FOR PISCIVOROUS PEOPLE...Tuna Heart large single 1.5
       
               FEBRUARY 2008
 
FEBRUARY IS NATIONAL HEART MONTH!
BE GOOD TO YOUR HEART...
FISH IS THE DRUG OF CHOICE!
3 Tuna Hearts
Fish and seafoods can certainly play a big part of a healthy diet. Americans eat an average of 16 pounds of fish per year. A minimum of two 6 ounce servings of fish per week is the general consensus for good health and recommended by the American Heart Association. This actually adds up to more than 36 pounds per year! We are selling our health, and not to mention, our taste buds short by not adding enough fish and seafood to our diets.
  Study after study show that fish is good for us in so many ways. Check out the health page of dirksfish.com for more information on the health aspects of fish. Here is a link to a great article by Maureen Callahan from Cooking Light Magazine,   
 
              
Weighing the latest facts on seafood safety and health.
 
There has been the usual pre-Lent fish hype in the news lately,  mostly referencing mercury in tuna. First off most of the tuna in question is Bluefin tuna (which rarely gets mentioned). I believe that Bluefin tuna all over the world are in danger of being overfished (even if it's farmed). Here at Dirk's Fish, you never even see Bluefin tuna offered! We have Bigeye and Yellowfin tuna, both of which are far more sustainable and smaller in size and age therefor much lower in mercury. Here is another good article that I thought was relevant to these issues.  A little fish, a little exercise, and a bite of chocolate (for Valentines Day) and we are on our way to good healthy habits for the new year.  
February is full of fun stuff...
 
SUPERBOWL SUNDAY on the 3rd
Order your party trays now!
Shrimp, crab claws, and Sushi are all great options!
Dueling Clam Chowders for the Game...
NEW YORK (GIANTS) manhattan clam chowder
NEW ENGLAND (PATRIOTS)  clam chowder

Mardi Gras on the 5th

  • Try our Seafood Gumbo! We will have live crayfish (order ahead) and crayfish meat!

LENT begins on the 6th

  • Check with us weekly for Friday specials-ready to go during the Lenten season.

Valentines Day on the 14th

  • You and your sweetheart will LOVE the fresh live lobsters! Then are alway fresh oysters, lobster bisque and the best cold water lobster tails. Heart shaped crab cakes and salmon fillets too. Call ahead and we will be sure to save yours! We even brought in some fancy chocolates from Custom Candy Design!

Leap Year on the 29th

On a regular basis we feature our fabulous crabcakes at an unheard of price...2 for 1 crabcakes- every February 29th!
 
We really  try to stay current on all sustainability issues to insure that the fish you eat is a viable resource and one that you can feel good about eating. If you see a fish on our counters, you can be confident that your meal is good choice.
 
Don't forget to try some of our ready to go meals and fresh hot soups for home and our sushi and lunch menus for on the go!
 
Live snow crab on the pond
Fresh Bairdi Snow Crab Legs
from Dutch Harbor, Alaska
Off the "Time Bandit" and other "Deadliest Catch" boats.
They are sweeter and smaller than king crab and will run $18.00 per pound.
UPDATE
The boats have been fishing and have been successful with the smaller Opelio snow crab which are too small for us. The Bairdi snow crab which are the bigger and more succulent legs have been more elusive and whats been caught are mostly too small too keep. The meat fill on the Bairdi crab is not up to what we want yet either. I promise to keep ypu posted. The season runs until April so we still have some time.
Atlantic Salmon - Salmon salar
King Salmon -  Oncorhynchus tshawytscha
King Salmon closeup being filleted
Salmon of all species has be proven to be one of the best fish you can eat for taste and your health. Many studies have shown that the high omega-3  polyunsaturated fats in salmon contribute to reduction in heart disease, Alzheimer, diabetes,  dry eyes among other benefits.
 There seems to be confusion about the risks of mercury, PCBs and more. Salmon is one of the best all around choices. Here is a link to recent study from the Harvard School of Public Health that is definitely worth reading.
 
This time of year fresh salmon choices are limited to farmed fish. The wild salmon won't start to become available until about April when we start seeing wild King salmon, white and red. Farm fish tend to be milder than their wild counterparts but are equally good for you. In a sushi restaurant the salmon you are eating is almost always farmed Atlantic salmon. We cut all our salmon from whole fish that we receive every day (except Sundays) which means the best quality fish you can buy.
 
Aquacultured fish are providing almost up to 45% of the seafood that we consume in the world. It will grow to more as demand increases and wild stocks are more vigorously managed. The farming industry is continually trying to improve its methods to bring the best product to market. Here is a quote from a salmon farmer in Canada

"I think there's definitely there is a lot of hype going on. I think this is a relatively new business that we are in, farming salmon in the beautiful British Columbia. And as we sometimes joke about, there's a price for doing business in paradise. But I think there's a huge need for the public at large to get a better understanding of what salmon farming is all about. I think if people had a better understanding of that, the controversy would to a large extent go away. We are producing a wonderful product in an environmentally safe manner and that's what we need to educate people about".

