Should we be worried about stock-market illiquidity?
By Felix Salmon When volatility rises, so do bid-offer spreads. That's entirely natural — volatility means danger, and a higher chance that the market will move against you if you're a market-maker. So you require a bigger spread between your bid and …
Read more on Reuters

On the menu, but not on your plate
Recent studies indicate that between 20 percent and 70 percent or more of snapper, cod, grouper, and wild salmon are mislabeled at restaurants and stores. Oceana, a nonprofit based in Washington, DC, that is campaigning against seafood fraud, …
Read more on Boston.com

If you’ve ever bitten into a perfectly prepared piece of salmon from your local grocer and been disappointed instead of delighted, an Alaska fisherman-turned-seafood-retailer has some insider advice for you.

Shoppers are seeking out fish for their omega-3 fatty acids, which are highly beneficial but quick to spoil. This is why fish ─ especially oil-rich species like salmon ─ are best when frozen within hours of harvest, purchased frozen, and thawed at home. (Vacuum-sealed frozen fish thaws in just 30 minutes when immersed, still in its package, in cold water.)

According to former fisherman Randy Hartnell, fish that’s been frozen soon after harvest usually tastes fresher than “fresh” fish that’s never been frozen. In addition, fish displayed as fresh at supermarket seafood counters suffers the quality-degrading effects of light, air and inconsistent storage temperatures.

“The ‘fresh’ fish in most markets is rarely in the ideal condition that the label implies,” said Hartnell, founder and president of Vital Choice Wild Seafood & Organics, which was profiled in the May issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray. “And while many supermarkets sell previously frozen fish, it may not have been frozen quickly enough post-harvest, and often languishes, thawed, in a display case for hours or days under conditions that foster bacterial growth.”

In contrast, frozen wild seafood from Vital Choice ─ including salmon, tuna, sablefish, shrimp, scallops, and crab ─ is cleaned and flash-frozen within hours of harvest from Alaskan and North Pacific waters. Their fish stays frozen solid as it travels to customers vacuum-sealed on dry ice (at -10?F or colder), thereby preserving its fresh-caught flavor and quality. This allows people to buy affordably in bulk, and select stellar-quality seafood from their freezers for months.

“Consumers who buy thawed, previously frozen seafood at the local supermarket rarely get top-quality fish, and have to cook it almost immediately,” Hartnell said. “The way we process and pack our products eliminates the risk of a ruined or inferior fish dinner.”

For more information on Vital Choice, please visit http://www.vitalchoice.com.

To try some of their wild seafood at an introductory discount, use the promo code VCFISH509 to save 10% on your first Vital Choice order through May 31, 2009. Orders must include $ 60 of frozen goods, and require creation of an account. Orders of $ 99 or more ship free, and all orders are 100% guaranteed.

About Vital Choice Wild Seafood & Organics

Before founding Vital Choice in 2001, Northwest Washington native Randy Hartnell spent more than 20 years as a commercial fisherman in Alaska. Today, Vital Choice is a trusted source for fast home delivery of the world’s finest wild Alaskan seafood and organic fare. Vital Choice foods are among the purest available, and are sustainably harvested from healthy, well-managed organic farms and wild fisheries. The company’s products are recognized for their superior taste and health benefits, and are endorsed by leading health and wellness experts, including physicians specializing in nutrition, pediatrics, and integrative health care.

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Smart Cooks Look To Smoked Salmon For Easy Meals
Irish folk hero Finn McCool, or Fionn mac Cumhaill, may have acquired his gift of wisdom from a salmon, but smart cooks know they can always rely on the rich flavor of smoked salmon for a quick, delicious end-of-summer meal. For these three dishes, buy …
Read more on Irish Echo

Which Type of Salmon Should I Buy?
By Nicole German (RD) on Sep 2, 2011 in Food When I am standing in line at the seafood department at the grocery store, I get so confused about which type of salmon to buy. I know I need to get wild Alaskan salmon, but aside from that I am lost. …
Read more on Diet Blog (blog)

Fish stocks around the globe are dwindling. More than 1.000 fish species are included in the IUCN Redlist of endangered species. Among these, North Atlantic cod and salmon, swordfish, most species of sharks and rays, sturgeon and Bluefin tuna. 30% of the stocks are either depleted or overexploited and at least 20% are data deficient.

