite pilaf additions are pine nuts, garlic, onion, celery, 1/2 inch bits of vermicelli pasta, and/or currents. This meal is completed with a fresh baby greens salad and a lemon/EVOO dressing with a touch of sea salt and pepper. In my mind this is the meal baby fresh picked spring mix was designed to accompany. If you are craving mixed fresh greens this time of year,you may find a wise and healthful selection available; shredded purple cabbage adds crunch, color and flavor to green salads.

Thank you to the CSS shareholders! Your value of excellent and responsible seafood makes Otolith's work possible.

Have you read "Bottomfeeder" by Taras Grescoe?

2010-03-13T15:54:00.006-05:00

Grescoe does a thorough job of investigating and tasting the world's gastronomical seafood delicacies while deciphering their chronological relevance to today's conscientious consumers of seafood who may be confused with the mixed messages associated with the numerous species of seafood available.
The subtitle of Bottomfeeder is "How to Eat Ethically in a World of Vanishing Seafood". This is a little misleading in as much as, throughout Grescoe's journey, he does not resist the urge to eat any potentially unethical seafood choices, rather the opposite he tries them all with enthusiasm and has obviously prepared his list of seafoods to eat with careful attention to detail. In the end he justifies his consumption of just about all seafood delicacies one could possibly find in the international market place. My initial reflection after reading this book was to infer that Gresco believes as long as you write a book about it after you eat it then you have satisfied all criteria necessary to feel ethically justified in your consumption. He probably didn't mean to imply any such thing however his conscience doesn't get the best of him until after his global gastronomical seafood journey is over.
For me, the triumph and the struggle is what eating ethically is all about. We must make tiny compromises to maintain our values in a world of ever increasing awareness of our codependency on one another and the planet with respect for our inherent right to behave with self interest and continue our personal investigative journey throughout our own lives. Grescoe avoids any compromises in Bottomfeeder and I think he makes an unintentional point asserting he deserves to eat cooler seafood from around the world than you do. Of course that could not be further from the truth. First of all there is plenty of cool and amazing gastronomical seafood experiences to be had by consumers with conscience and the book does mention some of them. Alternately, a few compromising choices once in a while is a far cry from a continuous journey of non-stop self indulgence of all things seafood - endangered, rare, deadly, dangerous, or otherwise unethical. If all worldly seafood consumers made a conscious effort to eat ethically, at least as well as they are capable, for at least 90% of the time we could have a profound impact on the market which anticipates our self indulgence and demand above all else. We could willfully set an example for seafood consumers who unknowingly engage in the unethical consumption of seafood to the detriment of all our shared delight. The greatest possible thing we can do for healthful seafood is increase the awareness and attention of our concerns and values. And and we can demonstrate how our values are not in conflict with any one's quality of life; they are very necessary to the sustained quality of life we currently enjoy. Yet what seems obvious to us may not be so obvious, that our quality of life which can be enjoyed by others still yet to begin their journey of self exploration and whom are entitled to their own self interest one day, must be proteced if more people intend to continue the shared pleasure of eating high quality freshest tasting seafood.
I have been an avid reader of non fiction for most of my life and the subject of seafood has always been of interest to me. It is my opinion that Bottomfeeder is an appealing and informative book that will be sure to satisfy any culinary seafood aficionado and/or ethical food movement enthusiast. It is a must read if you wish to gain greater understanding of the complexity behind the consequences of the seafood consumption choices you make.
Furthermore, I am grateful to my new friend Dina for lending me her copy of Bottomfeeder. It was a terrific addition to my bedside-table/night-reading program. Dina has continued to allow Otolith to source her sustainable seafood; it has been my pleasure too.
There is one more point that I should make before closing the book on Bottomfeeder. In it the term long-liner is used to describe a specific style of commercial fishing harvest gear type. Long-lining consists of setting multiple hooks on long lines flanked with weights to set on the ocean bottom for the efficient harvest of the larger species of bottom feeding fish. There are several variations of the long-line type harvester with varying degrees of efficiency and evasiveness's regarding impact on the environment. Grescoe depicts long-lining as an altogether unfavorable harvest gear type and leaves out a great deal of information necessary to understanding the different styles of long-lines all of which are not bad. While some mono filament style long-liners are a threat to the ocean's health by contributing hundreds of miles of mono filament waste threatening other species and often responsible for harvesting more fish than can be effectively managed in our current international industry fishery managment system, others represent a segment of our historical fishing history which had once maintained and sustained its self for generations while providing cost effective year-round seafood to the market and maintaining a responsible relationship with the ocean and a reasonable environmental impact as a result of its harvest. This latter style long-liner uses fishing lines which can be made of materials like polyester or hemp and it runs gear one or two miles long rather than several hundred. This means that there are far fewer incidences of lost gear as a result of the higher cost of the line and gear and owing to the shorter lengths under the control of the harvest operations at any one time. To forsake all long liners is to forsake affordable seafood. I share Grescoe's concern for the former style harvester and caution readers to know your seafood harvesters. If commercial fisherman are the enemy [just kidding] then keep them close to your breast and set new baselines for the level of acceptable impact they may have on our shared environment as a result of their benefit and yours.
CSS 2010 Spring Halibut Harvest Program is available in Philadelphia and surrounds. Call Otolith to inquire about CSS in a town near you.

CSS 2010 Spring Halibut Harvest

2010-02-17T10:41:00.003-05:00

You're Invited to Join CSS

What: 10-12 lbs seasonal best spring harvest 2010 halibut
When: Deliveries to Philadelphia Shareholders in May/June 2010
Where: Rittenhouse Farm Market, Milk & Honey Market, Arrowroot, M'Kor Shalom Temple, P&E in Warminster and Otolith
How: Enroll online. Click CSS. Mail in your completed form and $180
Why: Buy direct from fisherman, eat the best quality seasonal seafood, support sustainable seafood

Don't delay. Join NOW!

