FreeThink: Always Order the Crab Cakes

FreeThink: a blog published by Maxwell PR

Always Order the Crab Cakes

As a native Oregonian and a daughter of an avid outdoorsman, I've had many opportunities to harvest the fantastic bounty of the Northwest. Fresh crab, crawdads, trout, steelhead, salmon, razor clams, mussels, butter clams -- you name it, my family caught it, cooked it and loved eating it.

So it's no wonder that whenever I see crab cakes or razor clams on a restaurant menu, I am compelled to order them. Usually, enjoying such delicacies was one dimensional -- between the crab cake or razor clams and me. Until recently, I never thought about the fishermen who brought that crab out of the sea and sold it into the commercial supply chain that led to its beautiful presentation on my plate.

When Josh Beyer on the Maxwell PR team told me about the Fisher Poet's gathering in Astoria, I was intrigued. He explained that it's a convergence of creative people who make art out of their experiences as laborers at sea. Taking their subjects from years spent pulling fish onto decks of fishing boats, sliming in canneries, distributing frozen fish, steering ships, or welcoming their fishers home, they read, sing, lecture, tell stories, show original slides and films to an audience that has reached close to 800 in past years.

Fortunately for us all, NPR captured some of this lore in what we believe is a remarkable example of vivid storytelling. Check it out.

So next time you see seafood on the menu, think about the commercial fishermen poets. You'll be glad you did.

And in the meantime, let me recommend the razor clams at Ciao Vito and the mussels at clarklewis, which I've been fortunate to enjoy in Portland this winter. Magnifico! Should you enjoy such fare, please take a moment to acknowledge the fisher poets who brought you such Oregon Bounty, as well as the fabulous chefs who served up such delicacies.

-Vicky Hastings
vicky@maxwellpr.com

posted on March 22, 2005

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