FRIEND OF THE SEA, a project for certification and promotion of sustainable seafood, allows now almost anybody around the world to obtain real-time seafood environmental status information, before purchase.

Whether at a restaurant, reading the Menu, or in a supermarket or local fish market, it is enough to send an SMS with the marine species name (e.g.: cod, salmon, gadus morhua) and the system will reply immediately with a comprehensive description of most recent stock assessment and fishing method impact and selectivity. If the product is from a sustainable fishery, the system will reply that it?s a Good Choice. If the fishery is unsustainable, the stock is depleted or on the IUCN Redlist of endangered species, the system will notify about the conservation concerns. (Friend of the Sea SMS system: US: 90430; UK: 07781489880 – standard mobile phone SMS charges apply)

FRIEND OF THE SEA is a main certification scheme for products from sustainable fisheries and aquaculture. It is the only scheme in the world covering both wild caught and farmed seafood (offshore or inland), providing a unified logo for all certified seafood products.

Fisheries conform and are approved if the stock is neither depleted, nor overexploited nor data deficient and if the fishing method generates less than 8% discards (the average worldwide) and has no impact on the seabed.

FRIEND OF THE SEA has encountered a strong market response and in only 2 years since it launch, Carrefour, Coop and Iper markets around Europe have joined and assessed all their private label products. Both fresh, frozen and canned products are already on the European, US and African markets with the logo. Among these, organic salmon, halibut and cod farmed in the Shetland Islands; tuna fished pole an line in the Azores; Mediterranean anchovies, Atlantic sardines and Mackerels fished by purse seiners; turbot farmed in Northern Spain; Italian Caviar from farmed sturgeon and many others.

?At the current rate of expansion, we expect in 2008 to become the main international certification scheme for sustainable seafood.? affirms Dr. Paolo Bray, director of FRIEND OF THE SEA. ?Key success factors are the simple and clearer message, the strictest approval criteria, the lower cost, and the non profit, industry independent soul of our mission.?

Contact:

Paolo Bray – Director

Tel: +39.348.5650306

http://www.friendofthesea.org

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Sockeye salmon is having blue black backs; silver eye and white bellies. Its average size is 9 pounds and has 5 years of age. Its flesh is ruby red in color and is most sought in Alaska because of its amazing flavor and color. There are number of stages to the life cycle of sockeye salmon eggs alevins, fry smelt adult spawning salmon. You should know which kind of salmon appeals you and fits better with the recipes you like to make. Go a local seafood market and buy Alaskan sockeye salmon. For salads red salmon makes a great looks on the plate. Choose wild salmon from the icy waters of Alaska for the best taste and texture.

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Sockeye salmon is having varieties of ways by which you can prepare it. You can serve it either hot or cold as well. It tastes delicious, with slight seasoning or when mixed in a savory sauce.

Canned and frozen salmon taste great but when it cooked right.

The salmon can be eaten through at any meal time, include your breakfast taken with egg, in lunch time with fresh green salad or dinner time you can take it alone. Sockeye Salmon is available worldwide and can be purchased online fresh, frozen.

5there are number of ways to cook salmon. When you get home bathe your fish with lemon juice. Basically drizzle lemon juice over it. Preheat it over 350 degree with a Pyrex glass baking dish already inside it. Use butter or a bit of vegetable oil and pinch of pepper or salt with a dried herb of your taste. When the oven is preheated remove the dish. Place salmon cuts on heated glass that will help you to seal the juices. Place it in the oven and cook for 25 minutes. Now the fish is cooked well it is turned into pink color. It looks pink when you serve it well. There are number of ways by which you can cook Alaskan sockeye salmon, but try this one also.