Otolith is change unlike any for nearly 200 years, Excerpts from Ralph Waldo Emerson's Lecture on January 25th, 1841

2010-02-07T15:55:00.014-05:00

The employments of commerce are not intrinsically unfit for a man, or less genial to his faculties, but these are now in their general course so vitiated by derelictions and abuses at which all connive, that it requires more vigor and resources than can be expected of every young man to right himself in them.... We are all implicated, of course, in this charge; it is only necessary to ask a few questions as to the progress of the articles of commerce from the fields where they grew, to our houses, to become aware that we eat and drink and wear perjury and fraud in one hundred commodities....I will not pry into the usages of our retail trade. I content myself with the fact that the general system of our trade is a system of selfishness, is not dictated by the high sentiments of human nature, is not measured by the exact law of reciprocity, much less by the sentiments of love and heroism; but is a system of distrust, of concealment, of superior keenness, not of giving but of taking advantage.... I do not charge the merchant or the manufacturer. The sins of our trade belong to no class, to no individual. One plucks, one distributes, one eats. Everybody partakes.... He did not create the abuse; he cannot alter it. What is he? An obscure private person who must get his bread. That is the vice, - that no one feels himself called to act for man, but only as a fraction of man. It happens, therefore, that all such ingenuous souls as feel within themselves the irrepressible strivings of a noble aim, who by the law of their nature must act simply, find these ways of trade unfit for them, and they come forth from it. Such cases are becoming more numerous every year. -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Otolith appreciates and gives thanks to all our wholesale clients taking a chance to serve a new and informed market; we thank all the CSS members and continue to do our best to improve for the sake of healthfulness, quality and sustainability. Otolith also thanks all those who have bought our sustainable seafood and made the commitment even once to recognizing that the preparation of Otolith's world class seafood is as much a privilege as to consume it. We leave it as unprocessed as can be done to protect its inherent greatness.
There are still two shares available for CSS 2010 Winter Winter Rockfish Harvest Program. Email today to join!

In June 2010 Grid Magazine wrote an article about Otolith

2010-02-04T16:32:00.004-05:00

This Grid article and more can be found online at http://www.gridphilly.com/grid-magazine/2010/6/7/local-business-fish-story.html

Sushi Rice Recipe for DIY Sustainable Sushi

2010-01-25T14:07:00.003-05:00

To make sushi rice: Cook highest quality med grain sushi rice according to package directions. While cooking rice, prepare the rice vinegar mixture. TIP - Most sushi rice recipes require to set rice 10 minutes after cooking to complete doneness; don't skip this step.
INGREDIENTS
Vinegar Mixture: per every 2 1/2 cups uncooked rice
1 tsp salt - we like sea salt
2 TBS - rice wine vinegar
1TBS sugar
DIRECTIONS
Add all ingredients to a very small sauce pan. Stir over low heat until sugar is completely dissolved and remove from heat and set aside until rice is done.
After the rice is finished cooking gently toss the rice with the sauce being careful not to cut, smash or otherwise disturb the oval shape of the cooked medium grains. Shape and texture is important to good sushi rice in addition to flavor.
TIP - use the largest bowl available to toss rice with sauce. This will allow the rice to cool very quickly and protect its shape and texture.
The warm rice should allow sauce to coat each grain while gently tossing rice using paddle spoons. Cover the large bowl of rice with a towel to protect from drying out while cooling completely before use. Rice will be sticky and delicious when you are ready to roll your sushi.

Sustainability Series: End of the Line, Discussion Panel

2010-01-11T12:36:00.006-05:00

Date: January 12, 2010
Time: 7:30PM
Location: Ambler Theater
108 E. Butler Ave
Ambler, PA 19002
Cost: $10.00 includes ticket and
1hr. Q/A discussion after the movie

Stay after the movie for an insightful panel discussion organized by Penny Pack Farm CSA featuring Brian Duvall, president of the NJ Academy for Aquatic Sciences; Dr. Rich Horwitz, senior scientist of the fisheries section at the Academy of Natural Sciences and Amanda Bossard, a former employee of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and current owner of Otolith Sustainable Seafood. Learn what you can do to help save the world’s rapidly diminishing fish stocks.

New Press For Otolith

2010-01-04T20:32:00.004-05:00

examiner.com highlights Otolith's commitment to quality and sustainability . . .
http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-25244-Philadelphia-Sustainable-Foods-Examiner~y2009m12d7-Otolith-Sustainable-Seafood-in-Philadelphia . . . plugs our CSS too :)

CSS 2010 Winter Rockfish Harvest

2009-12-21T15:43:00.005-05:00

You're Invited to Join CSS

What: 10 lbs seasonal best January harvest 2010 rockfish
When: Deliveries to Philadelphia Shareholders in february 2010
Where: Rittenhouse Farm Market, Clark Park Farm Market, Arrowroot, and Otolith
How: Enroll online. Click CSS. Mail in your completed form and $130
Why: buy direct from fisherman, eat the best quality seasonal seafood, support sustainable seafood

Don't delay. Join NOW!

Call 215-426-4266 for more informations or read online at www.otolithonline.com; click CSS.

Seasoned Halibut, Bulgur Pilaf and Arugula Salad

2009-12-21T14:50:00.005-05:00

Prep: [15 minutes] Cook: [20 minutes]
Ingredients:
1LB halibut, boneless skinless, cut into 5oz portions
2 tsp paprika
1 cup of uncooked whole wheat Bulgar or other complex carbohydrate
2 cups water
½ small onion
1 clove garlic crushed and chopped
1 tsp saffron or saffron petals/*turmeric may be substituted if saffron is not available
2 Tbs dried currents or pine nuts or both*
¼ lb of arugula washed and dried
4 Tbs of EVOO plus one Tbs EVOO [extra virgin olive oli, EVOO]
1 lemon halved and juiced, divided
1 cucumber - optional, washed, partially peeled and sliced
Salt and pepper to taste, I like white pepper on my arugula and halibut too
Mix:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a quart size sauce pan add a dash of the oil on med/high heat. Add onion first then garlic and then Bulgar and stir for two minutes over heat before adding water. Add the water, saffron and currents and pine nuts if using, and cover. Bring pot to a boil. Turn heat down to very low and simmer for twenty minutes covered until cooked.

In the mean time, put arugula and cucumber into a salad bowl and pour EVOO on top. Set aside until the halibut is done.

In a hot oven-safe skillet add one Tbs olive oil and set heat to medium. Place halibut into hot skillet and add paprika, dash of turmeric if using it, and some white or black pepper to taste. Cook 2 minutes and flip halibut and season the other side just the same. Cook two minutes and place skillet into the oven. Finish cooking halibut in the oven for about 4 minutes [3/4 inch thickness] depending on the thickness of the fillet. Remove fish from oven and add juice of half lemon and salt to taste.

Add other juice of half lemon to arugula and some salt and pepper to taste. Toss salad before serving.

Serving Suggestion:
Remove Bulgar from heat and serve alongside halibut and salad.

*Optional ingredient may be omitted or substituted with chopped sun dried tomatoes and/or fresh chopped herbs such as basil, parsley, tarragon, or marjoram

God Bless Us, Everyone.

Part One: The Tripple Threat Theory

2009-11-12T14:14:00.003-05:00

I like to think about our oceans' health. I hypothesize that if enough humans were informed as to the causes of our oceans' failing health, many of us would choose to work together and make small changes in our behavior that may allow our oceans' health to improve. Let's assume that the cause of our oceans' failing health is the result of three continuous simultaneous threats: 1. Global Warming, 2. Plastic Pollution and 3. Trawling or Over Fishing [as I see it they are one in the same judging the effectiveness of today's fishery management councils].

The small changes in behavior which are required to prove my hypothesis are 1. Eat less seafood, 2. Use less plastic, 3. Eat more locally grown healthful foods, and 4. Buy less manufactured goods/Create less waste.

