Entries tagged as ‘San Francisco’
Casson Trenor, North Atlantic Books author of Sustainable Sushi: A Guide for a Changing Planet (January 2009) is an expert in oceans management and sustainability. Trenor is a top consultant for the new Tataki Sushi & Sake Bar in San Francisco. Along with chefs Raymond Ho and Kin Lui, Trenor is a forerunner in the effort to create ecologically sustainable options for San Francisco diners.
I recently had the opportunity to dine at Tataki. I was not sure what to expect, never having dined at a sustainable sushi restaurant. I was blown out of the water! The food was amazing, the wait staff well learned, and everything inside of the restaurant (not just the seafood) was sustainable! Overall, it was a great educational opportunity to compare and contrast Tataki to the conventional sushi restaurants that I habitually patronize.
The dishes that I tasted were quite tasty and many of the flavor combinations were unlike any I’d ever tried. On every table (which are lovely and made from sustainable bamboo) there was a Seafood Watch reference card, and only seafood from the “Safe” and “Moderate” categories is offered to diners at Tataki. As each dish was served, the waitress explained where the seafood came from and happily answered any sustainability questions that I had.
Here’s what I tried:
Appetizers:
- Cold spinach
- Baked mussels
Not traditionally a Japanese dish, the mussels gave a San Franciscan flare to the dinner.
- Ahi Tuna poke
There were three mounds of delicious Ahi, each with it’s own marinate – garlic (mild), sesame (slightly spicy), and chili (hot).
Main Dishes:
- Sashimi deluxe
I tasted the Wild-caught New Zealand Tai Snapper (Kodai), Closed-containment Farm-raised Striped Bass (Suzuki), Australian Farm-raised Yellowtail Amberjack (Hiramasa), Suspension Farm-raised Hokkaido Scallop (Hotate), Trap-caught BC Spot Prawn (Amaebi), and Wild Pacific Horse Mackerel (Aji). I was encouraged to enjoy each piece of seafood without ginger or wasabe to really savor the complex simplicity.
- Tataki deluxe
I tasted the Closed-containment Farm-raised Arctic Char (Iwana), Farm-raised Hawaiian Almaco Jack (Kona Kampachi), Net-caught Australian Skipjack Tuna (Katsuo), Handline California Albacore Tuna (Shiro Maguro), and Handline Hawaiian Yellowfin Tuna (Maguro), all lightly seared and with individual dipping sauces to compliment each unique seafood flavor.
- Nigiri special
I tasted the Wild Atlantic Mackerel (Saba), Wild Texas White Shrimp (Ebi), Wild Pacific Conger Eel (Anago), and Wild MSC-certified Alaskan Salmon Roe (Ikura). Trenor snatched up the last Ikura roll saying, “I can’t let it go to waste. Each of these would have become a fish!”
Rolls:
- Mix it up
- Raymond Special
This was a treat because the roll is the chef’s VIP special. Not listed on the Tataki menu, the ingredients are top secret. This was my favorite dish of the night.
- Extinguisher
By far, the #1 crowd pleaser and not for the weak of heart! This roll consisted of spicy Kampachi topped with avocado, habanero Tobiko (where the Tobiko was marinated in habenero chili), and topped with hot sauce. And then they set the whole thing on fire!
Dessert:
-Green Tea Cheesecake
This was very tasty and unique and a great way to cleanse the palate.
In addition to all of the information that I’m still digesting, I learned that wild seafood is not necessarily more sustainable than farm-raised, Arctic Char really does taste like Salmon, and a happy conscience is attainable while enjoying sushi.
Tataki Sushi & Sake Bar is located at 2815 California Street in San Francisco.
Tataki’s Mission: to showcase the beauty and delicacy of Japanese cuisine while respecting the sanctity and fragility of our environment. If we are to preserve the art of sushi, we must also safeguard the health and biodiversity of our oceans. With this in mind, Tataki strives everyday to integrate the concept of sustainable dining into its menu options.
CLICK HERE to learn more about Tataki Sushi & Sake Bar.
CLICK HERE to pre-order a copy of Sustainable Sushi: A Guide for a Changing Planet.
