Good Riddance

 

Hey Y'all, We are closing in on the end of 2020 and I think I can speak for most of us when I say GOOD RIDDANCE! 2021 is looking like the turnaround year when we all get vaccinated, we all get back to work, schools re-open and life resumes its normal chaotic course. And don't forget the new Catch opening in January. If you haven't heard, keep an eye for news of the grand opening sometime around January 15th or 20th or 30th or maybe February or possibly March. The date keeps pushing back but I promise you it is coming soon to 3436 Clairmont Road (Skyland Shopping Center). We are still taking holiday orders at Milton and Johns Creek so get your plan together and call in to reserve your seafood. It's not too early to make a New Years menu. If you want a party platter, caviar, lobsters or anything else, go ahead and call in for that too.This is shaking out to be our busiest holiday season yet so don't delay! Watch for an email from us about picking up your orders on the 23rd and 24th. We are trying to manage the crowds by keeping everyone in the car for drive up service at the trucks. You should have a time scheduled for your pickup. If you have placed an order for pickup on the 23rd or 24th and don't know your pickup time, you better email me or give the store a call. Please remember to stuff some patience in your pocket when you leave the house that day. We will be doing our best but remember we are fishmongers most of the time and Logistics Technicians for only 2 days a year.

Fin Mail (aka Tooting My Fishy Horn) Hi Kathleen,  I made the Sicilian calamari today and it was outstanding!! Substituted toasted fregola for the couscous but otherwise used the Mario Batali recipe. Thanks for sharing the calamari with me. Good to see you at JC location today. Best Regards, Art We Aren't Ashamed to Beg for Attention It really helps us when you spread the word about how much you enjoy our stores. If you get a minute (Right! Who has a minute this week?), give a review on your favorite social media platform. Facebook? Google? Trip Advisor? And while you are at it, post those pictures of your gorgeous holiday seafood and tag us. Let the rest of the world in on this secret to culinary success!

Holiday Platters, Caviar, & Cioppino Look at these! We can't wait to hear how your holiday gatherings go over the next two weeks. Don't forget to tag us on all social media platforms or shoot over an email to let us know how everyone enjoyed all that hard work you put in! Also, did you forget to get a gift for someone? We have gift cards that would make the perfect gift!

Catch-To-Go This Week Until Sunday, we have a yummy Hawaiian Garlic Salmon with Pineapple Rice and Zucchini and Squash.

And Finally

Several years ago I went to a holiday party attended by a young single mom with her two children. After a time (and probably a few cocktails) people began singing carols. Even people celebrating something besides Christmas could join in on the refrain of Jingle Bells and most knew some of the words to Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.  When the singing began I noticed the two young children brighten up at the sound but they didn’t know any of the words. Not even Jingle Bells. It made me think about their young mom whom I knew was working two jobs and struggling mightily to feed her family and keep a roof over their heads. She didn’t have time for holidays. She didn’t have money or energy for Christmas decorations. She didn’t have the heart for Christmas carols and might not have ever been taught any by her own single mom. I think of her every Christmas now. I hope her life and her children’s lives have improved so that maybe they have learned some children’s songs for a holiday tradition that they are able to celebrate. After all, it’s not really about the presents or (I hate to say it) the lobster on your dinner plate. It is about joy, thankfulness and peace. And silly reindeer songs . Happy Holidays. Kathleen

Holidays at the Catch

 