The following is a list of proposed questions which I began to ask myself as I started piecing together the scientifically established causes of our oceans' declining seafood resources which I and countless other research professionals assume is a symptom of our oceans' greater problems.

When and where did trawling begin?
Who built the first trawler?
How much did they catch or earn as a result of it?
What happened next? What is done with the fish from trawling today?
Why do scientists suspect over-fishing to be a significant contributing factor to the decline of our ocean's health? If trawl fish wasn't available what would people be eating to replace it?

When and where was the first use of plastic to making an everyday container?
Who made it?
What was it used to package? Do we still use that product in the same package today?
How many were produced and at what savings to the manufacturer was gained?
How many more products are produced with plastic today?
What are our alternatives?
Why do scientists suspect plastic pollution to be a significant contribution to declining health of our oceans?

When and where did the world begin mass producing our food and consumer manufactured goods?
When and where were the first signs of global warming observed and reported?
Who first noticed there may be a connection between these two significant changes?
What did they do to prove the connection?
How much more do we know today about global warming than we did 20 years ago?
Why do scientists suspect global warming to be a factor in the decline of our oceans' health? How much sooner will global warming begin negatively impacting our quality of life if our oceans' health continues to decline?

This is no short order, is it? Being a tremendous fan of delicious and sustainable seafood, I find it difficult to eat less of it. Presently, I eat seafood twice each week and that is a significant reducing in consumption compared to my life as a harvester when often I ate seafood 4-5 times a week. My family consumes about a pound and a half each week; we may be able to reduce to one pound for the time being. Once the kids get bigger it will have to go back up. However, given the expense, once I am certain that my children have a sincere appreciation for the healthful benefits of sustainable seafood, I shall stop affording them their access.

Having already started learning how to use less plastic, I have been making small changes to my behavior for nearly 7 years to reduce the amount of plastic I use. The greatest challenges of plastic reduction for me are still laundry detergent containers, juice containers, toothbrushes, and trash bags. I am always interested in new small steps to reduce my plastic dependence.

It has been a pleasure to eat more healthful foods grown locally in season. I am still enjoying local squash, onion, root vegetables and my own back yard tomatoes. This behavioral change has reduced the amount of other meat proteins my family eats and reopened my eyes to the pleasures of gourmet cheeses in Philadelphia that I missed while living in Alaska. I have made an exception of sorts to graduating this behavioral change by accepting Mexico as a local food producer. Comments and criticisms are welcome as I don't quite understand the problem with this so long as I buy things not available to me locally and insist on highest quality.

There are countless other advocates of ocean recovery who are encouraging others around the world to make the same small changes to their behavior that I propose. I hereby make my personal oath to begin to change my behavior as an informed and active seafood consumer unafraid to assert my personal responsibility for our planet's health. The gradual change of my own irresponsible behavior as an adolescent into the responsible mother I am today took time and it is still ongoing. I wish anyone the best of luck if they strive to evolve and adapt. Other organisms in the past have evolved and adapted with success and I know we can too.

Thawing and Cooking Instructions

2009-10-17T16:30:00.004-04:00

Thawing Instructions
Always cut or release vacuum seal of frozen seafood before thawing. Thaw your seafood while in its specifically designed pouch. Use a knife to make a small slit at the top of the pouch.
Rapid Thaw for sushi or best quality cooked: place open pouch in clean tepid/warm water being careful not to allow water into the pouch to saturate your Otolith premium seafood. Replace the water in your bowl or dish after 10 minutes with new tepid/warm water and set again for another 10 minutes. Most seafood takes 20 minutes to thaw. Fillets larger than 3/4 inch thick may take longer.
Refrigerated Thaw [effective however, not recommended by Otolith]: place open pouch in clean bowl and allow to set in refrigerator for 5-6 hours to thaw depending on the thickness of the seafood. Thicker fillets greater than 1 inch or whole fish may take longer.
Sashimi and Sushi Instructions: All Otolith seafood makes excellent quality sushi.
1. Follow the Rapid Thaw instructions above for sushi grade seafood from Otolith.
2. If you must store raw fish before making sashimi or sushi, keep the raw seafood chilled to at least 40 degrees by placing covered or cling wrapped fish in the refrigerator for up to 5 hours or keeping wrapped/covered raw fish sufficiently chilled before serving while on a cold plate using ice or frozen gel packs under the plate to maintain its chilled temperature.
3. Cut raw thawed seafood on a clean cutting board with a sharp knife and do not reuse the same cutting board or knife for any other food preparation until it has been washed and dried to prevent cross contamination.
4. Salmon skin should be removed carefully before eating the raw fish.
5. Never eat raw seafood which has not been properly chilled or which has been chilled at higher than 32 degrees for greater than 6 hours after it has been thawed.
6. Don't consume any raw fish if you don't know when it was thawed.
7. Never make sushi or other raw fish recipes with seafood which has set to thaw for more tan 5 hours.

Cooking Instructions
1. Thaw as descibed above
2. Preheat cooking method to 400 degrees, stove, pan, broil, or oven
3. Cook Otolith's seafood for 10 minutes per inch of its own thickness, example 1/2 inch filet cook time is 5 minutes.
Otolith recommends that if you must flip your fish, cook 2 minutes on the flesh side first and complete for remaining cooking on the skin side to protect from over cooking the delicate meat directly on the heat. The skin will protect the meat as it cooks through. To avoid flipping: cover your seafood while cooking to allow for convection of cooking heat all the way around for the same specified cook time and temp.

Make a sushi party night with friends using Otolith's King salmon and halibut for the most excellent sushi results. Scroll down to previous blog entries to find ingredients, rolling instructions and suggestions for making sushi.

2009 CSS Fall Enrollment Registration

2009-09-05T16:55:00.005-04:00

We are pleased to announce that enrollment for the Fall 2009 Community Sponsored Seafood program is now SOLD OUT!!

Download the enrollment form here: PDF

For more information about Otolith's CSS, check out this page on our main website.

Community Supported Seafood, CSS: What's that?

2009-06-27T17:04:00.008-04:00

Otolith has organized a Community Supported Seafood program and you are invited to join. I hope you will pass this information along.

Otolith CSS has shares available for 2010 Winter Alaskan Shellfish Harvest. Each share costs $180. The CSS will purchase direct form Alaskan fisherman the round weight of mixed variety shellfish. These high quality shellfish will be blast frozen at -40 degrees in vacuum sealed packs. The total harvest shall be divided equally among the share members and is being distributed through Otolith and other local organizations to facilitate an efficient delivery system. There will be one drop off every three weeks beginning in January, just in time for Valentine's Day. Each drop off will provide enough shellfish [approx. 5 lbs.] for a family of 4 to enjoy three generous dinners for that month.

