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Have you ever tried a kumamoto oyster from Taylor Shellfish? They are simply divine!

I first discovered these petite succulent oysters  when I was writing "Delicious Immigrant" for the Leisure and  Arts page of The Wall Street Journal. This was one of my first articles for the Journal and to this day it remains my favorite article. When I wrote the piece, I was fairly new to Seattle...the whole region was a blank slate for exploration. Having grown up on the South Shore of Long Island and spent my summers cavorting on Peconic Bay, I was well aware of how waterways and marine environments can be destroyed.

When I stepped onto those Totten Inlet tidelands late one night with Jon Rowley and Bill Taylor back in February of 1996, I felt like a little kid again. I was amazed that we could walk along the beach and simply slurp the oysters at our feet. It was a culinary revelation that I was so glad to be a part of. Back east, we were always warned that it "wasn't a good idea" to eat the shellfish we found on the beaches of Long Island. 

Did you know that October is National Seafood Month? Well, indeed it is, and that is why I am going to offer ten tips for using seafood efficiently and affordably in YOUR home kitchen.

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that we eat eight ounces of seafood per week. Eight ounces isn't a lot of seafood, but many people find it difficult and expensive to work seafood into everyday family-friendly meals.

With that in mind, I'm offering my tips for using seafood in such a way that adults and kids will eat it! Here are the tried and true methods that have worked in my busy little kitchen:

1. Start with Smaller Portions: If you are introducing seafood to children, don't offer a huge 6-ounce portion at first. Start with smaller pieces and let them get used to it. I started doing this with my children when they were in high chairs. It works. Let them give you feedback and listen if they tell you it doesn't work for them...most likely the fish was overcooked, which, by the way, brings me to my second point...

2. Don't Overcook That Fish: One of the biggest seafood bummers is when seafood is overcooked. Don't shove your seafood onto the grill or into the oven and leave it there. Check it carefully and pull it out while the flesh is still translucent.