June 6, 2017 — The Gloucester Fresh campaign to market Cape Ann’s bounty of seafood has made its way to the little screen. Several of them, actually.
The campaign, which in the past has included digital billboards and other marketing tools, now has produced five seafood video demonstrations of recipes tailored to the local catch, as well as a tutorial from local fisherman Al Cottone on how to shop and buy the freshest seafood.
“By utilizing fresh and local seafood you are not only preparing delicious and healthy food, but also supporting your community,” Gloucester Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken said in a statement. “We’re excited to launch a new series of captivating cooking videos which will help inspire chefs of all kinds to utilize affordable, seasonal, local, and regional seafood.”
Got a hankering for pollock with mashed potatoes and parsnips? Got you covered. Pining for a new flounder recipe? There are two, as well as individual recipes for whiting pate and redfish with warm spring corn and a tomato salsa.
“These really are updated recipes, with a fresher and more modern approach to cooking,” said Heather Atwood, the esteemed local food writer who began working with the city and the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association on raising the regional and national profile of Cape Ann seafood.
The videos, shot in the kitchen of Atwood’s Rockport home, feature Annie Copps, a well-known presence on the Boston restaurant and food-writing scene. Copps has worked in the kitchens of restaurants such as Olives and Jasper’s, as well as serving as food editor at Boston Magazine and Yankee Magazine.
“I’ve known Annie for, gosh, I don’t know how long, just from being involved with food,” Atwood said. “She’s just fabulous and did a great job in these videos.”