Well, we've eaten a lot of halibut, yet some still falls out of the freezer every time I open it. Favorites have included:
Grilled Halibut with lemon/parsley butter
Baked Halibut with lemon/parsley butter
Halibut baked in parchment with peppers, onions and shiitake mushrooms
Halibut tacos
Halibut enchiladas
Panko-crusted Halibut
Halibut-centric Cioppino (kudos to Kirsten)
Halibut-bruised toe (I had that, but didn't eat it)
But last night we did something new, and quintessentially Alaskan, with our halibut: we traded some to our neighbor for some Copper River Red he caught.
We were talking the other day and I was like, "Oy! I have so much halibut!" and he was like, "Oy! I have so much salmon!" Then we realized that since we both have strictly convex utility functions, there was a gain to be had from trading. Then we both said, at the same time, "Hey, let's trade salmon for halibut and enjoy the Pareto improvement!" It was weird....
As an economist, engaging in barter economy is an interesting thing. Specifically, what is the price--the ratio of halibut to salmon--that is appropriate/agreed upon? Do we trade for equal weight, or does the ratio somehow reflect the market prices? And if so, which prices? Right now, halibut can be had at the store for $7/lb (it is Alaska...), but Copper River Reds are out of season and can't be had. At peak season, CRRs are about $5/lb, but most of the time they are available they are substantially more. So here's the question: my neighbor walks in and hands me two CRR fillets, weighing about 5 pounds total. How much halibut do I give him?
Monday, October 15, 2007
We're Real Alaskans Now!
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2 comments:
Well, I think that once it reaches you it is pretty much equivalent (more so because neither of you were actually planning to sell it, I assume) so you trade it pound for pound. That is what I think. But you know, I play with test tubes all day.
In the spirit of fair trade I'd say 2 halibut filets and the neighbors cat...(preferably a different neighbor). Or perhaps the customary strand of indigenous mammal teeth, of course then you have to account for the seasonal value of those, hummmm, I 'd go with the cat.
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