Date: Every Three Weeks
Time: 4am - 6pm
Location: Existing CSA's, Farmers' Markets, and
Otolith Sustainable Seafood
2133 E. Huntingdon Street
Philadelphia, PA 19125
Cost: $180
Contact: amanda@otolithonline.com for CSS Details and CSS Enrollment form

Otolith is asking that you share our website www.otolithonline.com and join the CSS if you want to eat seasonal best seafood at its best. Also, look forward to future CSS seasonal harvest direct market programs each season, Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn.

Seafood Facts: Is the only path forward to copy the past?

2009-06-15T18:40:00.011-04:00

Made up of two bones in humans, one in fish, the otolith orients humans in the world by transmitting though contact with tiny sensor hairs varying degrees of pressure that signal a message to the brain of our body's position relative to the earth. In fish, the [their] otolith may send another message to our brains which signals our bodies' metaphysical position relative to the earth.
In our evolutionary ancestors, fish, their feather shaped structure of calcium carbonate or otolith may provide the answers to most of the questions that are being asked by fishery managers and marine biologists who are trying to document just how much can we dump or take from our oceans each year.
In marine vertebrae this strikingly sculptural and opalescent surfaced otolith stone has been contributing vast amounts of data to a sea of information intended to reveal our oceans' health, abundance and relative prognosis for the future. Now, like the fish, we are using their larger less evolved otoliths to establish our balance and equilibrium with our oceans and perhaps our planet.
Thousands of researchers around the world spend their whole working days looking at fish otolith's because of the staggering amount of information they contain. Among the information obtained through otolith capture data (ocd) are species, age, chemical composition, size, temperature and salinity of the water through which the fish moved, diet, and various environmental contaminants encountered.
Technicians and scientists are charting data from a system which is already out of balance. It is all the more challenging to use this data to devise a plan for action that may reestablish the equilibrium necessary to continue depending on our planet to provide the abundance of renewable seafood resources we think we need to survive.
A new question arises, "Can we add and remove factors within this complex system and reestablish a new perhaps more diverse and somehow better homeostasis [balance] or must we attempt to recreate a system which existed more than 200 years ago"?
Thank you to Donald F. Azuma at the Wagner Free Institute of Science in Philadelphia for sharing my relevant interest in the fascinating study of otoliths and sending me the picture.

How is global warming related to fishery management?

2009-06-14T10:35:00.006-04:00

The simple answer is: by way of the Greenhouse Gas "Cap and Trade" Bill that just passed the House on Friday, 6/26/09 and is now on its way to the Senate.

The real answer is: global warming has caused our oceans' temperature to rise. Higher ocean temperatures have caused plankton and coral to die. The lost plankton and coral has caused a measurable percentage decline of harvestable seafood which feeds the world and provides economy for many regions. Much of the data necessary to prove this relationship has and/or will be at the expense of fishery management [FM] programs and their budgets. These FM programs have been responsible for collection, recording, and analyzing of ocean data sufficient to the goal of understanding the ongoing changes to our oceans and their fisheries. FM Councils are responsible for using the relevant data to regulate fishing harvests on account of the noticeable species' stock level or population declines whether those declines are related to harvesting practices or global warming.

May I suggest 2 things: [before the Greenhouse Gas "Cap and Trade" Bill gets through the Senate] 1. Email your Senator and insist that a portion [$2M] of the new annual federal revenue from "Cap and Trade" must go to our oceans in the form of grants for independent marine biological research and education and a cash award to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game sufficient to the expense of three new technicians for data collection, one new marine biologist and one new program manager for up to three years for the study and research of pollack and its relationship to other species stock levels and population levels in the GOA, Aleutian Islands and Southeast Alaska, and 2. Buy non-trawl caught Alaskan seafood from Otolith.

Seafood Facts: Where does the money go?

2009-06-10T13:48:00.021-04:00

Having spent years talking to seafood consumers, fishermen, and even fishery management professionals about the market for sustainable seafood and Otolith's place in it, we are now starting a bi-weekly blog as another venue to discuss these issues.
We, at Otolith, are eager to learn more about our consumers and their interest in seafood blog sites . . . Send comments! Write us with your concerns about the seafood industry, its responsibility to the environment, its market! Ask us how the industry operates, how we vet our fisheries, or how to make sustainable mang-salmon poi!
TODAY'S TOPIC: Where does the money go?Individuals who work and make their living from sustainable seafood resources must be able to generate an adequate income, and it is apparent that the costs of managing our farmed and wild seafood for long term sustainable yield and healthfulness are more than the consumer and harvester can bear under the models of employed by the seafood corporations that exist today. The questions then becomes: How do we make managers and CEOs of profitable seafood corporations responsible for their share of the burden of these costs? Or, if that is not possible, how can we enable consumers and harvesters to be able to afford the responsibility if they agree to share it?

Otolith's first suggestion is to allow more efficient sharing of the responsibility between market and harvester through purchasing direct from harvesters or small processors who sell sustainable seafood. Otolith is a brand which promotes the highest quality affordable seafood which meets environmental standards and contributes money per pound toward the costs of fishery management.

This model of enabling sustainable seafood access has only become relevant in recent years. Historically, individuals with interests in seafood corporation entities have held influential positions on the regional fishery management boards responsible for evaluating the expensive data collected to determine the health and prognosis of our many fisheries and oceans. The resulting conflict of interest, which coincided with the seafood industry's attempts to maximize financial benefit through the economies of scale, is finally being addressed in the regulations that govern the regional fishery management councils. Individuals with a conflict of interest are becoming increasingly less powerful; their ability to demonstrate support for the exploitation of resources is reduced to rhetoric as their council voting privileges are restricted.

A limited number of seafood corporations are responsible for determining the dock value of seafood in America and the cost of seafood around the world. The amount of wild seafood being harvested around the world and in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the USA is greater than it has ever been. The associated existing catch levels cannot be sustained. Similarly, the amount of farm raised seafood around the world and in the USA is also greater than it has ever been and it too has an environmental impact which is threatening our planets homeostasis.

Each of our world's largest seafood corporations buys, processes, and distributes seafood which is unsustainable. Only seafood that has measurably better historical harvests and lower contaminant levels under present conditions may be considered "sustainable" by Otolith. Among other things, Otolith evaluates such seafood according to its environmental impact, fishery management effectiveness (or other regulatory management if farmed), and footprint (carbon or otherwise) associated with its distribution (i.e., moving food into and out of markets far from its source).

Otolith's goal is to remain flexible during economic recession, using economies of scale to improve new areas of the seafood industry and rewarding harvesters and small processors who have already achieved results that meet our highest commitment stands.

The continued existence of our world seafood resources requires seafood companies that buy, process, and sell only sustainable seafood. Our education, experience, and professional contacts have put Otolith on a path to learn whether it is possible to support the individuals and habitats necessary to provide the amazing seafood that I love to this generation and the next.

