I grew up in Elyria outside Cleveland, Oh. Seafood experience was the Friday fish fry of perch and walleye. Many caught by my uncles and me.
I attended KentState I settled in Tampa, Fl. While there I worked in restaurants and kitchens including; The Tampa Convention Center (I helped feed 4000 Mary Kay ladies), Cafe Creole (long time Tampa favorite), a retirement community, and Executive Chef at the University of South Florida.
My favorite memories of Florida are at a restaurant called Native Seafood.
There I often went to the docks to pick up fish. I maintain relationships with the same guys that have survived. We grew fresh herbs in a garden alongside the occasional papaya, banana trees, and a stalwart kefir lime tree. After 10 years we reluctantly shuttered the restaurant and I enjoyed a brief stint as a full time fisherman (recreational) and part time beach bum.
I moved to New York City to pursue my dream of filleting fish. My first gig was in Coney Island in charge of the kitchen at Keyspan Park as Executive chef of the Brooklyn Cyclones. Close to the water but not much fish.
Since 2002 I work for a major NY seafood distributor. I have been a retail manager, the executive chef, project coordinator for retail build outs, in house publisher, wholesale sales, and purchasing. My business card says Buyer / Account Executive, who knows what is next.
I reside in RegoPark, Queens with my wife Ewa, her mother, our six month old son Adam and Arki the best fed dog in the world. I try to fish when I can.
I often find it necessary to explain the yield (amount of usable flesh) off of various fish. By knowing what percentage of meat will be available when a whole fish is filleted one can make an accurate analysis of; A. how much whole fish must be purchased and B. what is the true fillet cost. Knowing how to correctly perform these calculations will benefit not only seafood suppliers, restaurant chefs, but also the casual cook. Below is a list of some common fish and the net yield percentages. Actual percentages may vary depending on skill of the butcher. Salmon (head-on gutted) yields 75% skin-on fillet Snapper (head-on gutted) yields 40% skin-on fillet Mahi (headed and gutted) yields 65% skin-on fillet Monkfish (tail) yields 70% skinless fillet Cod (headed and gutted) yields 60% skin-on fillet Grouper (head-on gutted) yields 35% skinless fillet Halibut (headed and gutted) yields 66% skin-on fillet Tuna (headless bullets) yields 75% untrimmed loins Sword (headless bullets) yields 80% cen
Ever wonder what the differences are between Sole and Flounder? Some customers recently asked me the question so I thought I would take a moment to shed a bit of light on the subject. Here in North America we have no true sole only flounders. When Europeans came to the Americas they called flounders soles because they looked like the fish they knew in the "old world". This has led understandably to much confusion over the years. The only true sole would be Dover Sole, Solea solea . Lemon sole is one of the names given to winter flounder, Pseudopleuronectes americanus , (also known as black back). Usually at the retail level when multiple flounder sku's are sold; flounder is the name given to the refreshed less expensive product, and sole (or lemon sole) is the name given to the more expensive fresh cut product. Fluke, Paralichthys dentatus also called summer flounder can also be sold as sole fillet. Sometimes there is a distinction
Chefs and Buyers, The local waters, however cold they may be, are still giving up some great fish: We have sea trout (weakfish) 4-6lbs that are extra firm and in rigor from this side of the Mason-Dixon. Jumbo black sea bass with candy red gills from Rhode Island. Boston and Spanish mackerel that are both crudo worthy, just off of some short trip boats into Jersey. Since we had so many requests we acquired some local silver Dory from a Long Island boat, these dory are in the 2-5lb size range. Cod prices have dropped to very reasonable levels and makes it a great buy for the next few days. If cod isn't a menu item why not make this versatile fish your fresh catch of the day? From the West coast we bring you wild Sturgeon, fresh black cod (sablefish), a wide selection of oysters and Manila clams. Cockles from New Zealand are likely to remain in very short supply until next week. We will have ample Manila clams available to substit
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