In honor of AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) Heritage Month, I’m starting this letter with one of my favorite idioms, mentioned here before — Itadakimasu. It’s a Japanese expression that means “I humbly receive,” uttered before meals as a form of praise, gratitude and acknowledgment for the food and all the elements — the earth, the farmers, the fishermen, the chef and waitstaff — who made it viable.
In the spirit of this sentiment, I humbly receive the endless inspiration, motivation and wisdom that comes from the robust culinary traditions of so many different parts of Asia and the Pacific Islands, and specifically to the ways in which these glorious traditions inform the way we eat and enjoy seafood.
Such as this Marinated Cod with Dill and Turmeric, a unique recipe by Guy Huynh, VP of Engineering at Wild Alaskan who — in addition to being a truly great guy — is a professional chef! "This combo always reminds me of my mom's kitchen," he says of the bright and herbaceous Vietnamese flavor profile.
Or a whole afternoon spent assembling these Ground Sockeye Salmon Dumplings, with this recipe by the multi-talented Kat McCue, Korean American food blogger and passionate home chef, who leans on nostalgia as her main ingredient, and whom we can also thank for:
- Inspiration for cooking seafood ramen at home.
- Ideas for making seafood musubi, famously eaten in Hawaii with spam, but featuring salmon in our iteration.
- Tips on how to make these Pajeon Scallion Pancakes, a sublime utilization of leftover flaked fish.
- Instructions for filling seafood onigiri with wild-caught seafood.
- A quick recipe for crab fried-rice inspired by key elements of Chinese cuisine.
- A practical explanation for the general concept of umami, the “sixth sense” of flavor that shines in so many Japanese dishes.
We pay homage to our AAPI communities, and are thankful for the culinary legacies that live on in so many of the incredible meals that we enjoy on a daily basis.
So, I humbly receive this dynamic world of gastronomical possibilities — and wish the same for you.
Live wild!
Monica
Pictured Above: A festive plate of Sockeye Salmon Musubi (this photo and recipe courtesy of our friends at BBRSDA — Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association). Honestly, it’s the kind of dish that’ll turn your party guests into your personal groupies.