"I've been farming salmon in British Columbia for 17 years. The modern farm like this here is typical for the industry in British Columbia: 12 cages about 100'x100', very heavy, very strong net, engineered anchoring, strict and routine environment monitoring, underwater cameras to make sure you don't waste any feed that goes through the pens. We have better feeds, which results in more of the feed being digested by the fish itself, so again there is less waste going through the pens as well. So the industry has come a long way in the last 5 years there's been, I think, more improvements on a technical side than what we've seen in the past. What you see here today is a well run, well managed farm, environmentally safe and producing a wonderful product".

"And yes, there are a lot of things to be learned about aquaculture as well and I think that's where we in British Columbia have been good at adapting a regulatory program, which is based on a principle of adaptive management. You learn as you go and you change course as you gain experience". Odd Grydelandd, Director of BC Salmon Farmers Association based in Campbell River, BC.

 On Special February 1st thru 10th
Atlantic Salmon - Regular Price: 14.00 per pound
Special Price: $12.00
King Salmon - Regular Price: $20.00 per pound
Special Price: $18.00 per pound

Check out the recipe page on the website for great recipes!

Salmon Farm
Salmon Farm

BIGEYE TUNA
Thunnus obesus
Tuna-Whole Bigeye
 
Bigeye tuna are prized for their sashimi quality flesh which typically has a higher fat content than yellowfin tuna.This tuna, caught worldwide in deeper waters than other tuna,  tends to run in the 30 to 50 pound size. Though this fish is usually caught by longline fishing which has bycatch issues, the Hawaiian longline fleet is an exception to these issues having substantially reduced bycatch with strong management policies. Yellowfin tuna is is used both for cooking and sushi but bigeye is preferred by more discriminating sashimi consumers for its creamier texture. This tuna is great for searing (just barely) and tartars but is best straight up on a sashimi plate!
Tuna Steak
On Special - February 11th thru 17th
Regular price: $30.00 per pound
Special price: $27.00 per pound 
STRIPED BASS
Morone species
Farmed and Wild
Striped Bass stuffed
 
Striped bass is one of those fish that has a place in almost every recipe, from salt baked stuffed whole fish to miso-glazed fillets on the grill to raw sazuki on a sashimi plate. Wild striped bass from the Chesapeake Bay in both Maryland and Virginia suffered from overfishing in the 1980s but due to strict conservation policies in the 1990s the wild fish have rebounded successfully. Farmed stripers are a hybrid between striped and white bass and are farmed all over the country using very sustainable methods usually in tanks.
Wild striped bass tend to run larger in size, our largest was about 35 pounds. Fillets off these fish are thick and cook up juicy and succulent. The smaller farmed stripers, sometimes called  "wipers" are great for whole fish applications in the oven or straight up on the grill. Japanese restaurants use the farmed bass due to its higher fat content and it is called sazuki on a  sushi menu. It's a very mild firm fish and  great for eating raw.
 
On Special - February 18th thru 28th
Regular Price: $18.00 per pound for fillets
Special Price: $15.00 per pound for fillets
Special Price: $8.00 per pound for whole fish
LEAP YEAR SPECIAL!
Crabcakes in bulk
Chesapeake Bay Crabcakes
Our crabcakes get great reviews year after year. One taste and you will see why. They contain three different grades of fresh crabmeat and at about 85% crab have very little filler. A quick saute and served with our own complimentary mustard sauce and you have dinner! Makes a great lunch sandwich on a toasted pretzel roll!
 February 29th Only
Buy one get one free!
OUR NEXT CLASSES...
 
THE ART OF MAKING SUSHI
Sushi Boat Tray 1.5
This is a great class for the person eager to learn about making their own sushi at home. We will be demonstrating four maki and three nigiri, while you are sampling our homemade miso soup and fresh tuna/avocado salad. After that it's hands on and you will be rolling on your own.
Bring a friend or two, and your appetite because it's all you can eat!
Bring a bottle of your favorite beverage (sake maybe) and be prepared for an evening of fun and food!
 
Tuesday, February 19th
7:30 until 9:30
$75.00 per person. Call ahead for reservations
 
Call ahead for reservations and information

773.404.3475

Dirk's Fish & Gourmet Shop
2070 N. Clybourn Ave., Chicago Il. 60614
773.404.3475     www.dirksfish.com
"WHEN ONLY THE VERY BEST WILL DO"
 
If you want to try something new or impress that special person, we can get you almost anything you wish from the water; fish or seafood. If you need some special attention or a great recipe, our friendly and knowledgeble staff can provide that too.
 
If you are looking for something in particular, give us a call and we will do our best to get what you need.
 
"LIFE'S NOT PERFECT...
 BUT YOUR FISH SHOULD BE!"
 
Dirk'$ Dollar$
Tuna Heart sesame incrusted
FEBRUARY COUPON #1

Bring in this coupon for $5.00 off on your purchase of $25.00 or more during the first half of the month.

Limit one coupon per customer.

Coupon good February 1st thru 15th.

 
 
Dirk'$ Dollar$
Tuna Heart large single 1.5
FEBRUARY COUPON #2
 
Bring in
this coupon for $5.00 off on your purchase of $25.00 or more during the second half of the month.
 
Limit one coupon per customer.
 
Coupon good February 16th thru 29th only.