Hey Y'all, This is the busiest time of the year at the Catch. I remember our very first Christmas Eve ten years ago in Johns Creek. We arrived at work at the regular time, received our fish delivery at the regular time, looked at a couple of special orders we had taken, and got started setting our cases. After about 30 minutes, a crowd starting pouring in the door - more people than had been to our little store all year long - combined. And it lasted all day. We never even got to properly set up our cases - and back then we only had 2! There were three of us there to wait on people who were yelling out what they wanted to buy since there was no real display set up for them to choose from. We started piling fish up in the seafood cases and did our best to handle the hoards of customers. Needless to say, we were totally unprepared. It makes my stomach hurt to think about it even now. Things have gotten a bit more organized since then. Every year we try to be a little bit better and after all this time, we should be close to mastering it. AND THEN CAME COVID. Who knows what this year will be like? We are still having to limit interaction with customers and allowing only a limited number of people in the store. I can't have crowds of people waiting outside and gathered around the refrigerated trucks like has happened in years past. I hope everyone will be patient with us as we come up with some strategies to get you exactly what you need while keeping everyone safe. HOW TO ORDER Call the store where you intend to pick up your order. If you are picking up at Milton, call 678-691-3064 and press Option 2. Even better is to start an email conversation by emailing Sara@kathleenscatch.com. If you are picking up at Johns Creek, call 678-957-9792 and press Option 2. Or email kathleen@kathleenscatch.com and we can put your order together that way. Email is the best way to spell out exactly what you want. And if you have questions, we are happy to answer them through email which would make sure that there were no misunderstandings. Also this will give us an easy way to contact you to make any necessary changes. HOW TO PAY This year we are going to collect payment in advance whenever possible over the phone. That way, when you pick up your order you will not have to come inside to pay. We will be advising you on how to pay as we organize your order via phone or email. And once we get your order we will let you know how to pick it up.

HOLIDAY IDEAS Happy Hanukkah! We have come up with some fish and wine pairings that you could enjoy as you celebrate. We found the recipes and our wine expert, Susan Metz, selected some delicious wines that you could pick up at our Milton location or next door at our Johns Creek location. Pan Seared Tuna Steak Stoller or Lange Pinot Noir Potato Latkes with Sour Cream and Smoked Salmon Champagne or Rose Granit Sparkling Israeli-Style Fish Cakes Bisol Jeio Prosecco or Nik Weis Reisling Christmas Eve Seafood is a big part of Christmas holiday celebrations as many people prepare the traditional Feast of Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve. There are many theories about the name of this Italian tradition - some say seven represent the seven sacraments of the Catholic church or the seven hills of Rome. I'm going with seven as the biblical number for perfection. I mean, what could be more perfect than a meal with seven seafood items in it?   It's no problem reaching seven seafoods for your feast if you shop with me. The easiest way to get started is to prepare a cioppino from our cioppino kit.    Click here for the order form and a recipe. This is what you get:  Cioppino for Six 1 lb mussels 1 lb shrimp 1 dozen littleneck clams 1.5 lbs cod or salmon 6 cups fish stock 1 recipe card $64.99 Add 1 lb crabmeat for $26.99 I mentioned these last week but it doesn't hurt to put it all right here in front of you - seafood party platters! Click here for the order form! And caviar - it's on the party platter order form but here it is in a more descriptive display Talk about a gift for someone who has everything! There are other ways to celebrate the season including Boxing Day (12/26) and Kwanza (12/26-1/1). Any of these recipes should help you cook up something fabulous.

Fin Mail (aka Tooting My Fishy Horn) From Mark Heys: First, I want to thank you for your wonderful notes and emails. We enjoy them and we really love going to the Milton Market. By the way, that new gentleman from NYC is really fantastic! ( That's Bernard, the Milton Store Manager, and we agree that he is awesome! - ed.) So, a few years ago, we attended a cooking class at your John’s Creek location. It was so fun and we really enjoyed one of the recipes. It was a calamari.... I think it was in a light red sauce. We would love to make it again, but we misplaced the recipe. I don’t know if you have access to that chef/recipe. Again, I think it was probably 4 or 5 years ago and the chef was a young nice man, maybe in his 30’s. Let us know if you have any access to that. Ed - Thanks so much for asking. Here is that recipe that the fabulous Chef Jon Beatty used for that cooking class. Calamari Sicilian Lifeguard Style. Enjoy!