Salmon Mousse Pastries

2009-06-06T12:39:00.004-04:00

Ingredients:
2 cans Sockeye salmon smashed
80z. cream cheese
2 tbs. sour cream
1 tbs. mayonnaise
2 tbs. diced capers
4 tbs. chopped fresh dill
1 lemon juiced and seeded
salt and white pepper to taste
1 [16 0z.] box of puff pastry sheets

Serving Suggestion:
Salmon Mousse Pastries are excellent cold or room temperature. The pastry can be made the day before and stored in a sealed container. The mouse should be made the same day and put into a quart size zip bag until ready to serve by cutting one corner and piping into pastry rounds. Yield: 60 rounds

Mix:
Thaw and use pastry according to package directions. Cut thawed pastry into 1 inch rounds with a cooking cutter and place onto baking sheet. Cook half way and remove pastry from the oven to make a bowl impression into the center if each round. Continue cooking for remaining time. Cool on wire racks and store until ready to fill and serve.
Combine all other ingredients and mix thoroughly until well mixed and fluffy. Fill salmon mousse into a zip bag, seal and store until ready to serve and fill pastry cups. Pipe mousse into pastry using the zip bag.

Cooking Time: Prep - 20 minutes; Cook - 10 to 45 min. depending on the size of baking sheet used

Best of luck to the Walking Fish Theatre! We hope you enjoy Otolith's Salmon Mousse Pastries at your fundraiser event, "Gala Under the Sea."

Smoked Black Cod Rolls

2009-06-06T12:10:00.005-04:00

Ingredients:
rolls -
1 LB smoked black cod, smashed
1/3 head of green cabbage sliced thin
1 carrot grated
3 Tbs. pickled ginger sliced thin
1 pack of small wonton wraps
1 1/2 c. canola or high smoke point oil
white pepper to taste
sauce -
1/2 c. rice wine vinegar
4 tbs. honey
1/4 c. soy sauce
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1 tsp. grated fresh garlic
1/4 tsp. hot red pepper flakes

Serving Suggestion:
Smoked Black Cod Rolls are ideal hors d'oeuvres which can be served warm or room temperature. Make them the day before and warm them in an oven just before serving if preferred. Thin sliced purple cabbage makes a bold and stylish garnish for a serving plate.

Mix:
Combine the smoked black cod, green cabbage, carrot, white pepper and pickled ginger. Following the directions on the wrappers, moisten, stuff with 1 tsp. of the mixture, and wrap to form small egg roll. Repeat until all of the mixture is used. Yield: 50 rolls
Heat oil in deep stock pot on low/medium for 10 minutes until rolls bubble when placed in hot oil. Cook rolls until golden brown on both sides as many at a time as the pot will allow. Place cooked rolls on paper towel to drain excess oil.
Sauce - Combine all ingredients in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 3 minutes on high to combine flavors. Serve with rolls.

Required Time: Prep - 30 minutes; Cook - 30 minutes

This recipe was prepared and donated to the Walking Fish Theatre to support of their 2009 "Gala Under the Sea" fundraising event on June 6th. Thank you for inviting Otolith to participate. Best of luck to the Walking Fish Theatre!

Our Last Sushi Event of the Spring!!!

2009-05-19T17:22:00.009-04:00

On Saturday June 6th, Otolith is hosting a unique lesson event which uses a variety of select Otolith quality sustainable seafood including: King Crab, King Salmon, and Kodiak sea scallops. This extraordinary seafood flight shall be made available to enhance the inner Itamae (sushi chef )-- not to be confused with master sushi chef (Shokunin) -- in you. This is our last sushi event until the fall.
Link to Otolith's favorite sushi rice recipe; go to http://www.sushinow.com/.
To locate Sushi Making 101 on YouTube go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjhGKsfj778

Date: Saturday June 6th

Time: 7-9pm

Location: Otolith Sustainable Seafood;
143 W. Girard Ave. Philadelphia, PA

Cost: $25 + $5 deposit; $35 for walk-ins

Otolith Oyster Shucking Event

2009-05-19T17:15:00.014-04:00

Otolith's most recent oyster shucking event was a great success. We were delighted to have two special guests Casson Trevor and Trevor Corson. Casson is a sustainability expert and has just written a book called "Sustainable Sushi" which can be found at his website http://www.sustainablesushi.net/. In addition to Casson, we also welcomed Trevor Corson who also has written several books including "The Secret Life of Lobsters." Trevor's website can be found at www.trevorcorson.com. We would like to thank them for dropping in, and staying to share this event with us and our other guests.

Otolith Sustainable Seafood at Farm to City

2009-05-19T17:05:00.004-04:00

Please come support your favorite sustainable seafood market, Otolith, at the Farm to City farmer's market on Saturday May 23rd.

Location: Rittenhouse Square Park

Date: Saturday May 23rd.

Time: 12-5pm

www.farmtocity.org

Baked Herb Stuffed Herring:

2009-04-24T11:55:00.011-04:00

Ingredients:
1 lb Otolith Herring, thawed and scaled
2 lemons, quartered length wise
2 bunches of fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, parsley, or oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg, beaten with 3tbs of water or milk
1/2 c. fine bread crumbs on a plate

Serving Suggestion:
Serve one herring per person.
Spring/Summer - serve herring plated with a mixed green salad dressed with lemon and EVOO and fresh croutons with goat cheese and herring roe tapenade.
Winter/Fall - serve herring plated with warm sauteed sweet and sour purple cabbage w/ baby potatoes and accompany this dish with two small herring roe canapes.

Mix: [pre-heat oven to 400 degrees]
Beat the egg and water in a dish large enough to place and moisten a herring. Dust inside the cavity of each herring with pepper and no salt, then stuff each herring with a mixture the two fresh herbs. Holding stuffed herring upside down, squeeze juice of two lemon quarters into each cavity. Dip each stuffed herring quickly into the beaten egg then roll in the bread crumbs and place onto baking sheet. It is better to place herring with the cavity side down on the baking sheet while using the squeezed and quartered lemon wedges to form a base to support herring and keep the stuffing inside. Grind fresh pepper and salt over the top of the breaded herring and bake for 20 minutes.

Required Time: prep - 10 minutes; cook - 20 minutes

On April 26th, I made this great recipe for my family using the 2009 Otolith Best Catch Herring. Baked Stuffed Herring is a visual and gastro delight which is best enjoyed with friends.

Try Otolith's Best Catch Sustainable Herring!

2009-04-24T10:06:00.004-04:00

This seasonal healthful whole fish is available Saturday, April 25th, 2009 for a limited time. $8.00/lb whole fresh/frozen herring 1 lb packs. Enjoy free recipes and celebrate the best in healthful sustainability.

It's no secret our fine scaled fin fish, local shad and river herring, have faced anthropogenic threats since colonial times. Look to Otolith to provide access to successful herring fisheries and healthful seafood.

