Eat more fish. Americans are eating only an average of 16.3 pounds of fish or seafood per person per year, according to new data from the National Marine Fisheries Service. That's less than half of what many doctors recommend; we eat nearly as much turkey -- a traditional special-occasion meat -- as we do fish.

Recent surveys show that cost can be a factor. Yes, really good seafood is often expensive. But so is a ribeye. And if you keep tabs on things, you'll notice that prices for Dungeness crab, Maine lobster and Florida stone crab are all down this season, making these delicacies affordable.

Frozen seafood is another inexpensive option. I buy a lot of pre-frozen seafood, which is often of better quality than fresh because it is flash-frozen on the boat. A few companies make good pre-made seafood entrees as well: One I like a lot is SeaPak's Maryland-style crab cake, which is excellent with a dollop of good mustard.

Another stopper for many is the notion that seafood is difficult to prepare. Again, fish can be as involved or as simple as you want. A basic beer batter is one quick and easy option, but so is a healthier simple broiled haddock, cod or pollock -- Pacific pollock, incidentally, ios one of the cheapest and most sustainable fish you can buy.

What's ideal? Eating fish twice a week. Sounds like a good New Year's resolution to me...

I saw this article in the Washington Post this morning describing the "phenomenon" of non-Asians shopping at Asian supermarkets looking for fresh meat, fish and produce -- at a bargain price.

For me, this is a "dog bites man" story, because one of the first things any seafood lover should know is that the best quality seafood often can be found in an Asian market...if you know what to look for.

Asian markets will have so many different kinds of seafood you will likely be flummoxed by the variety: What's more, most of the fish will be whole (the fishmonger will fillet them for you if you wish). This is a good thing, however, as it is far easier to determine if a whole fish is fresh than it is with a fillet.

My advice: Read my tips on how to spot the freshest seafood, and also know that sometimes frozen fish can be of better quality than fresh. Then get thee to your nearest Asian mart -- and go with an open mind. The most beautifully fresh fish might NOT be what you came for, but go with it, and then check this site for recipes. You might need to adjust your plans, but it'll be worth it. Plus, you'll save money!

I am a huge fan of baccala, which is the Italian word for salt cod. Salt cod is, oh, about 500 years old -- and some of the dried pieces you buy in those wooden boxes look like it!

Not to worry. Baccala, or Bacalao if you're Spanish, Morue if you're French, etc, is perfectly safe to eat, and almost never goes bad. To eat it, you need to soak the cod in water for a day or two. Some people soak it in milk.

Salt cod's flavor is wonderful: Think of it as ham compared to pork. And my favorite way to eat salt cod is in deep-fried fritters, such as the Sicilian style fritters above.

I tend to eat baccala in winter, so I will be compiling some salt cod recipes here in the coming weeks. Got a request? Let me know in the "comments" section. Got a question? Got to my seafood cooking forum and I will try my best to answer it.

Photo copyright 2008 Holly A. Heyser

OK, now salmon pasta with walnut-parsley pesto is not a traditional recipe, and it is inspired by Northern Italy, which not so fish-centric on Christmas Eve as the south is -- but it is still a great pasta dish and a winderful use for salmon; any kind will do too. I used king salmon from the Sacramento River for this recipe, but I'd be happy to use anything (even canned or smoked salmon) except chum salmon for this dish.

As for the pasta, I made my own from rye flour. If you know how to make your own pasta, go right ahead. But store-bought is just fine. Be sure to get something like whole wheat, farro, spelt or buckwheat pasta, though -- the earthiness matches well with the walnut-parsley pesto and the fish.

Two more dishes to go for our seven fishes! Buona Festa!

Photo copyright 2008 Holly A. Heyser.