Finding Our Way

When I was a lobsterman in Maine I prided myself on my ability to navigate across the sea through the dense fog using a compass and my wristwatch. Just now I used my iPhone to search for a store in Manhattan that I didn’t realize I was already standing in front of. Here’s a picture…

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$400,000 for a Fish?

What’s with the $400,000 bluefin tuna that just sold at a new year’s auction in Tokyo? Nothing. This recurring headline of extravagantly priced tuna is one of those news items that leaves you with less knowledge than you had before you heard about it. That’s because the only reason any bidder at the Tokyo auction ever pays…

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Feeling “Manly”?

In case you sushi lovers haven’t had enough of my posts on nigiri topped with flounder testicle, here’s the latest high-end food fad in that category: sipping cod semen. Apparently no one has told these people that we’re trying to bring back the cod population. I don’t think slurping down all the spermatozoa is going…

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How Much Should Sushi Cost?

Most of us are probably overpaying for good sushi. Last night at my Sushi Concierge dinner lecture in New York, one guest declared our simple but elegant menu of traditional sushi better than meals he’d eaten at the much pricier sushi bars Masa and Yasuda. It’s all about knowledge. I’ll be sharing more insider tips…

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A Sense of Time

It’s the 180th anniversary of the founding of the tiny fishing community on the Cranberry Isles in Maine, where the 5th-generation lobstermen depicted in The Secret Life of Lobsters live and work. Here’s the commemorative postmark, showing the small boat that still ferries passengers and brings the islanders their daily mail. Hard to believe I…

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Food for Thought

If there’s one thing I learned while researching and writing The Story of Sushi, it’s that the history of sushi has been one of surprisingly constant change and evolution, both in Japan and internationally. The book’s subtitle isn’t “An Unlikely Saga of Raw Fish and Rice” for nothing. The other day I had the honor…

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How to Talk about Bestiality on NPR

My exceptionally embarrassing interview with WNYC’s RadioLab has just been beamed around the world. The topic? The mysterious phenomenon of large lobster rescues. Here’s a sample from the conversation: Robert Krulwich: “Was it its beauty?” Trevor Corson: “I actually think that lobsters are very attractive.” Robert Krulwich: “Do you always think that?” Trevor Corson: “I…

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Indignant Dignity

I am searching for the words that could describe this dog’s expression. Something that combines reproach with bewilderment at the human sense of humor. Source: Buzzfeed.

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