We strive to exceed your expectation!

Just Like "Squaw Candy" - Smoked Keta Salmon for $15.50/lb

2009-04-16T13:57:00.006-04:00

We love it! This simple and delicious snack or accompaniment to quick and fabulous dinners is now at Otolith Sustainable Seafood. Smoked Keta Salmon is fresh tasting and available in three flavors, traditional, pepper and Cajun. For recipes and creative ways to use smoked salmon go to: http://www.alaskaseafood.org/recipes/search/results.cfm.

Please let us know what you think. Come in and buy some for yourself. Comment online or speak with us at Otolith's fish store.

The ART and PREPARATION of SUSHI: A Sushi Lesson Event for advanced, intermediate and "quick-study" novice

2009-04-16T13:27:00.012-04:00

The highlights of Otolith's May 16th sushi event were the extraordinary taste of Otolith's Spring 2009 King Salmon and unexpected guest, international cyclist Francois Parisien. After his recent competition in the nearly cancelled Philadelphia Annual Professional Bike Race, Francois Parisien rolled sushi with friends and Otolith founders. To learn more about Francois Parisien visit the Planet Energy website:http://cyclesportmanagement.com/team/francois-parisien/.

Link to Otolith's favorite sushi rice recipe; go to http://sushinow.com/, scroll down to "The Recipe".

To locate Sushi Making 101, on YouTube go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjhGKsfj778

Date: 5.16.09

Time: 7pm - 9pm

Location:
Otolith Sustainable Seafood
143 W. Girard Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19123

Contact:
Amanda at 215.426.4266 or
amanda@otolithonline.com

Price:
$28/person with reservation and $7 deposit
$35/person for walk-ins

Kids Can Cook Sustainable Seafood: A Children's Lesson Event

2009-04-06T15:48:00.009-04:00

On April 18th, 2009 Otolith is hosting an event to inspire and build confience in enthusiastic young chefs. Otolith shall make its premium sustainable seafood available for the children to use in two simple and delicious kid inspired recipes.

Please join us! This event is for children ages 6 to 10 who are enthusiastic about cooking. All necessary ingredients and instruction are provided for the preparation and service of two healthful sustainable seafood lunch recipes for children. Stay longer and your child can create one-of-a-kind art at The Otolith Fishstamp Workshop for only $10.
Ingredients may contain shellfish, wheat, or nuts. If your child has food allergies, it is your responsibility to discuss your concerns before registering for this event.
For more information, email inquiries@otolithonline.com.

Date: 4.18.09 and 5.9.09

Time: 11:30am - 1pm for "Kids Can Cook"; 1pm - 2pm for "The Fishstamping Workshop"

Location:Otolith Sustainable Seafood

143 W. Girard Avenue (between Front & 2nd)

Philadelphia, PA 19123

Contact:

Amanda at 215.426.4266 or amanda@otolithonline.com

Price: $15 for "Kids Can Cook"; $10 for "Fishstamping Workshop" to follow

all major cc accepted

Mike's Spring-Harvest Halibut Coulis

2009-04-01T15:57:00.007-04:00

Ingredients:
1 tsp unsalted butter
2 Tbs EVOO
2 Tbs minced onion
2 Tbs minced garlic
1/2 c. small cauliflower florets
1 large yellow pepper diced and seeded
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp tarragon
12 oz. warm chicken broth [one small can]
1 lb. cooked portioned fish filet of sustainable Halibut or Pacific Cod

Serving Suggestion:
Winter/Fall - serve coulis plated with seasonal Otolith Pacific Cod on top and serve with a hearty seasonal accompaniment such as roasted beets with balsamic and olive oil dressing or sauteed Brussels sprouts with olive oil and bacon.
Spring/Summer - serve coulis plated with seasonal Otolith Halibut on top and serve with a salad of mixed coarsely chopped fresh vegetables and herbs, such as watercress, Boston bib, garlic, baby cucumber, carrots and chopped carrot tops, in a light lemon and olive oil dressing.

Mix:
First - combine onion, garlic, pepper, cauliflower, butter and EVOO in a warm heavy skillet and saute until tender and wilted, not brown.
Next - Pour contents of skillet and remaining ingredients into blender and blend until smooth, about 3-5 minutes. Do not strain. Serve under portioned fillets of seasonal fish. Yum!

Required Time: prep - 10 minutes; cook - 12 minutes

This recipe courtesy of Michael Desmond. Thanks so much! We loved the sample you made for us. We hope you will join us for Halibut Carpaccio Lesson Event coming in May to Otolith.

The ART and PREPARATION of SUSHI: A Sushi Lesson Event for advanced, intermediate and "quick-study" novice

2009-03-31T10:58:00.009-04:00

It was great that you could join us on Saturday April 4th, 2009 for Otolith's most challenging lesson event yet. This extraordinary seafood flight was made available to enhance the inner Itamae (sushi chef ) in you. I hope you enjoyed the opportunity to express your creativity, personality and appreciation for premium responsible harvest Otolith seafood.

This event also included: an introduction to the three primary focuses of an Itamae, 2 glasses of warm Sake and a souvenir bamboo rolling mat. Once you develop the rolling technique you are ready to make and design your own Japanese finger food. Try this at home with your friends!

Link to Otolith's favorite sushi rice recipe; go to http://sushinow.com/, scroll down to "The Recipe".

To locate Sushi Making 101, on YouTube go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjhGKsfj778

Date: 04.04.09

Time: 7pm - 9pm

Location:
Otolith Sustainable Seafood
143 W. Girard Avenue (between Front & 2nd)
Philadelphia, PA 19123

Contact:
Amanda at 215.426.4266 or amanda@otolithonline.com

Price:
$28/person with advance registration and $7 deposit required
$35/person for walk-ins.

In Celebration of Women in History

2009-03-22T14:29:00.016-04:00

Thanks to everyone for stopping by Otolith on Thursday, March 26th, 2009. If you missed this event and are interested in fine teas, call and ask about our selection of very fine tippy teas by Apres. If you want exciting ideas for inexpensive fine hors d’oeuvres made using Otolith sustainable premium seafood and all natural ingredients, we are happy to share our recipes with you.

Photographs from left to right listed with links to a short biography: Marian Anderson, http://www.library.upenn.edu/exhibits/rbm/anderson/, Captain Margaret Corbin, http://www.distinguishedwomen.com/biographies/corbin.html, Golda Meir, http://www.wic.org/bio/gmeir.htm, Frieda Kahlo, http://www.pbs.org/weta/fridakahlo/life/index.html, and Sandra Day O’Connor, http://www.notablebiographies.com/Ni-Pe/O-Connor-Sandra-Day.html

Date: 3.26.09

Time: 2pm - 5pm

Location:

Otolith Sustainable Seafood

143 W. Girard Avenue (between Front & 2nd)

Philadelphia, PA 19123

Price: FREE

The ART and PREPARATION of SUSHI: A Salmon Lovers Sushi Lesson Event

2009-03-08T17:21:00.012-04:00

Thanks to everyone who could join us. On Saturday, March 21st, 2009, Otolith hosted a Sushi Lesson Event to celebrate the very best in high quality salmon featuring Southeast Alaskan troll caught winter King salmon and Noyes Island Smoked Sockeye a.k.a. "Squaw Candy". This exceptional lesson event featured proper instruction for the preparation of two mouthwatering king salmon rolls and one "Philly Style" smoked salmon roll using our area's own Philadelphia Cream Cheese.

