“Fish Forever: The Definitive Guide to Understanding, Selecting, and Preparing Healthy, Delicious, and Environmentally Sustainable Seafood,” by Paul Johnson (Wiley; $34.95)
The hunt for the biggest bluefin had gone from a sport to a bidding war in Bobby Folsom’s lifetime.
As a child, Bobby recalled Atlantic tuna tournaments where the winner received a polished walnut brass plaque and an all-expense-paid five-day holiday to Palm Beach, Fla., writes Paul Johnson in “Fish Forever.” The loser received 3 cents on the pound at the cat-food factory.
By the 1980s and the 1990s, the world had discovered the giant bluefins being landed at Point Judith, and a savvy fisherman who bypassed buyers on the docks and took his tuna directly to the Tsukiji fish market could get record prices for the fish prized as sashimi in Tokyo sushi bars.
Folsom received $40,000 for his 800- pound fish. By 2001, the price had skyrocketed to $173,000 for a 444-pound fish.
Bobby Folsom’s story is one way Johnson, who founded the Monterey Fish Market in 1979, illustrates the plight of the sea’s precious resources.
He provides in-depth guidance on 70 fish and shellfish, and pinpoints today’s least endangered, least contaminated, but best-tasting species.
Johnson integrates health information, guidance on sustainable seafood, cooking advice, recipes, fishing lore and more in a book that’s indispensable for anyone who enjoys seafood but wants to make sure it is healthy and safe and remains plentiful for future generations. | Sharon K. Ghag, McClatchy Newspapers
