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I am pleased to announce the addition of a new line from Kanimi. This brand line features Smart Salmon and Crab Smart, two all natural seafood lines.

Smart Salmon is a frozen 6 oz salmon portion that is marinated in three flavors - Hawaiian Huli-Huli Sauce, Ginger Sauce and Kenyan Coffee BBQ Sauce. My favorite is the Kenyan Coffee BBQ Sauce.Smart Salmon features wild Alaskan Sockeye salmon that is caught, processed and frozen in Alaska and then shipped to Seattle where it is portioned, marinated and packaged. Wild Alaskan Sockeye is a certified sustainable fishery by the Marine Stewardship Council. Each entree contains 1500 mg of Omega-3 fatty acids which contribute to heart health, brain function and acts as an anti-inflammatory agent. Vitamin D, the antioxidant astaxanthin and selenium are also found in each entree making them a heart healthy, tasty meal.

Preparing these items couldn't be any easier. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, and microwave for 3 minutes at 50% power. Smart Salmon comes in a special "steam pouch" that makes preparation and cleanup a breeze. No more overcooked, dry salmon these entrees come out moist and tasty each and every time. After placing the salmon on the plate you toss the "steam pouch" in the garbage and clean up is done. The salmon have had the pin bones removed so you don't need to worry about bones in your salmon ever. This method of cooking also eliminates the fishy smell that can overwhelm a kitchen.

Crab Smart Natural is the fastest growing surimi seafood product on the market. Kanimi has removed all the phosphates and sorbitol, artificial flavors and artificial colors from this line of items and replaced all the artificial ingredients with those derived from natural sources, including the red coloring which comes from tomato-based anti-oxidant lycopene. They have increased the amount of Omega 3 fish oil to 350mg for Shrimp Smart and 400 mg for Crab Smart and Lobster Smart - up to 4 times that of the other leading brands. Crab Smart is made from Alaskan Pollock, a wild-caught sustainable species to which real snow crab is added. Crab Smart is available in flake, chunk and stick style. In addition to Crab, Kanimi also has Lobster Smart Natural and Shrimp Smart Natural, which has chemical free cold water shrimp added for flavor and texture. Crab Smart Natural is the wave of the future of surimi seafood.

Surimi is a very versatile item that can be used a salad topping, eaten on a cracker as an appetizer, used as a filling for sandwiches, wraps or burritos. Surimi can also be used for stuffing's for fish, mushroom caps or tomatoes. The Crab Sticks make for a great high protein snack that can be eaten on the go.

The real point of difference of all these items though is the simple fact they taste great!

One of the joys of living here is Seattle is the great seafood we have access to on a daily basis. Copper River Sockeye is now available and the fish are wonderful. We have our sockeye flown down to our supplier as soon as they hit the docks in SE Alaska. The fish are then hand selected, processed for us and shipped out to our facility the next day. The only way to get any fresher salmon is to catch it yourself.

Over the weekend I grilled some sockeye using a very simple technique. We had baked red garnet yams with our meal so I started by placing the yams on the upper rack of my grill and turning the burners on high. After 15 minutes I turned the yams and let cook another 15 minutes. I then turned the yams one more time for even cooking. I then minced four cloves of garlic and placed in a Pyrex dish, added about one third of a stick of butter, one eighth to one quarter a teaspoon of ground chipotle pepper ( amounts depends on how spicy you like your salmon), the juice from one quarter of a fresh lemon and micro waved for two 30 second blasts. I then let the butter mixture rest for five to ten minutes to allow the flavors to meld together. I then placed the salmon skin side down on a sheet of foil and basted with the melted butter. I then thinly sliced four slices of lemon and placed them on the salmon fillet. Place the sheet of foil with the salmon on it over the hot grill for five minutes. At the same time place a loaf of sourdough bread on the upper rack. After five minutes turn the heat off and let the salmon finish cooking for another five to seven minutes depending on the thickness of the salmon. When salmon is at desired doneness remove from foil sheet by placing spatula between the skin and meat and scooping the fillet up and onto a plate. We enjoyed our salmon dinner with a bottle of White Knight Viognier and Earthbound Farm Organic Greens and Herb salad mix.