Specials This Week: GROUPER from Madeira Beach, FL $11.40/6oz. Here's a great recipe to go with it! This recipe card will also be available in-store Monday for pickup if you'd rather have a printed copy.

Catch-To-Go This Week Available until Sunday, we have Cajun Swordfish with Garlic Butter Potatoes and Roasted Brussel Sprouts. Pictured below! Starting Monday, we'll have Hawaiian Garlic Salmon served with Pineapple Rice over Zucchini and Squash.

And Finally

One of the things I love most about the holidays is touching base with people I have worked with over the years. For example, when we get started on our planning for Christmas we reach back five years to the Christmas plan that our friend and former Catch manager, Colin Kopel, created for us. He is one of many people who have helped us grow and become the best little fish markets in Georgia. And reaching out to Chef Jon Beatty for his Italian calamari recipe warms my heart. I am so happy for the success of all the great people who have worked for me over the years. If you attended any of Jon's cooking classes and demonstrations when he worked for us, you know that his seafood cooking knowledge runs very deep. And as a gift to you all, Chef Jon will be making a holiday appearance next week in this very email! Stay tuned!! Don't stress too much this week as you finalize your gift giving and your limited holiday plans. Remember that the best gift we can give each other is to be around next year for the holidays. Stay safe. Blessings, Kathleen

Some Special Specials

 

Hey Y'all, This is the best time of the year. Not because it isn't 100 degrees every day anymore. Not because we are looking forward to a holiday. Not because the end of political ads on TV is in sight. Not because 2020 is almost over. Nope. None of that is on my mind. What is on my mind this semi-chilly Friday morning is FRESH KING CRAB! Why? I think I have told you a time or two or ten that if you have only experienced frozen king crab, which is the way it is available 99% of the time, you have NOT tasted king crab the way Mother Nature intended it to be. King crab is salted before freezing making the meat more salty. Fresh king crab is sweet, juicy and tender with just a hint of natural sea salt. Normally when I can get my hands on fresh king crab I have to sell it at about $50/lb., but this week I got a deal! I am selling fresh king crab in my stores this weekend for the same price as frozen - $39.99/lb. Do not let this opportunity pass you by. Each store has a limited supply so call and order ahead. Holiday Party Platters I may be dreaming of fresh king crab today, but you are probably starting your Christmas eating plans. Every year we make a gazillion seafood party platters for our customers. Literally a gazillion. While I don't think we will be making quite as many large platters as we have done in the past since gatherings will be smaller, we are still ready to prepare the smaller trays for your family. Click here for the order form. Print it, fill it out and drop it by. If you would like something a little different than what is offered on this form, you can call or come in to talk about how we can make it just the way you want it. Looking for a Special and Unusual Gift? Our American Caviar set includes all of the following: Imperial White Sturgeon Hackleback Paddlefish Salmon Ikura Smoked Trout Cajun Bowfin Creme Fraiche Blinis Mother of Pearl spoon $199.00 Everything you need for a special hoilday gift or a special holiday gathering! Caviar has a long shelf life if you keep it unopened and very cold so you don't need to eat it all at once if that doesn't fit your plans. And we have plenty of other caviar options so if osetra, beluga or sevruga is more your style, come by and take a look at our caviar book!

Fin Mail I love getting mail from my customers! I won't bore you with the many emails I got last week complimenting my gorgeous new grandbaby but if you sent me one, please know that it made my day!   I will, however, share with you this email from Kristen Kanner because it has a recipe gift for you in it:   Hi Kathleen! We just wanted to share a picture of the Smoky Shrimp dish we made with the amazing shrimp we got from you on sale last week. It was delicious! Thanks for all you do!   The recipe is:   https://lideylikes.com/smoky-shrimp-couscous   Enjoy this recipe this weekend since our 21/25 ct. shrimp from Brunswick, GA is only $13.25/lb.

