I'd Love to Meet You Today

 

Hey Y'all, It's been ten years since I opened my little seafood market with just a bit of fish and even less savvy. It was May 5, 2011. Not the best economic times for new business, especially mine which was basically an untested idea for the Johns Creek area. It started s..l..o..w..l..y. I passed many sleepless nights thinking "What have I gotten myself into this time?". I made a million and one mistakes and never felt so unprepared for my work. I'm a hard worker and had been somewhat successful in the past but this seafood market... well, let's just say I was humbled by it. Today I just want to thank every single one of the people who have supported me over 10 years and who recognized my struggle and helped me get through it. It's been a team effort and here we are. And for those of you who said it would never work, well, I have never backed down from a challenge and your skepticism got me up and going morning after morning. So thank you for your doubts. I hope you all will be by to say hello this afternoon. It's happening at Johns Creek from 12:30 to 3:00 and I would LOVE to say thank you in person. Now to back to business. Sky High Scallops The size of a scallop is indicated by the number of pieces per lb. Just like shrimp, the lower the number the bigger the scallop. We generally sell two sizes fresh - U-10s and 10-20s. The area off of Massachusetts where our scallops come from has had quotas on U-10s reduced by 50% this year as a conservation effort. So that means fewer U-10s to sell and you know what that means. The law of supply and demand dictates that few scallops mean higher prices. When the supply of the U-10 scallops is reduced, the demand for the smaller sizes increases and so the 10/20 scallop price goes up too.  I promise to stay on top of these prices and lower them just as soon as the scallop market will allow. King Salmon Troll caught king salmon are here. Coming from the area of the Columbia River up to SE Alaska, these fish are not showing in large numbers like you will see in the summer. Some kings show up early outside the mouths of the rivers where they will spawn where they swim around and feed for a few weeks, building up their strength for the return upriver to their natal ponds. The government allows some hook and line fishing around this time but no nets so the catch is low. Troll caught fish are generally very high quality because they are individually handled. But low catch means higher prices (see above on supply and demand). The Copper River marks the official start to trawl net fishing for salmon and that opens Monday. The catch will be kings and sockeyes and will still be limited numbers. For the first couple of weeks, fishing will be open for only one or two twelve hour openings per week as this is when most fish are allowed to escape upriver to spawn which will continue the population. I will bring in the Copper River fish by pre-order only. I don't know the cost yet but my guess is it will be between $30 and $40/lb for the first fish. If you can hold off until mid-June the price should lower as other fishing areas open.

Saturday's Birthday Party It's finally here! Today from 12:30 until 3 PM at our Johns Creek location, we're going to be throwing a really fun event that you won't want to miss! We'll be having sliders, raffle prizes, and a few cooking demos - one with Chef Jon who will show you how to crisp fish skin on the stove top and you won't want to miss Shucking with Sara! My daughter, Sara will demonstrate how to get that deliciousness out of that oyster shell! She might even shuck one for you! We'll also be debuting our new lobster dip and showcasing our new sauces if you haven't had a chance to try them yet. If you can't make it out to our Johns Creek location but still want to get in on the fun, don't worry! At both our Brookhaven and Milton locations we'll also be having raffle prizes and sampling our new sliders. You can also get our new lobster dip and taste our sauces!

Fin Mail aka Tooting My Fishy Horn I love this note from Ed this week - I read last weeks email about sable( black cod). First, I am definitely not, repeat not, a cook. But this recipe looked like one that I could do, so I tried it. I went to Whole Foods to get the white miso, mirin, and sake. Following the recipe was easy for the marinade, and two days later I made my wife a meal that she said " If we went to a high quality restaurant and got this meal, we would compliment the chef." As a husband of 35 years who is occasionally accused of being uncaring, it's nice to have that meal to present to my wife as she returned home from a long business trip. It truly made both of our nights. Thanks again - Glad we can now dub ourselves as marriage counselors...at least when it comes to helping you make nice meals that bring you closer together! Bo W. sent us his gorgeous Verlasso recipe with this to say: The dog story was great! We love our four as you know from visiting my office! Glad to hear the ‘perky’ is back! I am sharing that last week was “S” week!  Monday-Snapper Tuesday-Sable Wednesday-Shrimp Thursday-Salmon ALL From KC Brookhaven : ) (FWIW, Friday was STEAK ; ). Salmon photo attached—Verlasso with pineapple salsa over a bed of coconut cauliflower ‘rice’. Yum!"

Specials This Week (Until 05/20) Walleye Skin-On Fillet for $13.99/lb If you're unfamiliar with Walleye, here are a few facts! We buy it from a Canadian company in Ontario, Canada that is a 45 minute drive from the Detroit airport. It flies into Atlanta one day off the boat! Walleye Pike is only a marketing name. Walleye is related but is not a Pike (which are also caught in the Great Lakes). People from the mid-West will tell you that Walleye is way better eating than Pike. In the upper Mid-West (along the Great Lakes states), Walleye is thought of as a white tablecloth fish much like people view Grouper and Red Snapper in the South. They are hook and line caught. All you southerners out there need to pick up a piece of this beautiful, mild white fish and expand your horizons!

Cooking with Chef Jon You can watch here how to Conquer Shrimp Scampi on Chef Jon's YouTube Channel. Go ahead and subscribe to his channel and check out his other videos so you don't miss a minute!

Catch-To-Go This Week Haddock with Summer Succotash and Caper Salsa Verde.

Next week's Catch to Go is Hake w/ baby red potatoes, green beans and creamy lemon sauce.

And Finally I just want to say one thing to all of you out there reading this silly email - I love you. I appreciate you. I want to meet you today at Johns Creek. (I know. That was three things - I can't help myself.) Blessings, Kathleen