If you have great things to say about Otolith's intermediate sushi lesson event using the finest salmon available, please tell a friend. If you want to tell us about your new confidence handling Otolith's premium raw seafood, we are listening. Click to comment.

Link to Otolith's favorite sushi rice recipe; go to http://sushinow.com/, scroll down to "The Recipe".

To locate Sushi Making 101, on YouTube go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjhGKsfj778

Date: 03.21.09

Time: 7pm - 9pm

Location:

Otolith Sustainable Seafood

143 W. Girard Avenue (between Front & 2nd)

Philadelphia, PA 19123

Contact:

Amanda at 215.426.4266 or amanda@otolithonline.com

Price:

$28/person with advance registration; $7 non-refundable deposit required [major c/c accepted].

Event: An Introduction to the Art and Preparation of Sushi - SOLD OUT

2009-02-18T10:35:00.012-05:00

On Saturday, March 7th, Otolith hosted the final winter lesson event for novice Itamae (sushi chefs) or seafood enthusiasts featuring select Otolith quality sustainable seafood including: king crab, king salmon, and sweet pink shrimp. This extraordinary seafood flight was made available to enhance your inner Itamae -- not to be confused with master sushi chef (Shokunin).Thanks to those who could join us! Otolith looks forward to the next Sushi Lesson Event, designed for the slightly experienced Itamae, March 21st, 2009.

Link to Otolith's favorite sushi rice recipe; goto http://sushinow.com/, scroll down to "The Recipe".
To locate Sushi Making 101, on YouTube go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjhGKsfj778

Date: 3.7.09

Time: 7pm - 9pm

Location:
Otolith Sustainable Seafood
143 W. Girard Avenue (between Front & 2nd)
Philadelphia, PA 19123

Contact:
Amanda at 215.426.4266 or amanda@otolithonline.com

Price:
$25/person with advance registration.
$35/person for walk-ins.

Event: Oops! I forgot it's Valentine's Day - SOLD OUT

2009-02-01T12:05:00.014-05:00

On Valentine's Day, February 14th, 2009, Otolith hosted a special lesson event for sushi lovers which used a variety of select Otolith quality sustainable seafood including: Bering sea scallops, king salmon, and sweet pink shrimp. This memorable seafood flight was made available to a select audience of willing and able participants. Otolith's premium sustainable seafood was the perfect accompaniment to our trendy focus on the secrets of great sushi.

In celebration of a love for outstanding sushi, Otolith provided all of the essential ingredients for the preparation of three individually created sushi rolls. This event included: an introduction to the three primary focuses of an Itamae, 2 glasses of warm Sake, traditional seaweed salad, warm green tea, mochi ice cream and a souvenir bamboo rolling mat. Once developed, the rolling technique may provide a lifetime of value creating your own Japanese finger food. Chopsticks optional!

Link to Otolith's favorite sushi rice recipe; goto http://sushinow.com/, scroll down to "The Recipe".

To locate Sushi Making 101, on YouTube go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjhGKsfj778

Date: 2/14/09

Time: 7pm - 9pm

Location:
Otolith Sustainable Seafood143 W. Girard Avenue (between Front & 2nd)Philadelphia, PA 19123
Contact:
Amanda at 215.426.4266 or amanda@otolithonline.com

Price:
$25/person with advance registration.
$35/person for walk-ins.

Recipe: How to Eat Halibut for Breakfast - a simple delicacy for left-over cooked halibut

2009-02-01T11:56:00.007-05:00

Makes spread/dip for 2-3 large slices of hearty bread

Ingredients:
4oz left-over cooked boneless/skinless halibut - mashed with a fork
2tsp real mayonnaise
1tsp finely diced pickle or relish
1/2tsp spicy mustard
1/2tsp fresh lemon juice
1/8 tsp Hungarian or smoked paprika [optional]
1/8 tsp of cayenne pepper [optional]
1/8 tsp cumin [optional]
salt and pepper to taste

Serving Suggestion:
Winter/Fall - serve Breakfast Halibut open-faced sandwiches using thick slices of multi grain bread with a side of pear or apple
Spring/Summer - serve Breakfast Halibut open-faced sandwiches on Tuscan toast points topped with thinly sliced edible lemon round [cut lemon using mandolin for paper thin edible slices] and garnish with fresh dill and a side of seasonal berries

Mix:
Combine all above ingredients until everything is incorporated and chill until ready to serve. Spread evenly on three slices of toasted bread making sure to use all of the spread. Garnish and serve for an invigorating and healthful breakfast suitable for special occasions or active days when quality of nutrients counts most.

Required Time: 10 minutes [including 3 minutes to toast bread slices]

Recommended:
Allow Breakfast Halibut spread to chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before serving to fully combine the flavors of each ingredient.

Recipe: Don't Forget the Salmon Dip - or the crackers

2008-12-30T09:18:00.012-05:00

Makes spead/dip for 9oz of crackers

Ingredients:
7.5oz can Sockeye Salmon, for more calcium and minerals use the bones and skin too!
8oz softened cream cheese
3 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper or hot red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste
1 dash of worstershire or liquid smoke [optional]
1/8 tsp smoked paprika [reserved]

Substitution:
One ounze of Bitter Sweet Herb Farm seasoning packet may be used in place of fresh herbs, seasonings and spices. Add BHF pack to salmon, cream cheese and lemon for quick easy ready dip.

Serving Suggestion:
Winter/Fall - serve salmon spread/dip in a glass dish alongside tablewater or seasame crackers; garnish with leftover dill or lemon slices and lightly dust dip with smoked or plain paprika. Use dip knives for clean and convenient self service.
Spring/Summer - serve salmon spread/dip on toast points or mini sandwiches with the crust removed and garnish with leftover dill; lightly dust mini sandwiches with smoked or plain paprika.

Mix:
Combine all above ingredients except salmon and reserved paprika. Once cream cheese and seasonings are combined, drain sockeye salmon and incorporate into the dip. Transfer dip to a clean serving dish or bowl. Arrange garnish and sprinkle with a dash of paprika.

Required Time: 10 minutes [allow 20 minutes for cream cheese to soften]

Recommended:
Allow salmon dip to chill in the refridgerator for 30 minutes before serving to fully combine the flavors of each incredient.

