Here we are at the end of the first month in this new year, which begs the big question, How’re you doing on your resolutions? Did you know the #1 new year resolution that people made was to eat healthier? I read that somewhere so don’t quote me on it but I’m not surprised. I think we all want to get healthier don’t we? One trick to get there is to know what you eat and that means reading labels. A pain in the ass maybe, but worth it in the end (especially for your ass!)

Here’s a really simple example of why reading labels are important.

Here we have two jams, one regular and one sugar free. Right off the bat which one do you think is the best choice?

Bet you chose the sugar free one, right? I think those advertisers do a great job convincing us anything with the word “Free” in it is the way to go. But here’s why this is bogus:

1. Colour
If it’s possible to look at the products, compare them with your eyes right off the bat. You can see the difference in the colour. The sugar free one is nearly neon in color! I don’t think that’s natural, is it?

2. Labels
Comparing the two labels on the front, the 365 brand (Whole Foods’ line) claims 100% natural, 100% fruit and the Smucker’s brand claims sugar free, sweetened with Splenda and has 80% fewer calories than regular preserves.

Comparing the back labels, well take a look for yourselves:

Though the 365 brand does has more calories, it seems to be more natural with only 3 ingredients, white grape juice concentrate, strawberries and fruit pectin, and it contains no preservatives, artificial colours or flavours. Smucker’s has a whopping twelve ingredients including preservatives and Red 40 (added for colour?), which is apparently not found in regular preserves according to the label. Hmmm….I’d gladly eat a few more cals for natural ingredients vs. all that fake stuff.

3. Taste
I guess you’ll just have to trust me on this one unless you want to do your own taste test but the sugar free tastes like it’s colour–bland with a bit of the sweetener’s aftertaste.

I’ve done this same label review for ice cream, too. Which one do you think hit the spot?

Did anyone catch last night’s Top Chef? You’d think I’d be all cheffed-out by the end of a long day of cooking but this season is, I think, one of the best yet. It’s chock full of talented chefs as well as providing some excellent messages, such as last night’s episode. The guest judge was Rick Moonen, owner of RM Seafood located in The Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. If you don’t know who this guy is, make note because he is what many of us chefs aspire to do: passionately cook sustainable food. In this case, Rick’s passion lies in seafood. As stated on his website, “Passionate doesn’t even begin to describe how Rick feels about the importance of buying, selling and serving seafood that only comes from abundant wild populations or has been caught or farmed in a sustainable manner.” He doesn’t just talk the talk, he puts his commitment to this cause on the menu refusing to sell favorites like Chilean Sea Bass, Japanese Hamachi, Monkfish and Grouper because of their dwindling populations. Kudos to Top Chef for highlighting Rick and his mission though they could still learn more lessons from him. It used to piss me off when I’d see contestants buying Chilean Sea Bass from Whole Foods (bad on you WF for selling it!) NOTE: As of today 10/28/09 a comment from Stephen informed me Wholefoods are now re-introducing a sustainably fished Chilean Sea Bass to their stores. Please see his comment below and check the great links he added.
In this day and age Top Chef needs to get on board in many areas (lose the produce plastic bags, promote grass-fed meats, etc). They have a huge audience so they need to take advantage of their influence but that’s another post!

Before I knew much about Rick, I had the pleasure of dining in his restaurant. It probably marks as THE best dining experience I’ve ever had. As you can imagine, I can be a bit picky when it comes to eating out, but this upscale eatery was spot on from start to finish. The Missus and I were enjoying our first anniversary (before we tied the knot—must be an American thing but I wasn’t complaining about taking a trip to Vegas!) so we booked a romantic table at RM not knowing much about it. I think it was referred to us since we both love seafood. We sat upstairs dressed to the nines in a not-so-crowded room. Not sure why it was so quiet that night but the service certainly didn’t lack in spite of. Right off the bat we were well impressed because they changed the Missus’ white napkin to a black napkin so she wouldn’t get the white fluff on her black dress. Something that simple made a huge impression on us (the saying is true–it’s the little things that count). I’m pretty sure each of us ordered a tasting menu, which was the business. Then we got a tour of the kitchen. Through the sliding glass doors we went into the spectacular kitchen. What a great night!

