Kitchen Shrink: A sad lobster tale and other food stories to kick-off the new year

It’s a new year, and while a lot of us are recovering from too much holiday cheer, I’m peering into my culinary crystal ball for some educated predictions, trends, and smart food options. Here’s to a healthy, happy, yummy, and prosperous one!

Catharine Kaufman

(Copyright of Catharine Kaufman)

Claw Back

Maine lobster lovers are going to have to hunt down this seafood treasure as many fishmongers have put it on ice (figuratively speaking) due to a declaration of unsustainability by a pair of high-profile environmental watchdogs. Whole Foods (among others) are no longer offering this delicacy as it has been linked to jeopardizing the North Atlantic right whale species, a by-catch from lobster fishing. This devasting ruling has severely harmed the livelihoods of lobstermen/women, while depriving the gustatory pleasures of discriminating piscivores throughout the country. For now, they can indulge in local, succulent (albeit clawless) spiny lobster harvested from the Baja coast, North Atlantic Canadian lobster, or the European blue lobster from the coast of Normandy, Ireland, and Scotland with a side order of jet lag.

In the Can

The tinned fish craze nicknamed, among other things, “hot girl food,” has been making a splash across the land. Samplings from Portugal, Spain, Alaska, Italy, Morocco, SoCal, Thailand, and Japan are turn-key ready for savory palates to instantly relish without the fuss of prepping, deboning, cooking, marinating, or mixing….