In the US, October is National Seafood Month. Back in 2007, we re-christened it National Sustainable Seafood Month. 

This year, the blog event is complemented by a series of chefs' roundtables in three cities and a culinary competition in Boston. For those of you living outside the Boston, Chicago, or Toronto areas, the online event is the way to participate. Here's how.

What is this Sustainable Seafood blog event, anyway?Do I have to dress up for it? Buy a ticket? Find a date?

A blog event takes place in the blogosphere only. You may participate completely nude if you like, or in chef's whites, sweats, goofy shorts. No tickets needed. The only dates you need to worry about are the dates of the event: recipes must be submitted between September 21 and October 31. The other kind of dates, well, you're on your own there.

 What does a blog event look like?

Essentially, it's a contest for food bloggers/ home cooks/ chefs/ food writers / whomever to enter a recipe on a theme and a photo of the dish. The prize, if you will is being featured in the round up and having a lovely post to link to on your blogs. For last year's round up see: Teach a Man to Fish 2008 Round Up.

Why this, why now?

October is National Seafood Month and the oceans need our help now more than ever. See Goodbye Charlie on the demise of bluefin tuna.

Do you have a snappy name for this event? And what is Sustainable Seafood anyway?

We've all heard the adage: "Give a man a fish and you'll feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you'll feed him for a lifetime."

Teach a Man to Fish is about sharing questions, answers, tools and resources; sharing recipes and deepening our proficiency with incorporating more sustainable seafood choices into our day-to-day dining, shopping, cooking habits.

One speaker described sustainability as borrowing from the interest and not the principle, which I kind of like. Check out the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Program site for info and a free pocket card. Now, we also have iPhone Apps and FishPhone and many other places where we can find information about sustainable seafood. You can also see our Resource Guide from last year's online event.

1. Prepare a recipe using sustainable seafood.
2. Send a photo (200 x 300 pixels) in an email to me.
3. Subject line should read: "Teach a Man to Fish" Include your blog or website URL; your name; country.

Also - be sure to tell your friends and write about the event on your blog, Tweet and Facebook us. The more traffic, the better for all of us and for getting the message out.

Other details:

• Sign up for my newsletter (free, private, fun) to ensure you get updates on the event and follow me on Twitter.
• I'll be collecting entries for about four weeks. I tried to limit it to two weeks last year, but there was just too much interest. Oct 31 is the hard deadline. Full Stop. (I have to finish the edits while I prep Thanksgiving, you know.)
• The "round-up" (where I take all the entries, edit info submitted with them, resize photos, then post on this blog) will take more or less time depending on how many entries there are and how many other jobs (read: paid jobs) appear in the roundup phase. Sorry, just being honest. It will also depend on how compliant people are. If you send me photos that are too big or some odd format, it will take longer. JPEG or GIF no larger than 200x300, please.
• No, I'm not shilling for a product, a particular aquarium, or sustainable program or chef or restaurant. Yes, there are some that are near and dear to my heart. Just ask.

If you are a chef: please join us for the workshop called Teach a Chef to Fish, info here.

If you are a culinary student: get ready to enter our first sustainable seafood culinary competition, sign up for the newsletter here to keep on top of news.

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