Categories: California · North Atlantic Books · behind the scenes · books · news
Tagged: A Guide for a Changing Planet, Ahi Tuna, Aji, Alaskan Salmon Roe, Amaebi, Anago, Arctic Char, Atlantic Mackerel, Australian Skipjack Tuna, Australian Yellowtail Amberjack, author, BC Spot Prawn, biodiversity, California Albacore Tuna, Casson Trenor, closed-containment, Ebi, Extinguisher, farm-raised, Green Tea Cheesecake, handline, Hawaiian Almaco Jack, Hawaiian Yellowfin Tuna, Hiramasa, Hokkaido Scallop, Hotate, Ikura, Iwana, Japanese, Kampachi, Katsuo, Kin Lui, Kodai, Kona Kampachi, Maguro, MSC-certified, mussels, net-caught, New Zealand Tai Snapper, North Atlantic Books, ocean, Pacific Conger Eel, Pacific Horse Makerel, Raymond Ho, Saba, San Francisco, sashimi, seafood, Seafood Watch, Shiro Maguro, Striped Bass, sushi, suspension, sustainability, Sustainable Sushi, Suzuki, Tataki, Texas White Shrimp, Tobiko, trap-caught, wild, wild-caught
May has finally arrived, bringing the beginning of the North Atlantic Books Spring 2008 season. Our new books this month encompass a wide range of genres including metaphysics, anatomy, martial arts, business, and fiction. Enjoy!
To order, please visit www.northatlanticbooks.com
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The Fourth Perspective: A CJ Floyd Mystery
By Robert Greer
$14.95/$16.95 in Canada
Trade Paper
978-1-58394-223-9
392 pages, 6 x 9
Frog, Ltd.
On Sale May 6, 2008
The building of the transcontinental railroad provides a dramatic setting for murder in this lively thriller by Robert Greer, author of The Devil’s Hatband. When bail bondsman and bounty hunter CJ Floyd opens an antique store, the last thing he expects is to be fingered for murder. But that’s exactly what happens after an immigrant student tries to sell him a rare book. The book contains a hidden photograph as legendary—and valuable—as the Maltese Falcon. The seller quickly turns up dead in an alley, and CJ is the main suspect. Before he knows it, CJ finds himself on the dark side of a historical looking glass that has him following eccentric power brokers, museum curators, art dealers and collectors, and academics down a trail of greed and corruption as they all vie for a picture they’re willing to kill for. The Fourth Perspective is a fast-moving, full-dress whodunit based on the last great American railroad construction project and its priceless photographic history.
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Sacred Commerce: Business as a Path of Awakening
By Matthew and Terces Engelhart
$14.95/$16.95 in Canada
Trade Paper
978-1-55643-729-8
152 pages, 6 x 9
North Atlantic Books
On Sale May 6, 2008
Matthew and Terces Engelhart, the owners of Café Gratitude, a popular organic vegan restaurant chain in the San Francisco Bay Area and LA, offer Sacred Commerce as a blueprint for creating a business based on community and spiritual values. Matthew and Terces present the idea that love before appearances is the antidote to our spiritual, environmental, and social degradation. This book explores topics including mission statements, manager as coach, human resources as a sacred culture, and inspirational meetings. Integrating the concept of “Sacred Commerce” into business can provide both financial success and spiritual satisfaction. Sacred Commerce is the ideal mix of the personal and the practical—a guidebook written by people who have felt success, not just spent it.
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Yang Style Traditional Long Form T’ai Chi Ch’uan: As Taught by Master T.T. Liang
By Gordon Muir
$16.95/$20 in Canada
Trade Paper
978-1-58394-221-5
256 pages, 7 x 9-1/4
Blue Snake Books
On Sale May 13, 2008
Gordon Muir began his martial arts studies at the age of twelve, followed by years of serious study of a wide variety of disciplines including judo, kyokushinkai, karate, kempo, several kung fu styles, and kickboxing. Eventually he discovered the internal martial arts, which led to t’ai chi and Master T.T. Liang, renowned teacher of Yang style. Yang Style Traditional Long Form T’ai Chi Ch’uan is the culmination of the author’s longtime study of this style. It focuses on the revered traditional form rather than the more recently created short form, and describes in depth the type of movement t’ai chi strives for that distinguishes it from other martial arts. Numerous photographs and detailed descriptions showcase and simplify the movements, which include the traditional Yang stances, hand and arm positions, and moving and powering. Written in a simple, engaging style, the book is designed to help new students get started in this rewarding tradition and more advanced practitioners deepen their knowledge of it.
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The Gods’ Machines: From Stonehenge to Crop Circles
By Wun Chok Bong
$26.95 / $32.00 in Canada
Trade paper
978-1-58394-207-9
528 pages, 7-3/16 x 10
Frog, Ltd.