Oregon shrimp season has opened and AmazonFresh will have this delectable item starting 4/15/09.

This cold-water shrimp species is smaller than most tropical shrimp, but its sweet taste and delicate texture have earned it a reputation for being more flavorful than its tropical relatives. The Oregon pink shrimp is one of twenty species of the Pandalid genus, most of which live in the Pacific Ocean. Currently the market for Oregon pink shrimp is concentrated on the West Coast, where the shrimp is sold to retail and food service markets.

P. jordani ranges from Alaska's Aleutian Islands to San Diego, California, and concentrates in the same well-defined areas each year. Like other Pandalid shrimp, pink shrimp are hermaphrodites; juveniles mature and breed as males during their first year and a half of life, and then later become females and breed as that sex for another year or two. Pandalid shrimp typically live four to five years, although some species may live as long as seven years. Regulations such as seasonal closures afford some protection to the shrimp when they are reproducing.

The P. jordani fishery is concentrated off Oregon and is predominantly a trawl fishery. Fishermen target shrimp during the day, when the animals congregate near the bottom in mud or mixed mud and sand bottom habitats. However, in contrast to tropical shrimp fisheries, trawls used to catch Oregon pink shrimp do not have full contact with the seafloor. Consequently, bycatch of unwanted finfish is greatly reduced. To further minimize bycatch, vessels use bycatch reduction devices. Furthermore, this fishery does not have problems catching sea turtles as tropical shrimp fisheries do.

CONSERVATION NOTES
Although environmental conditions are a major factor contributing to shrimp abundance, shrimp populations have been known to collapse from overfishing. Consequently, there is some reason for concern that no limits or quotas are in place to restrict catches in the Oregon pink shrimp fishery. With no real estimates of population abundance available, careful attention is required to avoid overfishing. In addition, while total bycatch is lower compared to bycatch in tropical shrimp fisheries, the unwanted catch of long-lived, highly vulnerable rockfish by shrimp trawls is a concern.

The Oregon pink shrimp fishery has been certified as sustainable to the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard.

The fresh halibut season has opened for 2009 and we have received our first shipment. Our supplier has long standing contracts with day boats out of SE Alaska. Day boats are fishermen that just go out and fish for a day and return to port to offload their catch. These fish are then air freighted down to Seattle, processed over night and delivered to AmazonFresh the next day. What that means to you is that you are getting the freshest fish possible.

Pacific halibut is the largest of the flatfish noted for their thick meaty flesh that holds up well for a number of cooking methods and sauces. Because of changes in the management in this fishery fresh halibut is available from Mid-March to Mid-November. Alaskan and BC halibut are caught using the longline method, in which baited hooks are strung together very five to ten feet along quarter mile long lines of gear. The meat of fresh halibut should be almost translucent, not dull, and yellowish or dried out. It makes great fish and chips and can be baked, broiled, grilled, poached and pan fried. Halibut meat is a firm meat that holds together in most preparations. Halibut's dense texture is great for skewering for kabobs and hold marinades well.

One of my favorite methods of preparing halibut is to grill it. I start by soaking a handful of alder chips in hot water for approximately 30 minutes, as the chips are soaking I preheat the grill to a medium high heat. Combine in a microwave safe dish a quarter to half stick of butter, the juice from half lemon and a dash of garlic powder, heat in microwave for 30 seconds. Place halibut on a sheet of aluminum foil skin side down. Drizzle butter mixture over the fillets and season with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Drain the chips and place in smoker box or foil packet with holes poked into the top to allow the smoke to escape. Place the chips over a burner (or coals) to the side of where the fillets will be cooked. Place the fillets over the direct heat, close the lid to the grill and cook until the meat flakes away easily. You want the interior to be slightly translucent when the flakes are separated. This should be approximately 10 minutes depending on the heat of the grill. Remove the halibut from the grill (still on the foil sheet) and let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. The fillets will continue to cook while resting and this will insure that you haven't overcooked the halibut and will have a moist, tender fillet to enjoy with a glass of Fume Blanc or Chardonnay.

