Brain Food

Jake loves fish.  We always tell him that fish is "brain food" and that it will help make his brain stronger.  Well, according to a recent study, we're not telling him a fish story.  It's the truth.

The study (click here for the article that describes it in more detail) shows for the first time a direct correlation between fish consumption, brain structure and risk of Alzheimer's Disease.  People who eat baked or broiled fish at least once a week, put themselves in a much better position to combat mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which often leads to Alzheimer's.

The results showed that people who consumed baked or broiled fish at least one time per week had better preservation of gray matter volume on MRI in brain areas at risk for Alzheimer's disease.

 Fish consumption also leads to an increase in "working memory" and stronger cognitive abilities.  One of the doctors involved in the study says:

Working memory, which allows people to focus on tasks and commit information to short-term memory, is one of the most important cognitive domains.  Working memory is destroyed by Alzheimer's disease. We found higher levels of working memory in people who ate baked or broiled fish on a weekly basis, even when accounting for other factors, such as education, age, gender and physical activity.

Interestingly enough, it is only baked or broiled fish that have these positive effects.  Fried fish, while tasty, doesn't do the trick.

Interested in other ways that seafood can help your health?  Read this blog post.

More Fish

So I've written about the health benefits of seafood.  And I've given you some tips about choosing the best seafood.  So now I'll finish up this seafood theme with some easy and delicious recipes that you can make.  Seafood is not hard to cook--and it's incredibly quick to make.  You only have to be a bit attentive so you don't overcook.

Mark Bittman's Broiled Fish Recipes
courtesty of The New York Times

First, I go back to Mark Bittman, food guru and New York Times food writer.  You may remember a post that I wrote using his universal vegetable soup recipes.  In the same way, Bittman has simplified the cooking of white fish (cod, catfish, halibut, flounder, etc, etc).  He groups his recipes in 4 categories: broiled, sauteed, roasted and poached.  He creates the recipes so the ingredients--including the type of fish and the seasonings--are interchangeable.  Click here for the article.

Since Bittman tackled white fish, I'll give you 2 recipes for some other kinds of seafood.

PAN-SEARED SCALLOPS (serves 4) from America's Test Kitchen
Sea scallops can vary dramatically in size.  A dinner portion, therefore, can range from 4-6 scallops per person.  To ensure that the scallops cook at the same rate, be sure to buy scallops of similar size.  Note that scallops have a small, rough-textured, crescent-shaped muscle that toughens once cooked.  It's easy to remove--simply peel it from the side of each scallop before cooking.

INGREDIENTS

Photo courtesty of America's Test Kitchen

1 1/2 pound large sea scallops (16-24), tendons removed (see note above)
Table salt and ground black pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil

1. Place the scallops on a dish towel-lined plate or baking sheet and season with salt and pepper.  Lay a single layer of paper towels over the scallops; set aside.
2. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil to a 12" skillet and heat over high heat until just smoking.  Meanwhile, press the paper towel flush to the scallops to dry.  Add half of the scallops to the skillet, dry side facing down, and cook until evenly golden, 1-2 minutes.  Using tongs, transfer the scallops, browned side facing up, to a large plate; set aside.  Wipe out the skillet using a wad of paper towels.  Repeat with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and the remaining scallops.  Once the first side is golden, turn the heat to medium, turn the scallops over with tongs, and return the first batch of scallops to the pan, golden side facing up.  Cook until the sides of all the scallops have firmed up and all but the middle third of each scallop is opaque, 30-60 seconds longer.  Serve with your choice of sauce of vinaigrette.

PAN-SEARED SESAME-CRUSTED TUNA STEAKS (serves 4) from America's Test Kitchen
Prepare the sauce before cooking the fish (recipe follows).  Cooking times in this recipe are for tuna steaks cooked to rare and medium-rare.  If you prefer medium, observe the timing for medium-rare, then tent the tuna loosely with foil for 5 minutes before slicing.  If you prefer tuna cooked so rare that it is still cold in the center, try to purchase steaks that are 1 1/2" thick and cook them according to the timing for rare.  Bear in mind that the cooking times are estimates; check for doneness by nicking the fish with a paring knife.  to cook only 2 steaks, use half as many sesame seeds, reduce the amount of oil to 2 teaspoons both on the fish and in the pan, use a 10" nonstick skillet and follow the same cooking times.

INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup sesame seeds
4 (8 ounce) tuna steak, about 1" thick (see note above)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Table salt and ground black pepper
1 recipe Ginger-Soy Sauce with Scallions (see recipe below)

1. Spread the seeds in a shallow baking dish or pie plate.  Pat the tuna steaks dry with a paper towel; use 1 tablespoon of the oil to rub both sides of the steaks, then sprinkle them with salt and pepper.  Press both sides of each steak in the sesame seeds to coat.
2. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a 12" nonstick skillet over high heat until just beginning to smoke and swirl to coat the pan.  Add the steaks and cook 30 seconds without moving them.  Reduce the heat to medium-high and continue to cook until the seeds are golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes.  Using tongs, flip the tuna carefully and cook, without moving them, until golden brown on the second side and the centers register 110 degrees for rare (about 1 1/2 minutes) or 120 degrees for medium-rare (about 3 minutes).  Serve with sauce.

GINGER-SOY SAUCE WITH SCALLIONS (makes about 1 cup)

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 medium scallion, sliced thin
2 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons minced or grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1. Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl, stirring to dissolve sugar.

Gone Fishin' (cont.)

Last week I wrote a bit about the great health benefits of eating fish and other seafood (click here if you didn't read it).  A lot of people, however are intimidated by buying fresh fish.  Follow these tips (many of them common sense) and you'll be just fine.

First, you want to find a reputable dealer.  There are a number of good seafood dealers in our area (Bucks County Seafood in Dublin, Heller's Seafood in Warrington, Captain Bob's in Quakertown just to name a few).  When you step foot in any seafood place you want to use your senses.  Ask yourself:  Does it smell fishy in here?  Does it look clean?  If it does smell fishy or look dirty, head to another market.  Choose a dealer that's busy.  High volume = fresher fish.  Ask the clerk about the freshness of the seafood, like when it was caught.  Ask to see the FDA tag for shellfish that shows when the shellfish was harvested and processed.  Fish markets like informed customers and should be willing to tell you these things.  Also, be sure to bring a cooler with ice packs to transport your seafood home.

Fish should be displayed on a thick bed of fresh ice or well refrigerated.  It should never be sitting in water.  The fish should smell fresh, like the sea--not fishy.  Ask to smell the fish if you want to.  Whole fish should have clear eyes, bright red gills and the flesh should be firm and shiny and should bounce back when pressed lightly (ask the merchant to do this for you).  Fillets should be firm, shiny and bounce back like a whole fish.  There should be no signs of drying, discoloration or mushiness.  Frozen fish fillets are sometimes a good alternative to fresh--especially flounder, sole and some thicker cuts like halibut, snapper, tilapia and salmon.  These are OK if you cook them a little more than medium-rare (frozen fillets can be a little stringy otherwise).  Tuna and swordfish aren't great frozen unless they're flash frozen on the boat.  Never buy frozen fish if the packaging is damaged or there are signs of frost or ice crystals.

Clams, oysters and mussels should never be chosen if they have broken or cracked shells--they must be alive.  If they're open, tap them a few times with another one and they should close.  If not, it's probably not alive.

Crabs and lobsters are also sold alive--and they should be acting that way.  They should have lots of leg movement.  Frozen or pasteurized is a good alternative if you don't want to deal with a live animal.

Always ask if scallops are "dry-packed".  This means that they're not soaked in salt water to keep plump.  If they aren't dry-packed, you probably want to pass on them.  You'll be paying for more water and less taste.  If they're sitting in a milky liquid, they aren't dry-packed.

Shrimp, like fish, should be fresh smelling and feel firm.  Unless you live near where shrimp are caught, any shrimp in a fish market will have been frozen already.  So what you think of as fresh shrimp were thawed already--you just don't know when.  So it's actually best to buy frozen shrimp (unless the merchant assures you that they were thawed recently).  You want to buy unpeeled shrimp for better taste and texture.  The ingredient list on a bag of frozen shrimp should be "shrimp" only--no additives or salt.  Wild shrimp are your best bet for taste, although farmed aren't bad.  Shrimp are sized by the number of shrimp per pound--16-20, 24-30, etc.  The higher the number, the smaller the shrimp.