Specials This Week: 6 oz. mahi portions - $6.99 each Beautiful fish from Central America and 6 oz. striped bass portions - $7.25 each Straight from the Chesapeake!

Catch-To-Go This Week Available until Sunday, we have a Bourbon Glazed Salmon served with Sesame Soy Green Beans and Roasted Potatoes. Pictured below! Starting Monday, we'll have a Cajun Swordfish with Garlic Butter Potatoes and Roasted Broccoli. So yummy!

And Finally I thought you might like to see this picture of our management staff. Standing from left to right is Gary Smith (Johns Creek manager), Bernard Ehrlich (Milton manager), Evan Leafe (Brookhaven manager). Seated left to right is yours truly and Sara Waterman (Management Supervisor).

There are so many exciting things ahead for us. We are working harder than ever and enjoying it all. Thanks for making it possible for us to grow our business and offer our amazing seafood to even more people in metro-Atlanta. Our Brookhaven location opens mid-January! Have a great weekend. Enjoy the beautiful weather and don't forget to walk your dog. Blessings, Kathleen

Georgia Shrimp and Happy Fourth!

Hey Y'all, I hope you are enjoying the lovely temperatures and humidity of summer in metro-Atlanta. Remember when we were shivery and cold in the winter and longing for warmer weather? It's here! Crank up your a/c or head to the pool. Just make sure you are enjoying all the great seafood that is available this time of year. Fin Mail Oh I love fin mail! Especially when it is this nice. Sometimes a nice note is all it takes to turn an okay day into a fabulous one. Thank you, Airianne, for making my day with this email about our Milton location! Hi Kathleen,   We love what you all are doing over at the Milton location! Your daughter is such a sweetheart, very engaging and knowledgeable, and just downright friendly.   The partnership with John’s Creek Wine and Crystal is awesome. My hubby and I really enjoy the Friday wine tastings. I affectionately call my husband the “Question Monster.” With that being said, the wine tastings provide a great opportunity for him to ask Sara about all things fish and to ask Yale and Susan about all things wine. Thank you for the discount that you offer those afternoons on the “Catch-To-Go” meals, such a nice perk. Those meals are not only delicious, but they have really helped build up our confidence in cooking fish. Such easy meal prep! Please note that we haven’t had a meal that hasn’t ended with my husband saying, “This dish is a keeper.”    Another perk of those particular afternoons is that we learned about the unique wines available for the monthly wine club they offer. I previously had only acquired a taste for white wines until these tastings. Then Sara shared that her mother-in-law was the same way so she recommended that I start with a Pinot Noir. Game changer! Hubby and I also quickly changed our wine club membership from “Mixed” to “All Reds.” They have such a great collection. This is now my go-to spot for when I’m buying wines as gifts for friends and family.   Honestly, I find myself having to downplay where we live sometimes when catching-up with family and friends. How many people can say they have a fresh fish shop in their neighborhood?!   Grateful for your Milton location, Tom & Airianne Gutmann Wine tastings are every Friday at the Milton location from 3:00 - 6:00. Johns Creek Wine and Crystal has their wine tastings on Saturday afternoons.

Species Spotlight: East Coast Shrimp As you probably know, almost all of the shrimp we sell is from Poteet Seafood in Brunswick, Georgia. And a good bit of that shrimp comes from this man and this boat. The man is Johns Wallace and the boat is the Gale Force (named after his wife Gale).

John has taught me a lot about shrimp and why it is important to buy Georgia shrimp, mainly because there isn't a cleaner, better tasting shrimp in the world! Shrimp vary in color and size throughout the year. In the spring, shrimpers typically bring in roe white shrimp, large, early season shrimp with that messy orange roe along the back. During the spring we earn every penny of the fee we charge to peel and devein because cleaning that roe is a job! In thesummer brown shrimp peak, which are sometimes smaller than white shrimp but similar in taste. In the fall and into winter, shrimpers bring in a second crop of white shrimp; the offspring of the spring roe shrimp. Because white shrimp are a short-lived species (they live approximately one year) they are vulnerable to cold water temperatures and unusually wet or dry summers. Their numbers can fluctuate dramatically from year to year. However, they are an extremely sustainable population. They are prolific spawners – which means that the populations can quickly rebound even after a poor year or season.

