Cuttlefish and peas

Pandora said:

Do you know this famous dish?
I use to cook it with a little tomato sauce:
http://i1.tinypic.com/mkdbfl.jpg
Have you got cuttlefish there?
Pandora

From what i've heard recently, the cuttlefish population has been
greaty overfished in some areas around the world. Here in the U.S, I
don't think it's easy to get although I can't speak for those who live
in coastal areas.
I did find this tid-bit of information regarding the Australian Giant
Cuttlefish:

Whyalla, South Australia is home to the breeding site of the Australia
Giant Cuttlefish (Sepia apama). In 1997 and 1998, the population was
decimated as over 400,000 cuttlefish were taken for the commercial
market. In 1998 the season was closed early by the Primary Industries
Minister, Mr. Kerin, and a three year study of the cuttlefish
population was initiated. Fishing was also closed in 1999 and 2000.
Concerned local sport divers have been instrumental in promoting
eco-tourism and diving as a renewable way to profit from the annual
cuttlefish aggregation in Whyalla and have rallied for the
establishment of permanent refuges and long-term conservation plans
(Smith, 2000). Kev

Pandora said:

Do you know this famous dish?
I use to cook it with a little tomato sauce:
http://i1.tinypic.com/mkdbfl.jpg
Have you got cuttlefish there?

At my local seafood market, they've only had them a couple of times, and I
swear the last time I saw them there was over 5 years ago. They are of
course similar to octopus and squid, but definitely different. They were
sold "cleaned", as are the small octopus here, while the squid are always
sold intact. I've never bought the larger octopus, so I don't know whether
they are sold cleaned or intact.

I'd like to see them again, but I'm not getting my hopes up. By the way, my
location is Washington, DC.

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"wff_ng_7" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

Pandora said:

Do you know this famous dish?
I use to cook it with a little tomato sauce:
http://i1.tinypic.com/mkdbfl.jpg
Have you got cuttlefish there?

At my local seafood market, they've only had them a couple of times, and I
swear the last time I saw them there was over 5 years ago. They are of
course similar to octopus and squid, but definitely different. They were
sold "cleaned", as are the small octopus here, while the squid are always
sold intact. I've never bought the larger octopus, so I don't know whether
they are sold cleaned or intact.

I'd like to see them again, but I'm not getting my hopes up. By the way,
my location is Washington, DC.

I have seen signs for them in the Super H market (or is it H Mart? On Rt.
50 across the street from Paul VI High School) in Fairfax, and I think at
the Hanh a Rheum market at the corner of Lee Highway and Gallows Rd. in
Merrifield. I haven't bought them, though, but have always wondered what
they are.

Chris

Chris said:

I have seen signs for them in the Super H market (or is it H Mart? On Rt.
50 across the street from Paul VI High School) in Fairfax, and I think at
the Hanh a Rheum market at the corner of Lee Highway and Gallows Rd. in
Merrifield. I haven't bought them, though, but have always wondered what
they are.

I wonder if those are fresh (or rather previously frozen) or dried. I know
they sell a lot of different dried seafood in Asian markets (if that's what
those are). I live in SW Washington, and the local market I was referring to
is the one on Maine Avenue in DC.

Here are two images of cuttlefish:

http://universe-review.ca/I10-28-cuttlefish.jpg
http://www.bio.calpoly.edu/clubs/Wildlife/images/Cuttlefish.jPG

Cuttlefish have a "bony" structure inside, unlike the cartilage in squid.
This is used to make the cuttlebones that pet birds can peck at:

http://us.st11.yimg.com/store1.yimg.com/I/naturechest_1878_51143227

Since the cuttlefish were sold cleaned, the ones I got didn't have this
inside.

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"wff_ng_7" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:Y8YBf.48548$Ez3.18588@trnddc03...

Quoted message said:

Chris said:

I have seen signs for them in the Super H market (or is it H Mart? On
Rt. 50 across the street from Paul VI High School) in Fairfax, and I
think at the Hanh a Rheum market at the corner of Lee Highway and Gallows
Rd. in Merrifield. I haven't bought them, though, but have always
wondered what they are.

I wonder if those are fresh (or rather previously frozen) or dried. I know
they sell a lot of different dried seafood in Asian markets (if that's
what those are). I live in SW Washington, and the local market I was
referring to is the one on Maine Avenue in DC.

Good point -- it could be that they are not fresh. I haven't investigated.
Once I go near the seafood department in an Asian store, I'm stuck there for
a while watching the live crabs, fish, eels and lobsters w/ my very excited
2-year-old. I usually hit the produce area and get out.

In article <[email hidden]>,

Pandora said:

Do you know this famous dish?
I use to cook it with a little tomato sauce:
http://i1.tinypic.com/mkdbfl.jpg
Have you got cuttlefish there?
Pandora

Here in California we have mostly our own local squid. It is a big
fishery here and we export to Europe and Asia. I think cuttlefish may be
found in some form in Asian markets here, but I haven't searched for it.
I have often cooked squid in a tomato sauce but not with the peas. I'll
have to try it- it does sound very good. Battered and fried squid is
very popular in restaurants here, but other preparations aren't to
common. I use it in a seafood stew called brodet, in a tomato sauce
with pasta, and sometimes in a risotto. (but not with ink!)

D.M.