Sea Bass . . . is that OK?

Yes, it's OK, as long as it is certified "legally caught." And Whole Foods promised me that this Chilean Sea Bass was 100% wholesome and consumer-conscious friendly. And I trust Whole Foods--so far. Nonetheless, it got me wondering: what is all this sea bass hubbub? Which in turn got me wondering: am I spelling "hubbub" correctly?

Setting aside the second question, I turned to the obvious source of information for all things food related: the U.S. State Department. They have a nice page of frequently asked questions related to the sea bass. For instance, did you know that Chilean Sea Bass is neither a bass, nor always Chilean? Talk amongst yourselves.

Secondly, did you know that the Chilean Sea Bass can sometimes live for 50 years? Now, even if it isn't endangered, which it isn't, that fact makes me feel a bit bad for eating it. I prefer the animals I eat to have shorter lifespans (although, the reason I feel guilty about eating veal is the shortness of its lifespan, so the logic doesn't really hold). It just seems sort of strange to munch on something with 50 years worth of memories. On the other hand, without having done any research, I feel safe in saying that fish don't have tremendously good memories. And living for 50 years without any memory of what happened beyond last week? Miserable existence, I say. I did this damn fish a favor, if you ask me.

Really though, it was a fairly delicious meal, and something I whipped up sort of spur-of-the-moment-like. SIMPLE. I minced some shallots, which I'm finding are as versatile as Gary Oldman. In fact, they are the Gary Oldman of the vegetable world. Anyhow, I minced them and sauteed them in butter and a bit of white wine (fairly standard, eh?) but then added a few spoonfuls of real maple syrup. Not too much...just enough to give it a slight sweetness. This was the glaze for the fish, which was simply sauteed in butter and a bit of olive oil. The fish itself had a nice texture--firm, but not rubbery, like Monkfish so often is.

In other news...

I moved to a new part of D.C., known as Mt. Pleasant, so the grand old kitchen (with its 6-burner Viking Range) is no longer mine for the using. Nonetheless, I am living with three very cool people who all cook and appreciate good food, so I'm excited about the coming year.

Also, Kitchen Monkey's sister-in-law has a new food blog, which is simply awesome. However, it is in French. This is possibly the result of her being French. Don't read the French so well? You can still check out the pictures, which are lovely.

Also, I am no longer apologizing for not posting more often. I've done it so many times, and in any case, I've gone so long since posting that I'm not sure if I have any readers left! If I do, then you have my apologies for not posting more often, whoever you are. Mom?

Cheers
-KM