Event: The Art and Preparation of Sushi - SOLD OUT

2008-12-30T08:58:00.012-05:00

On Saturday, January 31st, Otolith hosted the unique lesson event which used a variety of select Otolith quality sustainable seafood including: king salmon, Bering sea scallops, and sweet pink shrimp. This extraordinary seafood flight delighted and enhanced the inner Itamae (sushi chef )-- not to be confused with master sushi chef (Shokunin) -- for 20 lucky guests.
Thanks to everyone who participated for making this night a success. Otolith is proud to provide access to the delicious array of sustainable seafood included in our events. We know you enjoyed your three individually created reverse rice with nori inside sushi rolls. This event welcomed individuals of many interests and ages.

Link to Otolith's favorite sushi rice recipe; goto http://sushinow.com/, scroll down to "The Recipe".

To locate Sushi Making 101, on YouTube go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjhGKsfj778

Date: 01.31.09

Time: 7pm - 9pm

Location:
Otolith Sustainable Seafood143 W. Girard Avenue (between Front & 2nd)Philadelphia, PA 19123
Contact:
Amanda at 215.426.4266 or amanda@otolithonline.com

Price:
$18/person with advance registration.
$21/person for walk-ins [SOLD OUT]

Recipe: Baked or Fried Salmon Burger

2008-12-16T14:29:00.018-05:00

Makes 3-4 Sockeye Salmon Burgers

Ingredients:
7.5oz can Sockeye Salmon, bones and skin too!
1 small purple onion, diced fine [1/4 cup]
1 small bell pepper, any color diced fine [1/4 cup]
1 medium egg
4oz of firm tofu, crumbled
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley or dill
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste
1 dash of worstershire [optional]

Serving Suggestion:
Winter/Fall - serve burgers over baby spinach with balsamic and olive oil dressing, and use extra onions and peppers to toss with boiled baby potatoes and mayonaise or lemon/olive oil dressing with salt.
Spring/Summer - serve on buns with lettuce and tomato

Mix:
Combine all above ingredients except panko crumbs and mix well with hands or spoon. Form mix into 3-4 burgers depending on serving suggestion choice. Make four burgers in winter if not using buns. Roll burgers in panko crumbs and gently bake on metal baking pan or oven safe skillet for 12 minutes at 350 degrees or fry on stove top in lightly oiled pan for 5 minuted per side on med/high heat until golden. Be careful not to burn panko coating.

Required Time: 30 minutes

Event: Pickling Salmon Lesson Event

2008-11-30T11:11:00.008-05:00

On Saturday December 20th, Otolith is hosting a seasonal lesson event which uses the choicest salmon of the fall harvest and preserves its delicate flavor and essential nutrients using the time honored technique of pickling. Otolith's own special recipe reflects both Scandinavian and Jewish recipes while combining the more than ten years of pickling experience of Otolith's owners Murat and Amanda to account for the sophisticated adaptation which makes the resulting salmon a contemporary delicacy using quality sustainable salmon.

Please join us. Pickled salmon makes a wonderful New Year's Day healthful treat or host/hostess gift for welcoming in the New Year. Otolith shall provide you with all of the essential ingredients for the preparation of your individually prepared 8oz of pickled salmon, Net Wt. 16oz. This event also includes: an introduction to filleting fish, making a brine, 1 Mason Jar, all ingredients and tools necessary for perfected pickled salmon, and a fun holiday night to remember. Once you assist the group in preparing the pickling brine you can begin to fill your jar and seal it up!

Date: 12.20.08

Time: 7pm - 8:15pm

Location:
Otolith Sustainable Seafood
143 W. Girard Avenue (between Front & 2nd)
Philadelphia, PA 19123

Contact:
Amanda at 215.426.4266 or mailto:inquiries@otolithonline.com

Price:
$12/person with advance registration.
$15/person for walk-ins.

Event: The Art and Preparation of Sushi

2008-11-30T11:10:00.013-05:00

Thanks to everyone who attended this event! To locate Sushi Making 101, on YouTube go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjhGKsfj778.
For perfect rice recipe goto: http://sushinow.com/rice.htm [scroll down].
Please leave a comment to share your experience with others. - Amanda, Otolith Sustainable Seafood

Otolith hosted a unique lesson event which used a variety of select Otolith quality sustainable seafood including: king crab, king salmon, and sweet pink shrimp. This extraordinary seafood flight shall be made available to enhance the inner Itamae (sushi chef) -- not to be confused with master sushi chef (Shokunin) -- in you.

Please join us. Otolith shall provide you with all of the essential ingredients for the preparation of three individually created sushi rolls. This event also includes: an introduction to the three primary focuses of an Itamae, 2 glasses of warm Sake and a souvenir bamboo rolling mat. Once you develop the rolling technique you will be ready to make and design your own Japanese finger food. Chopsticks optional!

Date: 12.13.08

Time: 7pm - 8pm

Location:
Otolith Sustainable Seafood
143 W. Girard Avenue (between Front & 2nd)
Philadelphia, PA 19123

Contact:
Amanda at 215.426.4266 or amanda@otolithonline.com

Price:
$15/person with advance registration.
$18/person for walk-ins.

Event: Hands-On Oyster Shuck

2008-11-29T17:37:00.007-05:00

Oysters! Champagne! Shucking knives! Need we say more?

Date: 10.25.08

Time: 7pm - 8pm

Location:
Otolith Sustainable Seafood
143 W.Girard Avenue (between Front and 2nd)
Philadelphia, PA 19123

Contact: Amanda at 215.426.4266 or amanda@otolithonline.com

Price:
$35/person with advance registration.

Event: The Art & Preparation of Sushi

2008-11-27T14:17:00.029-05:00

On Tuesday November 22nd, Otolith is hosting a unique lesson event which uses a variety of select Otolith quality sustainable seafood including: king crab, king salmon, and sweet pink shrimp. This extraordinary seafood flight shall be made available to enhance the inner Itamae (sushi chef )-- not to be confused with master sushi chef (Shokunin) -- in you.

Date: 11.22.08

Time: 7pm - 8pm

Location:
Otolith Sustainable Seafood
143 W. Girard Avenue (between Front & 2nd)
Philadelphia, PA 19123

Contact:
Amanda at 215.426.4266 or amanda@otolithonline.com

Price:
$15/person with advance registration.
$18/person for walk-ins.

Free Event: Pickled Salmon Tasting

2008-11-27T11:53:00.006-05:00

Picked salmon is here! Come sample (and buy) our sustainable pickled salmon -- made from a secret family recipe, less sweet than others of its kind. Makes an awesome snack!

Date: 11.18.08

Time: All day!

Location:
Otolith Sustainable Seafood
143 W, Girard Avenue (between Front & 2nd)
Philadelphia, PA 19123

Contact: Amanda at 215.426.4266 or amanda@otolithonline.com

Price:
Free for the tasting!
$8/jar