Chef Ambrose is executive chef and co-owner of Salt Tavern in Baltimore, MD.  Named after a childhood memory of his grandfather putting salt on a honeydew melon, Salt opened in 2006 and has garnered various awards.  An area favorite of food lovers, Salt’s food is a mixer of regional foods with Asian and South American influences. When asked about his own influences Chef Ambrose didn't reply with big names but he paid homage to mentors and those he has worked with in the past. When he is not in the kitchen he enjoys his time at home, he did mention his favorite city to dine out is Philadelphia.

The Arctic Char Fish is both a freshwater and saltwater fish that is closely related to both salmon and trout, and the flesh color of Char Fish range from a bright red to a pale pink.  The Arctic Char can be found in the Arctics, Scotland, Ireland, Scandinavia, Siberia, and is one of the rarest fish species in Britian.

Before the event began guests mixed and mingled during the cocktail reception.

 With the combination of the night lights of downtown Baltimore and the various aquatic exhibits a glow, the evening was off to a great start.  After welcomes, acknowledgements, and introductions by Laura Bankey, the Aquarium’s Manager of Conservation and host for the evening, Chef Ambrose conducted a cooking demonstration on how to make Clear Broth Arctic Char Chowder with Potatoes and Apple Wood Smoked Bacon, this was the first of three courses that would be served to all attendees executed beautifully by The Classic Catering People.  The other two courses to follow were Spicy Arctic Char Tartare with Sriracha Asian Pears and Green Onion Promme Frites, and Slow-Roasted Arctic Char with Barbecue Lentils and Butternut Squash Puree. To top it off dessert was Cherry Glen Farm Goat Cheese Doughnuts which Chef Ambrose demonstrated how to make these.

In between the courses those in attendance were educated about the types of seafood best to feast on that will not endanger our oceans.  All received a card of fish that are best to eat.  The card consisted of a green, yellow, and red category.  The red column indicated the fish that are best choices for us to eat that would not have a negative effect on the ocean, the yellow column are good alternatives, and red column are the fish to avoid. Can you guess where Arctic Char landed? (To find out which fish landed in the best choices category and which fish to avoid visit www.seafoodwatch.org.)

To top off the evening of great food, conversation, and information all were invited to enjoy an after-hours stroll through the Aquarium.  The colorfull fish were especially amazing that night.

With the Fresh Thought: Sustainable Food Series coming to a close for the fall, I truly look forward to the the start of the spring series. The date and time of the spring series has not been confirmed at this time.

Visit http://www.aqua.org/ to find out more about the National Aquarium in Baltimore and the Fresh Thought: Sustainable Food Series.