Seafood Zooms to the Top as the New Date Cuisine
Since COVID-19, nearly all of us have experienced our share of Zoom meetings, whether for business conferences, family gatherings or dates.
Dates? Yes, dates. It seems cupid has found a way to circumvent quarantines, social distancing, and mask wearing, proving that love—or at least the search for it—prevails. Zoom dates are also increasingly popular for those in long distance relationships.
While these zoom dates take many forms, from just hanging out to cocktails to simultaneous movie watching, an increasingly popular choice is cooking. These remote meals follow several scenarios: cooking the same dishes “together” or cooking to impress your date (i.e., proving you know your way around the kitchen, or at least your kitchen). Some geographically desirable chefs even have the finished product delivered so they can tune back in to watch their partners enjoying their meals in the comfort of their own home. Whatever the logistics, the question remains, what to cook?
According to some 20 to 30-year-old young professionals, one of the most popular choices for Zoom cooking is seafood for a variety of reasons:
• Ease of preparation and cooking
• A sophisticated choice (because it only looks difficult to cook)
• Versatility of cooking methods and dishes
• Fast cooking times (for example, shrimp cooks in as little as 1 to 3
minutes; branzino, in 8 to 10 minutes)
• Affordability
• Presentation - it looks elegant and inviting on a plate
• Health – you care about your health and others’
• Sustainability- you care about the planet! (when you buy from a reputable sustainable seafood supplier, that is)
Choosing Your Sea Fare
There are virtually hundreds of delicious seafood options to choose from, so how should you select what to serve? Again, young professionals have advised starting with the obvious: Have suggestions ready that your date can react to and have a seafood Plan B ready. This will show (a) you are well versed in seafood or (b) you are at least competent enough to google it. Meanwhile, recommend something unexpected, such as a grilled calamari with sweet chili sauce , shrimp toast with avocado and oven tomatoes, roasted branzino with warm tomato relish or grilled cedar plank Seamami shrimp with gremolata that shows that you are innovative and adventurous or shrimp tacos or New England Style Branzino Chowder to show off your more casual and traditional side.