Me pretending I know exactly what I am doing on shrimp boat

What's Cooking in Your Kitchen?

Every year Jekyll Island, Georgia has a Shrimp and Grits Festival in September that is hosted by Southern Living. Chefs submit their best recipes in hopes of winning the grand prize. There are lots of fun activities throughout the weekend and families are welcome. This recipe is from Chef James Timothy "Tim" Thomas and is a prize winner! Georgia Shrimp Ratatouille with Boursin Cheese Grits Makes 6 servings SHRIMP 35 shrimp (16 to 20 count), peeled and deveined (Wild GA Shrimp, of course) 6 cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons chopped basil Salt and pepper 1/4 cup olive oil BOURSIN CHEESE GRITS 4 cups milk 1 cup quick grits 2 tablespoons butter Salt and pepper 4 ounces boursin cheese RATATOUILLE 1/4 cup olive oil 1 zucchini, diced 1 yellow squash, diced 1 eggplant, peeled, large diced 1 onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, diced 1 green pepper, diced 2 tomatoes, diced 1 cup tomato juice Basil, oregano, salt, pepper to taste MARINATE: Combine shrimp with 1/4 cup olive oil, 6 cloves diced garlic, 2 teaspoons chopped basil, and salt and pepper. Let marinate 30 minutes. MAKE GRITS: Bring milk and butter to a boil. Add grits. Cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often. Season with salt and pepper. Add boursin and cook another 2 to 3 minutes. Adjust seasoning. RATATOUILLE: Heat 1/4 cup oil in large skillet. Add eggplant and cook 5 to 7 minutes until brown. Drain excess oil. Add onion, garlic and peppers. Cook another minute. Add zucchini and squash. Add tomato products, salt, pepper and herbs. Simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes. When almost ready to serve, heat a saute pan and place shrimp mixture in heated pan. Cook shrimp for 30 seconds on each side. Serve in individual ramekins with grits topped with ratatouille, then shrimp and more ratatouille; or on plates, as grits topped with ratatouille, then shrimp.

A Few of the Available Fish This Weekend Corvina Red snapper Halibut Mahi Sword Skate Monk Copper River sockeye King salmon from Washington state Fluke flounder Yellowfin grouper By special order only: Tile Spanish mackerel Catch to Go Through Sunday DRY RUBBED SALMON  with Cheesy Mashed Potatoes and Seasoned Brussel Sprouts

Next week starting Monday: BLACKENED CORVINA Cheese grits and hickory garlic asparagus

Ceviche! Available Saturday and Sunday Strawberry Ceviche Mahi, amberjack, strawberry and mint And Finally

25 people are running to represent the Democratic Party in the election of 2020. 25! No matter how you feel about who is running or who is currently in the White House you have to feel inspired by the fact that anyone in our country who is 35 years old, a natural born citizen, and a resident for 14 years can stand up and say "I have ideas about how this country should be run and I would like to take a shot at becoming president." Robert Kennedy described democracy as messy and Winston Churchill described it as inadequate when he said in 1947: No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others that have been tried from time to time." Raise your flag next Thursday in honor of this messy, inadequate system we have. And be thankful that your voice can be heard.

Blessings, Kathleen

Oysters in the Summer?

Hey Y'all, Life got ahead of me last week and I just didn’t find a minute to sit and write to you. Remember those lazy days of summer when you were a kid? I was usually bored by mid-June; if I had any clue about how crazy life can be when you are an adult I might have treasured those long afternoons at the neighborhood pool a little bit more.