The sign in the grocer?s case says ?wild salmon? and the high price tag certainly makes the case. But even in the height of the wild salmon season, how do you know you?re getting the real thing? Unfortunately, you don?t.

That?s what led E.J. Gong, a lifelong fisherman and owner of a wholesale salmon business to start Choice Salmon (http://www.ChoiceSalmon.com), the first Internet site to sell nothing but fresh wild salmon direct to your door overnight.

?It?s disturbing that so many people are getting duped,? said Gong, 40, who worked as a newspaper reporter at the Los Angeles Times and The Seattle Times and as a columnist for ABCNews.com before starting his wholesale seafood business four years ago. ?Then it struck me: The only way to make sure people get fresh wild salmon is to send it to them directly ? overnight.?

As news about the benefits of wild salmon and the concern about farmed salmon has increased, so has fraud. Last summer, The New York Times paid an independent laboratory to test ?wild? salmon in New York City markets. Three-fourths of the stores had fraudulently labeled farmed salmon as wild, charging up to six times more than what it was worth. Farmed salmon can have high levels of PCBs, dyes and antibiotics. A chef in the story called buying authentic wild salmon ?a crapshoot?.

Fish farming can also harm the environment and threaten wild stocks. In fact, Seafood Watch at California?s Monterey Bay Aquarium advises consumers to avoid all farm-raised Atlantic salmon. In contrast, wild Alaskan salmon stocks are highly regulated, making it a model of sustainability around the world.

Salmon is an excellent protein source and loaded with healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Clinical studies have shown omega-3s to be beneficial to the hearts of healthy people and even of those at high risk of cardiovascular disease. They are also critical to brain function. Best of all, wild salmon tastes delicious, and it?s easy to prepare.

At ChoiceSalmon.com, consumers can select two, three or five pounds of wild salmon. Prices are competitive with markets around the country. All of the fish is sent the next day to consumers? homes or offices via FedEx. A clock on the homepage lets consumers know when their fish will be sent. In contrast, the fish at seafood markets and stores typically spend days in totes being flown from wholesaler to wholesaler before ending up in the case.

ChoiceSalmon.com features cooking tips, recipes and comments from well-known chefs. Gong, who has been cooking and eating salmon for decades, knows how much quality matters.

?When wild salmon is fresh, there?s really nothing better in the world,? he says.

For more information: http://www.ChoiceSalmon.com

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First a few words about salmon and the quality of your food. Most people have heard that oily fish, such as salmon, contains large amounts of healthy omega 3 fatty acids. What some people fail to realize is that only holds true for wild salmon. Farmed salmon are quite different. Basically, the wild salmon eat a species appropriate diet of seafood and algae. This is how they are meant to eat, and the astaxanthin which is naturally occurring in their food supply is what gives salmon their deep red color. Wild salmon get a great deal of exercise, and exercise promotes good health in fish just as it does in people. These natural fish are an amazing source of nutrition. Unfortunately, farmed fish are not just the same thing grown within a cage.

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It is difficult to say exactly what farmed salmon eat, since the specific diet varies from fish farm to fish farm. But many salmon farms feed their fish things like grains and chicken parts. A very far cry from what nature intended. These salmon would be gray due to their diet if it weren’t for dyes either added to their food pellets or to the end product. Most salmon farms tightly cram the fish into overcrowded pens, making exercise an impossibility. These farmed fish bear little resemblance to their wild counterparts. In the end, don’t you think your health is worth paying a little bit extra for the real thing?

4 four ounce boneless wild salmon filets

1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons of fresh thyme, chopped

1/4 teaspoon of sea salt

1/4 teaspoon of black pepper

Heat your toaster oven to 450 degrees F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the salmon filets on it, skin side down.

In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, thyme, sea salt and pepper. Stir well. Spread this mixture evenly over the four salmon filets.

Bake on the top rack in your toaster oven for 4 to 8 minutes, depending on the degree of doneness desired. I like my salmon medium-rare, this takes 5 minutes. If rare fish disturbs you, leave it in until the fish flakes apart easily with a fork, about 8 minutes.

