Mark Bittman, author of Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating, published a recipe in the Times last week for red snapper, a species considered to be overfished. The online environmental magazine Grist called Bittman out for recommending “one of the most endangered species in U.S. waters,” arguing that “influential food writers, especially ones concerned with conscious eating, need to start educating the public about the dismal state of the oceans.” Bittman apologized — “this was a screwup” — but also defended himself in a comment to the Grist piece. The Grist writer recommends consulting Seafood Watch to find sustainable fish (a source Bittman himself has used in the past), but Bittman asserts that the list is “managed by scientists — not cooks.” Even suggesting alternatives creates problems. “[I]f enough people were to heed that advice, even those fish might soon be in short supply,” he writes, promising to address many of these issues in an upcoming Times piece. Eat Me Daily blames the Times for the kerfuffle: “Did this recipe fly right past the food editors and fact checkers, people of a higher food literacy who arguably should know more about responsible and sustainable eating?”
Bittman takes a bite out of the ocean [Grist]
Mark Bittman, ‘Locavore,’ Cooks Endangered Fish [Eat Me Daily]
From the Yucatán, a Burst of Citrus Salsa [NYT]
