Tues. Feb. 5

Penn & Teller had this bit in their act where they used twisted-up balloons to make a not-altogether-humorous point about human use of animals: They are pets or meat. Jumping the shark here - ha ha -  we're thinking those thoughts in considering the New England Aquarium's Sustainable Seafood Dinner Series, which kicks of Tuesday Feb. 5 with "celebrity chef" Rebecca Newell of the Beehive. She will join Aquarium chefs George Kierstead and Tim Ridge for a dining experience that combines ocean-friendly seafood options with expertly paired wine and cooking demonstrations. In other words, you can go to the Aquarium and watch the wonders of nature swim about ... and then eat them. Not them, exactly, but others in the same species. We're not getting all vegan on you here; hell, we've gone to zoos and then out for a nice steak afterwards. We're just mentioning it because, well, how could it not cross your mind? Having dealt with that - and presumably accepted it - we'll give you the Aquarium's pitch: "New Englanders love both seafood and the ocean but are often unsure about what they should or should not eat. The series will offer seafood choices that are good for both the palate and the ocean ... an introduction to making smart seafood choices." Newell will join the informative cooking demonstrations before each of the three tastings, and prepare a delectable, farm-raised rainbow trout (in photo). The menu will also feature wild-caught Dungeness crab and farm-raised hybrid striped bass. It takes place at the Aquarium’s Harbor View Café, at 6:30 p.m. Reservations are needed as space is limited. Cost: $75. (There will be three more similar events later in the year).

Central Wharf, Boston, 617-973-5206 www.neaq.org/celebrateseafood/