I can definitely appreciate Rick’s passion here and commend him for sticking to his guns and giving like minded peeps a place to eat, conscientiously.

It’s never been easier to find out what fish are considered sustainable. Nearly a year ago I wrote a post called “Phone for Fish” which was about using your cell phone to find eco-safe fish via texting, providing instant sustainability info when you need it. Not only does Blue Ocean Institute provide this service, they also have a great website dedicated to increasing consumer understanding in order to drive demand for sustainable seafood. I often reference my seafood guide while shopping or out eating sushi (they will send you a free copy in the post or you can download it). That way I am not only buying sustainable seafood, I’m using my recipes here to show you which seafood to use. I also reference the Environmental Defense Fund’s Seafood Selector website, which is more of the same, and thanks to Rick’s site I’ve discovered more useful links, including Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch regional guides, which contain the latest information on sustainable seafood choices available in different regions of the U.S. (I’ve put all these links under the Links section of this site and even posted a widget for fast reference.)

If you live outside the US and have links to regional sites like these please leave a comment with the info. Let’s help each other around the world to make better sustainable choices!

PS–Cheers to Price Albert of Monaco for being the first territory in the world to ban Bluefin tuna, taking this regional favorite off the menus and banning their sales in Monaco’s shops and restaurants. I think a little more research is in order just to verify that this is indeed true so I’m accepting all donations to get my arse over there!

The first time I had Miso was in soup at a sushi bar, which I’m sure is the case for a bunch of you guys. Then a few months later I ordered the miso-marinated cod, which is usually an appetizer at most sushi restaurants and I was blown away by how good it tasted. I knew I wanted to recreate the dish but in more healthy way because typically this marinade is made with sugar and several ounces of mirin, which has a high sugar content. So I hit up the kitchen to make a better alternative without using mirin or granulated sugar. I’m delighted with the outcome.

Recipe:
Serves 2

2 x 4-5 oz Black cod (Sablefish) or Pacific Cod portions (a.k.a. Alaska cod, grey cod, true cod or treska)
To see more about sustainable fish with links to some great resource sites, click HERE.

Marinade:
2 tbsp light yellow miso paste (you can use white )
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp Agave
pinch white pepper
dash cold water, if needed

DIRECTIONS:

Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl (except water). If the mixture is too thick and paste-like add in the cold water to smooth it out. Ideally you want a pancake batter type consistency.
Taste marinade for sweetness and if you like it a little sweeter add another drizzle of agave. Once done, add fish to miso and coat all sides, Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours but up to 6 if preferred.

Soba noodles are very familiar in Japanese cooking particularly in soups. Soba is a thin noodle made from Buckwheat flour unlike Udon noodles, which are thick and made with wheat flour. Both are used in a similar manner. Here I stir-fried the noodles with some asparagus, snow peas, zucchini and carrot and tossed them with some low-sodium Tamari (soy sauce) and sesame oil.

To cook fish:

Pre-heat broiler to high.
Remove fish from fridge 30 minutes before cooking to let return to room temperature. Lay on foiled oven tray and pop under broiler.
NOTE: Keep an eye on it. With the agave in the marinade the fish will caramelize easily so don’t put it in the broiler and go watch tv. It WILL burn!

Cook for 5-6 minutes until nicely golden on top and fork tender. If it starts to burn or brown too quickly lower the heat on broiler or pop in the oven for a few minutes to finish cooking.

Serve with stir-fried vegetable noodles.

TIP: Don’t have miso? Here’s an alternative idea I found, though I’ve never tried it. I prefer the real deal which you can find at Whole Foods or at most health food or specialty stores.

All recipes are made with the finest quality farmers market whole foods, natural and non-processed ingredients as much as possible.