Fish From Sea to Dinner Table F
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310–732–5800
June 15 – 28, 2012
ACE>> Arts • Cuisine • Entertainment
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by: Gretchen Williams, Cuisine Writer
ish and seafood is the last food industry dependant on wild catch. The whims of nature dictate the fortunes of man as in no other food source save agriculture, in spite of the inroads made in aquaculture, fish farming and ranching. Weather and water temperature make fishing a gamble equal to the odds when betting in Vegas, and dangerous enough to rival coal mining. Fishing takes gut instinct, fearlessness, and sheer physical power. The drive to go to sea and challenge the fishery is deep in the blood, a profession passed down through the generations. And for good reason. A fishing boat used to mean a good living for a family and respect in the community.
Today the old boats are symbols of a way of life gone by, an industry moved elsewhere and good jobs lost. The Los Angeles Harbor was the center of West Coast fishing in the past century, with more than 40 species caught and gathered commercially in the era after World War ll. Today, that variety has dwindled by 90 percent, ravished by pollution, over fishing, off–shore industry and fickle consumer tastes. The commercial fishing slip in San Pedro once boasted so many boats it was possible to walk to Terminal Island on the decks of the assembled vessels. These days, open water and a few idle boats grace the berth. Plans for a new industrial ice house and processing sheds have been shelved. Old warehouses on Terminal Island move empty cans for shipment to support a tuna industry now offshore in Samoa. Diners are caught at a culinary crossroads. Omega -3 fatty acids are invaluable, yet mercury
is hazardous and the entire seafood industry is ecologically suspected. What is a hungry Californian to do when presented with a menu fraught with contradictions? Monterey Bay Aquarium has taken pity on the clueless consumer with a color coded buyer’s guide to seafood, using green, yellow, red to indicate go, slow and stop. Locavores can look for the closest domestic product in calamari and sardines, species still pursued commercially here in Los Angeles. The Santa Barbara Fishermen have gathered together to produce and promote local Santa Barbara County products, from spot prawns to spiny lobster to sea bass and sea urchin. Santa Barbara County mussels are being grown on the legs of the oil drilling rigs in the channel, making good use of the clean water flow and active sea life to support a new industry. Santa Monica Seafood has taken this to a new level, identifying its very green choices for fish and seafood as having the least negative impact on the environment as well as providing the most positive amounts of nutrients. A smartphone app will enable a diner to select an entrée choice, and evaluate it instantly for sustainability and nutrient value. Local restaurateurs have taken fish and seafood choices seriously, making their menus friendly to the sea and the diner. Fourth generation restaurateur Chef Dustin Trani is always aware of the fresh fish available, especially the local swordfish he cold smokes for the legendary carpaccio appetizer at J.Trani’s. Catalina swordfish warriors are almost beyond the ordinary designation of fisherman, engaging in combat with the lance men of the sea for beautiful pale and delicious raw fish. Only limited swordfish consumption is recommended for children and pregnant women. The best that local fishermen have to offer used to be thought of as strictly bait, though these Continued on page 13.