Species Spotlight: East Coast Oysters Oysters in the summer? The old rule of not eating oysters in months that don't have an R meant that summer oysters were out. So how are we selling so many oysters to people that appear to remain healthy after eating them? Refrigeration is one reason. Oysters are no longer covered in ice and transported in open train cars in hot summer weather or left piled up on a boat deck for hours while oystermen complete their work. Instead governmental health regulations require that oysters are immediately refrigerated once they are removed from the water and they stay that way all the way to my seafood case. Spawning was the other reason to avoid summertime oysters. Traditionally, because oysters spawn in warmer water, the oyster season was closed in the summer to allow them to reproduce. Spawning oysters are typically thin and watery so areas that were open to harvest produced oysters that weren't the best quality for eating. Most of the oysters we consume today are farmed which allows farmers to breed oysters that are triploids which means they are sterile, like a seedless watermelon. Many farms are located in cold waters which limits spawning. Click here to learn more about the fascinating process of oyster farming: https://www.thekitchn.com/island-creek-oysters-grower-tour-192689 So are all warm weather oysters safe to eat? You may have noticed that I do not sell oysters from the Gulf of Mexico. Water temperatures in the Gulf are so warm that the possibility of vibrio outbreaks in certain coastal regions is greater, especially in warmer brackish water where oysters thrive. Vibriosis is caused by eating raw or undercooked seafood from water that is warmer than 68 degrees. Often the symptoms of vibriosis are mild stomach upset for a few days, but sometimes it can be deadly. The CDC says this about Vibrio: https://www.cdc.gov/vibrio/index.html

What's Your Dad Getting for Father's Day?

I don't know about your dad but mine was impossible to buy for. He lived a pretty simple life - went to work, came home, worked around the house and sometimes he built things in the garage. The problem was that if my dad wanted something he went out and bought it. He was picky about his clothes. He owned golf clubs that suited him just fine because he didn't use them very often. He read books but picking one that he would like that he didn't already have was a challenge. If your dad is as well-equipped as mine was and another Home Depot gift card just seems too predictable, might I suggest a seafood meal? Clams were my dad's favorite. He loved a meal of steamed clams in a butter sauce with some good crusty bread. If your dad is a salmon man, you can't go wrong with the best-in-the-world sockeye salmon that is available right now from the Copper River! If your dad loves oysters, you could pick up a beautiful oyster serving plate and a new shucking knife from the Catch. Add a dozen fresh oysters and do the shucking for him on Father's Day. If he loves shrimp, marinate, skewer and grill some beautiful wild Georgia shrimp. For the marinade, mix together: 1/4 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons lemon juice 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon seafood seasoning or Italian seasoning 2 teaspoons minced garlic 1 tablespoon chopped parsley or cilantro Marinade for 15 minutes or so (not too long or the lemon juice will start to cook the shrimp). Place on skewers that have been soaked for 30 minutes if they are wooden. No soaking is necessary for metal ones. Grill for 2-3 minutes per side just until they turn pink. Don't overcook - shrimp cook fast! Serve with crusty bread, green salad and and jasmine or Spanish rice. And one last Dad fav... GIANT lobster tails for $30.00 each. These are 14 to 16 oz. Maine tails. That's a Father's Day gift he won't forget!

A Few of the Available Fish This Weekend Swordfish $7.50/6 oz. portions. This is your Father's Day fish! Halibut Monk Mahi Copper River sockeye Black drum Brunswick shrimp Gag Grouper By Special Order (order Friday for Saturday pickup) Barrel fish Wreckfish Catch to Go Through Sunday Roasted Cod with Succotash

Next week starting Monday: Shrimp Creole

Ceviche! Available Saturday and Sunday Dreaming of the Islands Red snapper, scallops, coconut, peach, basil Your choice - spicy or sweet And Finally

"When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished by how much the old man had learned in 7 years." Mark Twain Happy Father's Day.

Blessings, Kathleen