On Sale May 27, 2008
Based on Wun Chok Bong’s decipherment of prehistoric carvings and the application of mathematical measurements, The Gods’ Machines shows how “unknown” phenomena from Angkor Wat to Stonehenge to crop circles are actually powerhouses built by an advanced extraterrestrial civilization for tapping electromagnetic energy. The book traces the development of that civilization on Earth over 5,000 years, and reveals how all of these structures are aligned according to a universal formula. These fascinating theories not only explain our distant past, but also open the door to a future of power technology and space travel. The Gods’ Machines is a comprehensive, illustrated study of the extraterrestrial origins of megalithic structures, based on a provocative “stone angle alignment” theory and is certain to stimulate debate among readers interested in alternative history, ancient civilization, and extraterrestrial intelligence.
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Anatomy of the Moving Body: A Basic Course in Bones, Muscles, and Joints Second Edition
By Theodore Dimon, Jr.
$21.95/$25 in Canada
Trade Paper
978-1-55643-720-5
272 pages, 8 x 9-1/4
North Atlantic Books
On Sale May 27, 2008
By the author of The Undivided Self and The Elements of Skill, Anatomy of the Moving Body is a simple yet complete study of the body’s complex system of bones, muscles, and joints and how they function. Beautifully illustrated with more than 100 dynamic images, the book contains 31 lectures that guide readers through this challenging interior landscape. Each part of the body is explained in brief, manageable sections and topics include the etymology of anatomical terms; origins and attachments of muscles and their related actions; discussion of major functional systems such as the pelvis, ankle, shoulder girdle, and hand; major landmarks and human topography; and structures relating to breathing and vocalization. This second edition features all-new illustrations and is ideal for dancers and movement educators, students, therapists, as well as for practitioners of yoga, Pilates, martial arts, and dance.
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Categories: North Atlantic Books · books · news · publishing
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North Atlantic Books’ author Casson Trenor of the upcoming and highly anticipated book Sustainable Sushi: A Guide for a Changing Planet (due for publication in January, 2009) is a leading expert in sustainable ocean management. He is currently featured in the May 6, 2008 issue of the Oakland Tribune in an article entitled “EcoChef: Preserving Fisheries is a Matter of Choice.”
When it comes to eating at restaurants, consumers have to be even more wary. Many establishments now claim environmental awareness, but if you look closely at what they are offering, you might find something different. Casson Trenor is the author of the upcoming book “Sustainable Sushi: A Guide For a Changing Planet” (North Atlantic Books, 2009) and director of FishWise, an industry certifying organization. According to Trenor, there are two points of view in the seafood industry. Some groups realize that the industry is currently unsustainable, and are doing everything in their power to change those damaging practices. However, there are other groups that will sell anything to stay in business, including unsustainable fish. Unfortunately, Trenor says, “In the long run they are cutting their own throats.”
Top Choices For Sustainable California Seafood:
1. Dungeness Crab
2. Black Rockfish
3. Pacific Sardines
4. Pacific Albacore Tuna
5. White Seabass (King Croaker)
Also recommended are Alaskan Wild Salmon and Alaskan Halibut instead of local populations.
For farmed fish:
1. Arctic Char (an excellent salmon replacement)
2. Striped Bass
3. Tilapia (from U.S.)
4. Catfish (from U.S.)
5. Shellfish: Oysters, Clams, Mussels, Abalone
Avoid farmed salmon and shrimp.
Casson Trenor holds an M.A. in International Environmental Policy from the Monterey Institute of International Studies and is currently the Business Development Director for FishWise. Trenor is a sushi aficionado and has been so since a very young age. From saving the whales of the Antarctic to studying the salmon of Alaska, Trenor has worked to understand and analyze sustainable ways to manage the resources of our oceans. In thousands of conversations with fishermen around the world, he has heard one statement repeated: “The fish are gone.” Trenor has worked on environmental or fishery management issues in all five oceans and in more seas than he can name. Trenor was born in Seattle and is currently a resident of San Francisco.
CLICK HERE to view the full article from the Oakland Tribune.
CLICK HERE to learn more about Sustainable Sushi.
Categories: California · North Atlantic Books · books · news
Tagged: abalone, albacore, author, bass, California, Casson Trenor, catfish, char, clams, crab, EcoChef, environment, environmental, farmed, fish, fisheries, FishWise, halibut, Monterey Institute of International Studies, mussels, North Atlantic Books, Oakland Tribune, ocean, oysters, rockfish, salmon, San Francisco, sardines, sea, seabass, seafood, shellfish, shrimp, sushi, sustainable, tilapia, tuna