I just wanted to say a few words about our seafood selection on AmazonFresh.
When we first started this venture I brought on a much larger assortment of fresh seafood than what we currently carry. To provide our customers with the freshest, highest quality assortment possible I narrowed this original assortment to what we have been carrying over the last year.

We have grown dramatically over these last year and this increased volume has given me the ability to start to look at expanding our assortment again. I have made the decision that with the coming fishing seasons opening in the next months I will be adding to our assortment of fresh seafood. I am working with our supplier now to line up the freshest and highest quality seafood that will be available. I would like to hear from you, the customer, as to what you would like to see added to our assortment. Please send your suggestions to product-suggestion@amazonfresh.com.

I am also sourcing high quality Frozen At Sea (FAS) products so that when the fresh seafood isn't available you will have an alternate source for your seafood needs. FAS product when done properly is actually "fresher" than fresh seafood. This is because the fish is processed hours after being caught, in most cases the fish are processed even before the rigor state has begun to set in. The critical piece as with all frozen product is in the thawing process. The best method of thawing is in the refrigerator at least a day before you plan on using the product. If time is of the essence and the packaging is compatible, placing the product in a colander under cold running water will thaw most items safely and without comprising quality.

Hey Fresh fans,

I am Phillip (aka Chili Philly) the resident Hot and Spicy Food Tester here at AmazonFresh. As the title might suggest I am kind of obsessed with hot and spicy food. Actually addicted might be a more accurate description. Therefore my posts here on the Blog are going to walk more on the wild side. I wanted my inaugural post to be less about the products I love and more why I love all things hot. Beyond the obvious tastiness of spicy food there are many other benefits that you Fresh fans might not be aware of so I thought I would start out by listing them for you.

*Peppers and other spices are a low calorie way to add taste that has been shown to boost metabolism, help with weight loss and the lowering of blood pressure.

*Spicy food helps the body absorb blood clots and can lead to increased heart health.

*Spicy food gets a bad rap for causing heart burn. Studies have shown that a consistent spicy food intake actually increases stomach secretions that protect the stomach and aids in digestion. The key is to not do it all in one sitting.

*After eating spicy food you can expect improved sleep patterns with a more relaxed and uninterrupted night.

*Spicy food can help with cold and flu recovery by easing the discomfort of cold and flu symptoms and clearing nasal passages. (Mix some hot sauce in with that chicken soup.)

*Last but not least are the anti-oxidant and cancer fighting properties that are found in many spicy foods.

The source of many of these benefits is the fact that spicy foods cause the body to release endorphins. The hotter the pepper the more endorphins the body releases to cope with the heat. Endorphins are the same reason that acupuncture, massage and meditation have health benefits. Endorphins cause a euphoric feeling and are the source of a runners high. If you are already a big fan of spicy food you may have noticed that you enjoy a beer or margarita much more with hot and spicy food. This is no accident. It is the endorphins and the alcohol combining to increase your enjoyment. It is also no accident that if you love spicy food you really start to crave them after a really hard workout. Try your favorite spicy dish and a beer after your weekend run or bike ride and you will be on cloud nine.

I have not included links to all the studies as evidence for all of this. A quick internet search on health benefits of spicy foods will lead you to them but this article has a lot of the ones I mentioned above.

Ok enough with all of the reasons for loving spicy food and down to giving you something to try for your first time out. Since this may be your first spin around the block we are putting on the training wheels here. I want to make this first recipe so easy that work is not a barrier to joining me in my love of spicy food. This is probably as easy as it gets but that does not mean it will not do wonders for the taste buds (and endorphins).

Mexican Shrimp Cocktail

Cocktail Sauce combined with your favorite fresh salsa in equal quantities in a shallow bowl. I suggest
Charlies. Choose a hotter salsa rather than mild since the cocktail sauce already cuts down on the bite.
Place cooked shrimp around the edges of the bowl and garnish with cut lemons or limes.

I said it was easy. Enjoy! We will try something harder (and possibly hotter) next time.