How to Celebrate National Seafood Month in October

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Sat 01 Oct 2011 - Mon 31 Oct 2011

Seafood is a tricky thing to get people to try. Between the smell, texture and look of some of it, it can sometimes seem unappetizing. October is National Seafood Month, so if you're someone who hasn't tried very many types of seafood, consider this your excuse to dive in and try a few more. It's also a good chance to learn some more facts about it and cook some new recipes.

Learn some facts

Did you know the average American consumes about four pounds of shrimp per year? Americans also eat almost three pounds of canned tuna per year. If you would like to learn more interesting facts about seafood, check out Fish Watch from the National Marine Fisheries Service. You can also learn about the the sustainability status of each, nutrition information, the history behind them, relevant dates involving them, and a huge amount of scientific information.

Try a new seafood restaurant

There are a lot of seafood restaurants, especially near the coast, but choosing which ones to try isn't so easy. NYC has quite a few places, but not all of them are worth the visit; some, however, certainly are. Luke's Lobster has several locations throughout NYC including one in the Upper East Side and another in the East Village. A few of the options on the menu include crab rolls, spicy crab and sweet potato bisque, and lobster. Pearl Oyster Bar , located on Cornelia Street, has quite a big menu that includes crab cakes, pan-roasted sea scallops, and smoked Atlantic salmon.

Learn some recipes

Some may think seafood is too expensive and too difficult to make at home, but that's not always the case. Allrecipes.com has several delicious recipes that are easy and relatively inexpensive to make including Crawfish Chowder , Miso Soup , Coconut Shrimp , Peppered Shrimp Alfredo , and Spicy Salmon with Caramelized Onions . For those who are a bit nervous about cooking seafood at home, check out the FDA page " Fresh and Frozen Seafood: Selecting and Serving it Safely ."

Have a seafood party

If you and your friends want to try new seafood dishes, consider hosting a seafood party. Each of you can bring a different kind that you may never have tried before including catfish, cod, swordfish and caviar. Considering putting it out buffet style so everyone could grab what they want.

If you very rarely eat any seafood or don't eat any at all, October is a chance to discover all of the health benefits of seafood. Although you can get great seafood almost anywhere, consider National Seafood Month as an excuse to take a trip to a coast to get fresh seafood right on the water.

Photo copyright belongs to avlxyz via Flickr

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!date 01/10/2011 -- 31/10/2011
%wnnewyork