Ideally, you will want a toaster oven with a temperature range that goes up to 450 degrees F and has enough room for four pieces of fish. For more information on finding the best toaster oven for salmon and so much more, visit Toaster Oven Reviews. You’ll find thousands of reviews, a helpful buying guide and free toaster oven recipes.

The online resource for information on purchasing, preparing and cooking Norwegian salmon at home, SalmonInSeconds.com, has launched a blog for the site?s how-to video series personality, Nicole Straight. Nicole?s blog on SalmonInSeconds.com will provide tips, recipes and how-to videos from the perspective of a private chef, cooking instructor, author, and a busy mom. Her passion is helping parents and busy people enjoy cooking fast, healthy meals.

As a brand ambassador for Norwegian Seafood, Nicole educates others about the simplicity and versatility of salmon, as well as the Norwegian difference. In March 2010, she traveled to Norway and witnessed firsthand the quality standards of Norwegian aquaculture, and the pride that the Norwegian salmon farmers take in their craft.

In the videos on SalmonInSeconds.com, Nicole helps the home cook take the guesswork out of buying, preparing, and serving healthy and delicious Norwegian Salmon. Now, with her new blog, she?ll discuss current events and interests as well as answer questions from readers all while providing tips, advice and delicious salmon recipes for every occasion.

Nicole?s blog can be found by clicking on the ?Blog? link on the SalmonInSeconds.com home page or by going to the direct link at http://www.blog.SalmonInSeconds.com.

The Norwegian Seafood Export Council?s goal for SalmonInSeconds.com and Nicole?s blog is to demystify the preparation and cooking of salmon at home in a fun, healthy and economical way. Visitors can post comments on the site for Nicole and others and instantly share recipes via Facebook, Twitter and other social networking tools.

About the Norwegian Seafood Export Council

Founded in 1991 by the Ministry of Fisheries, the Norwegian Seafood Export Council (NSEC) builds awareness of and educates the public on seafood from Norway. From the headquarters in Tromso, Norway, and a U.S. branch in Boston, Mass., the NSEC carries out Norwegian seafood promotional, media, marketing and public relations campaigns and is a resource for market information in more than 20 different markets. Its entire efforts are financed by the Norwegian seafood industry itself. As the world?s second largest exporter of seafood, Norway provides quality, nutrient-rich seafood to more than 150 different countries, and is the world’s largest joint marketer of seafood. For more information on the NSEC visit http://www.seafoodfromnorway.com.

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I was belike good into my teen years before I realized that tea could be served any other way than laden with sugar and over ice. It was about that same time that I realized some folks would take vegetables that hadn’t been soaked in batter, dredged in cornmeal, and bass fatty fried. Southern cooking is not for the weak of heart though it can cause many hearts to turn weak. One thing that can be stated is that you’ll ne’er find anything else like it on earth.

People in the south larned to do do with little in many instances. Some of the wretched people in America dwell in the southerly part of the country. Of course, you will find that many of these people despite their poverty are likewise among the most generous. The same can be told of food. It’s the one thing that seems to be in copious supply in most southerly homes and very few will twist you off with a vacuous stomach.

Perhaps it’s the seasonings that are oft used when cooking southerly food. From the crab boil and gumbo file of Cajun Cuisine to the hole-and-corner ingredient that nigh every southerly kitchen contains for their fried chicken recipes (and no one on earth can heat chicken like a borne and e southerly grandma). Perhaps it’s the Sunday church dinners where everyone shares a little of what they have with others or the love that goes into readying these meals that are shared with friends and family. Whatever the case may be, if you e’er have the occasion to experience existent southerly cooking, do not crack it up. You might shave a day forth your life, but a full southerly fried chicken leg is genuinely inhabiting and good meriting the sacrifice if you enquire me.

