Book Board Chat

I feel a bit guilty. After so many years, I pop back up and true to my old form, quickly launch a debate on the evils of covid rules, dangers of cruise ships, etc. So time for something positive. Bare with me, feel good happy stuff isn't my usual forte. Besides, you're all still locked down in isolation anyway, so at least its something to read.

....and now for something completely different.

GOOD NEWS! The tuna are back! By "tuna" I mean the 1000+ lb monster blue fins you see being caught on cable reality shows. The critters that super high quality sushi and sashimi come from. For years such treats have been essentially banned in the USA at any price, because the population crashed from over fishing (like 90% decline), leading to it being listed as an endangered/threatened species. What few were taken ended up on cargo jets exported straight to Japan.

Not any more! The NOAA and US fishery people have reported such incredible restoration success, the Atlantic Blue Fin was just delisted from the endangered species act! You can sell them in the US again, have REAL sushi again....and most importantly for average Joe recreational fishermen (AKA - me) soon LEGALLY attempt a Hemingway style old man and the sea type adventure. No more fears of ending up in Leavenworth making little rocks from big ones! (gonna need a bigger boat tho). :o)

If you've never had a bit of genuine maguro, specifically a thin slice of the belly portion on nothing more then vinegared rice, you have missed out. Yeah, yeah i know, some of you are going "Ewww, raw fish". If that's you, reconsider just this once. Lets face it, eventually all pandemics end, you'll be popping your head out of the basement to see that bright orb in the sky again, perhaps even fully venturing out to sit down and have an actual HUMAN hand you food. You still remember restaurants, don't you? Reward yourself for surviving. As a plus, a couple of small pieces of hyper expensive blue fin will still only set you back around $5-6 bucks.

If they do it right it will come out glistening, literally shimmering from its natural oils. (Yes - the good for you Omega3 stuff). It will literally, and yep I do mean literally, MELT in your mouth. A sweet ocean like completely non fishy flavor, exploding with a soft bouquet that will remind you of aromatic flowers. Hey, fifty million Japanese can't all be wrong.

So there is your happy bunny and sunshine story for the day. We very nearly ate the giant blue fin into extinction, but thankfully people also possessed the necessary restraint to bring them back. So go try some without guilt.

Betcha didn't see a fish story coming. Now if you'll excuse me, that paragraph with gourmet flavor descriptions sort of got to me. I think I still have half a bag of stale chips around here somewhere......