Last week, I had a seafood meltdown.

Not the full-blown variety where I obsess and organize kitchen drawers, or bake a two-layer homemade chocolate cake with gooey chocolate icing that hardens after it is poured on the cake, and Elvis is traveling for the week-which means I’m left with more cake than I EVER need. The kind of meltdown that keeps me on Pinterest searching for drool-worthy seafood photos, or scouring the Internet for web sites that offer fresh, live Maine lobster, briny, cucumber-flavored oysters, or line-caught grouper and mahi-mahi, instead of focusing on writing my memoir, and my web site and InDesign courses.

I have now lived in Kentucky for two years! September is my anniversary move-month and although I love the laid-back charm, my local organic CSA farm, the privacy and wildlife of my rural country town, I MISS EATING FRESH SEAFOOD!

Why don’t I just buy fresh seafood online?

There is no such thing as second best when it comes to seafood, nor is there an inexpensive way to buy seafood-for-one online. Or even for two for that matter. My salary as a writer wouldn’t buy me a single clam.

Shoot, even if you live near the ocean, buying seafood is expensive.

Last week, I drove one hundred miles round-trip to The Fresh Market where I shop several times a month. But that does not mean I always buy fish-sometimes the fish is just not that fresh. Sorry TFM. However, on this trip, the swordfish looked, and smelled great.

I almost made to to the checkout line then i remembered-it is Hatch Chile season.

I love nothing more than a simple dinner of pan-seared swordfish with a spicy, sweet, crunchy, fresh salsa.

I came home, roasted my chiles, chopped my fruit, poured a glass of chardonnay, (sometimes the best meltdown remedy), then seared my swordfish.

Sigh…

Salad optional.

Meltdown unnecessary.

Appetite required.