Why does the US have 90,000 miles of shoreline yet import the majority of its most of seafood? My guest today is Craig Fear. He’s an author of 3 soup cookbooks, a blogger at Fearless Eating, and a board member of the New England-based seafood non-profit, Eating with the Ecosystem, which promotes a place-based approach to consuming seafood.
Craig fell in love with soups during his travels to East Asia but in his most recent cookbook, New England Soups from the Sea, he returns to his roots. To call this book a cookbook is a bit of a disservice, however, because it is also a commentary on the historical, social, and financial reasons that the US neglects the abundance of seafood on its shores (we have more square acreage available for fishing than for farming!), a primer on the types and uses of our seafood, and only then a huge collection of historic New England soup and chowder recipes.
Highlights
- Craig’s story: soup = health
- How his travels influenced his palette and the 3 books he’s written
- Where is US seafood going
- What happened to our taste for seafood
- What are we guaranteed if we buy US fish
- Success of rebuilding overfished stocks into sustainable levels
- The wonders of shellfish aquaculture
- Why is 90% of our seafood imported?
- Demand-based models vs. Supply-based models
- A few of the most undervalued fish in the US
- What happened to New England lobsters?
- Connecticut Clam Chowder - a cross of Manhattan & New England Clam Chowders
- Hard shell vs. Soft shell clams
Listen to Craig Now
Craig's Storied Recipe: Connecticut Clam Chowder
How To Contact Craig Fear
Buy his book New England Soups from the Sea on Amazon
Instagram: @FearlessEating
Facebook: Fearless Eating
Website: fearlesseating.net
Why Craig renamed Long Island Clam Chowder to Connecticut Clam Chowder.
If you don't live in New England, Craig suggests buying seafood from redsbest.com
The Storied Recipe Needs Your Help!
Please leave a 5-star review for the podcast right here!
This link will give all review options available on your device. Simply choose any option, click, and leave a review. Thank you!
The Storied Recipe Print Shop
Where every print tells a story.
High end prints for your kitchen walls: Download and print immediately.
The Storied Recipe Newsletter
The Storied Recipe is a community that believes food is a universal love language. Join for episode & recipe updates every Friday mornings. (And occasional free gifts!)
Would love to hear from you!