Frozen is your best bet for squid and octopus as well, but if you can get fresh, use the fish rules (fresh smelling, clear eyes, etc).

Fish stored at 32 degrees lasts twice as long as fish stored at 40 (the typical fridge temperature).  When you store fresh fish, put it in a zip-top bag and keep it on ice (or cover with freezer packs) in the back of your fridge and use it within 2-3 days.  If you go beyond that, wrap it tightly in foil and plastic and freeze until you're ready to use it.

Ideally, frozen fish should be thawed in the fridge overnight.  Remove it from the package, put it on a rimmed plate (to catch any water) and cover it with plastic.  If you need to thaw it faster, thaw it in cold running water in the original package.

I hope this gives you a little bit of insight of what to look for when shopping for fresh seafood.  Check back later in the week for some easy recipes that you can make with your newly bought seafood.

Gone Fishin'

How often do you eat fish?  I was surprised to read that according to a 2008 report, 45% of Americans say they eat fish once a week (I would imagine that includes eating frozen fish sticks and the like).  Still, that's much higher than I would think.  Only 22%, however, said that they eat fish two times per week.  Why is eating fish so foreign to Americans?

A USA Today article says that the USDA recommends that we eat 8 ounces of seafood each week.  That's 2 servings.  On average, we eat about 3 1/2 ounces per week.  Increasing that amount is not only a delicious way to eat, but can help to make us much healthier.

There may be no better food to contribute to our health than seafood.  In Japan, the Mediterranean and other places that fish is a staple, there are much lower instances of cancer, heart disease and obesity.  Seafood is a low-fat food and what fat is there, is "good fat".

Fatty fish like salmon, tuna and other cold-water, deep-sea fish are very high in Omega-3 fatty acids.  You've heard of them, I'm sure.  But what are the benefits of these compounds?  They can protect against cancer.  They can lessen the symptoms of arthritis.  They can help to lower blood pressure.  They can reduce the risk of stroke and heart disease.  They protect your immune system and can lower your cholesterol.  In unborn children, they assist in neural and eye development.  In people who do not respond to depression medication, Omega-3's can ease the signs of depression.  They can even slow mental decline and reduce development of Alzheimer's Disease by strengthening nerve function.  Do you need any more convincing?

The Omega 3's aren't the only good stuff in fish.  Some fish/shellfish are very high in antioxidant E (as well as Vitamins E, C, D & A), which boosts the immune system and reduces buildup of plaque in the arteries.  Vitamins in some shellfish aid in red blood cells and muscle formation and can help with healthy skin and good eyesight.  Fish oil in children helps to ease asthma symptoms by controlling allergens in the body.  And some say that fatty fish is the best natural source of Vitamin D. 

OK.  So now you've decided to try to eat more fish.  But you're still not sure how to buy quality seafood.  Be sure to read Monday's blog to find out some tips for buying and storing fresh fish.

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Something Fishy

We all know that eating fish is a great way to eat healthy--it contains loads of anti-oxidants; fights cancer and heart disease; has been shown to help to alleviate and prevent symptoms of asthma in children, arthritis and even dementia.  Among many other benefits.  

For much of the world, fish is as much a staple as beef is here in the US.  And, according to a new study by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), more people world-wide are eating fish.  About 3 billion people eat fish as at least 15% of their average protein intake.

Health benefits have a hand in this, I'm sure, but probably more than anything, the growth of aquaculture--fish farming--has contributed to this increase in consumption.  Fish is safer, more readily available and helping to sustain the wild populations--a growing concern for consumers.

Still, depletion of wild stock threatens the security of the world's food supply.  According to an article on Food Naviagtor, 32% of the ocean's fish are "overexploited, delpleted or recovering".  Aquaculture must continue to grow for these species to survive. 

China is the world's top fish producer and fish continues to be the world's most traded food, worth about $102 billion in 2008 (up 9% from the previous year).  The industry is so huge and important that it helps to support the livelihood of about 8% of the world's population.  A pretty amazing number.

Read a few more details about the FAO study in the article.  For more information about sustainable seafood, go to Seafood Watch from the Monterey Bay Aquarium.