Of course it would be remiss to cite southerly cooking without conveying up some of the more Delicious desserts that appear to be perfection for the south. I adverted banana pudding above but there are so many more. Pralines are an everlasting for those d downwards around New Orleans as is bread pudding. A little to the east there are grandma’s who have taken their lemon icebox pie recipes to the sedate with them so c were these delightful deserts and the same holds truthful for pecan pies as good. We should ne’er bury the flavorful Mississippi Mud cake though, and so many other wonderfully delightful treats that southerly cooking has presented to the world at big.

Favorite vegetables in the heart of the south as I cited above included peas and butterbeans, snarl beans, corn, summer squash (after all, it’s summer all year in the south), and okra (fried or boiled in many southern kitchens). Not all vegetables were deep fried though few were off limits. I remember eating my share of fried okra, fried squash, and yes, fried green tomatoes. Life was good back when calories weren’t counted and no one really worried about clogging arteries. While I wouldn’t make these a daily dish in any household, I certainly would recommend trying them out if you ever find the opportunity.

Another great thing about southern cooking is the wonderful fried seafood that seems to abound. From fried fish (almost any variety works well when it’s southern fried) to fried oysters, seafood just seems to taste so much better in the south. If you are hoping to learn some of the southern cooking and cuisine you will most likely need to order your spices and have them shipped unless your grocery store has a rather extensive ‘exotic’ foods selection. You can sometimes find great southern seasonings on the International food aisles in grocery stores as well. If you want to really treat your family to an outstanding meal, you should really try southern cooking for the night.

Chinese food is mostly regarded to be East Asian food, even though China stretches from across mid-Asia to the Far East. Rice is the most significant staple through most of China. In some regions notwithstanding, noodles are preferred to rice. Most foods are fixed by mincing or cooking, and are cooked in a wok, using very little oil. Traditionally, there are eight chief regional cuisines in China: Anhui, Cantonese, Fujian, Hunan, Jiangsu, Shandong, Sichuan and Zhejiang. The three distinguishable regional cuisines still, are Shanghainese – characterized by hot and spicy chill pepper flavoring, Cantonese – associated with flavorful meat and vegetable combinations, and Mandarin – associated with steamed noodle and covered dumplings.

Since Japan is an island nation, much of its food includes fish and fish-based ingredients. Rice and sliced, salted vegetables are s in Japanese cooking. Soy products such as soya sauce, soya paste and tofu are also used in many Japanese preparations. Japanese cuisine also includes sushi, meats in teriyaki sauce, lightly battered and fried meat and fish, as well as shellfish called tempura. Japanese food is salubrious, tasty and elementary to cook. It is low-fat, low-cholesterol, and good-known for reducing heart-related diseases.

While different parts of India are known for their different cultural backgrounds, they are also known for their different flavors and cuisines. Vegetarian food includes khakra and dhokla from Gujarat, daal-baati-choorma from Rajasthan, the Kashmiri dum-aloo, as well as dosas and kesari bhaat from South India. Non-vegetarian delicacies, especially the tandoori kind, were especially devised for the Nawabs of India. The saffron-flavoured reshmi kebab, and the lime juice and garlic marinated fish tikka functioned as delectable appetizers in combination with the yoghurt-marinated chicken sheek kebab. Tandoori food is the perfect evidence of the richness of India’s cultural diversity and royalty.

Asian recipes were casually shared among the womenfolk in Asia, who generally got together after a long day’s work, to discuss the day’s events. Many of these recipes were guarded as important family secrets and carefully passed down from one generation to another. Thai food is a blend of Chinese, Malay, Indian, Myanmar, Khmer, Laotian and to a lesser extent, Portuguese cuisines. It is a harmonious blend of endemic spices. Malaysian cuisine consists of fish, seafood, vegetables and poultry, though beef is conspicuously absent. It is usually spicier than Chinese food. Indonesian cuisine is also known for its unique blend of cherubic and sour spiciness. Asian cooking has tremendous potential in mod times, as Asian food chains are springing up all over the world very rapidly, and are too enjoying immense popularity.