Delta Dish

I heard this strange rumor on the wind that the new VIP Restaurant over at Pacifica was serving sushi. To me this was a cruel and unusual rumor because I love sushi and most "sushi" in Bethel is actually just California Rolls. Don"t get me wrong I love California rolls but they are something I can make myself. When I go out for sushi—I want raw fish and exotic sauces. My honey suggested we give the new place a whirl and I honestly expected another jack-of-all-trades place that tries to make some of everything.
Shame on me for being a pessimist!! We walked into the familiar halls of the Carpenter residence and as soon as we rounded the corner there was a REAL sushi bar complete with a sushi chef wearing the Japanese headband and everything. The menu boggled my mind with sushi adventure. Raw fish has to be done in a very specific way so I was still a bit leery, but figured what the hay! They did not disappoint and I loved everything I had and none of it was stuff I would try at home.
Beyond the spectacular menu VIP also gets a huge pat on the back for having excellent table service and nice ambiance. It felt like we were on a date! The owner had no idea who we were but was so excited about what they were doing that she gave us a tour. They turned Diane"s old library into a Karaoke Parlor! What a hoot! We were told that they rent it out for special parties. I must admit I was sad to see the famous spiral staircase was gone but I guess if it went in the name of Karaoke I will let it slide.
So HUGE pat on the back and welcome to the Bethel restaurant scene to the VIP Restaurant!!! Please keep up the good work and I truly hope you stick around for a long time to come!
For real Sushi stick to the professionals but if you want to try something at home that still looks really impressive—and is actually good for you- here is a nice recipe for Inside Out California Rolls. I put sesame seeds in the recipe but I really prefer the small roe you can get in tins at the store. Crunchy and delicious!
Inside Out California Rolls
Ingredients
3 1/3 cups rice
5 1/3 tablespoons vinegar
5 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons salt
10 sheets nori seaweed, cut in half
1/2 pound imitation crab, cut into long, thin pieces
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and julienne
1 avocado, peeled, seeded, and cut into long, thin pieces
Sesame seeds
1) Wash uncooked rice until the water rinses clear.
2) Drain the rice in a colander and let it stand for 20 minutes.
3) Place the rice in a pot or preferably a rice cooker (if you don"t own one I HIGHLY recommend buying one!!), and add 4 cups of water. If you are using a rice cooker close the lid and push the button if you are making it the old fashioned way bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pot. Cook for 15 minutes.
4) Once cooked remove the cover from the rice and place a damp towel over it, and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
5) Pouring the vinegar, sugar and salt into a pan and place over low heat until the sugar and salt are dissolved. If you like sweeter vinegar, feel free to add more sugar. Congrats - you just made sushi vinegar!
6) Pour sushi vinegar over cooked rice and mix it as gently and slowly as possible. You can do this in a wooden bowl or directly in your rice cooker if you turn it off first. Just be sure to be mix gently as you slowly stir in the vinegar.
7) Allow sushi rice to cool to room temperature. Do not cover. You want the steam to escape so the rice is nice and sticky.
8) Cover a sushi rolling mat (you can use wax paper in a pinch, but the mats are inexpensive and worth the investment) with plastic wrap.
9) Place a sheet of the seaweed over the plastic on the mat.
10) Place a handful of rice across the seaweed and spread it evenly over the seaweed.
11) Toss the imitation crab with the mayonnaise in a separate bowl.
12) Place some of the imitation crabmeat along the center of the rice.
13) Add strand-like slices of cucumber and avocado along the center of the rice.
14) Using the mat and plastic wrap, roll the rice around the filling and press lightly to seal.
15) Remove the mat and plastic wrap and sprinkle the roll with sesame seeds - or even yummier are small fish roe!
16) Slice the sushi roll into bite sized pieces, about 1 inch wide. I suggest a VERY sharp knife wiped down and dipped in warm water after each slice.
17) Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Yummy!

Welcome to all the AVCP annual meeting participants! The town is overflowing! Many of these folks made reservations weeks ago to attend this important event; others tried to find a place to stay as late as last Friday. Lodging in Bethel isn"t like it was 10 or even 5 years ago when one could breeze into town and usually find a decent place to stay with little or no trouble. That"s no longer true. Now it"s a good idea to make reservations in advance – as soon as the travel or meeting dates are firm.
Most folks enjoy the breakfast and coffee over here at Bentley"s and last week was no exception. There were several requests for a crab casserole I quickly threw together one morning (because I was too tired to make one of my overnight dishes before falling into bed the night before; it"s been tough over here since Suz Monfort left to start up the Curves business). Anyway, this dish is delicious and easy to make, so I thought I"d share the recipe with you this week.
Breakfast Crab Casserole
1 tablespoon butter
16 eggs
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
8 ounces crab meat or surimi (pollock or fake crab), chopped
1 1⁄2 cups sour cream
3 or 4 ounces cream cheese (optional)
1⁄2 cup diced green onion
1⁄2 cup finely diced red and/or green bell pepper
1 1⁄2 cups Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter or spray with a food release agent (such as Pam) a 9x13 inch glass baking pan. Set aside. Start melting a tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over lowest heat. Thinly slice green onions and dice the bell peppers. Place in a glass bowl and microwave about 1 minute. If you don"t use a microwave, sauté in a little butter for about a minute. Set aside.
Beat together eggs and mayonnaise; pour into skillet and increase heat to medium hot. Cook eggs, stirring frequently, until they have reached a soft scrambled stage. Pour eggs into prepared baking dish. Spread sour cream, as evenly as possible, over the scrambled eggs. Dot with cream cheese (optional). Sprinkle crabmeat over sour cream, followed by green onions and bell pepper. Top with shredded cheese and bake in the 350 degree preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve at once to 10 hungry people along with a bowl of fresh fruit and toasted English muffins. Yumm! A good way to start the day...or even finish a day!
Until next week, dear Reader, vaya con Dios.

I came to the realization this weekend that I am going to have to dig up my potato patch pretty soon. This is a delightful event if you love fresh new potatoes, but it is a little sad in that you are pretty much admitting winter is on its way. I grow a wild assortment of potatoes each year and I love a good bowl of potato soup when they are fresh out of the ground. I find that they hold their shape and texture better and are less likely to turn into mush. The following soup recipe is so over the top that health organizations are contemplating a letter writing campaign! YUM!
Creamy Harvest Potato Soup
1 pound bacon, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 cups chicken stock, or enough to cover potatoes
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
3 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste
1. In a Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until done - make it crisp, but do not burn!
2. Remove bacon from pan, and set aside on a plate.
3. Drain off all but 1/4 cup of the bacon grease.
4. In the bacon grease remaining in the pan, sauté the celery and onion until onion begins to turn clear - once again do not burn your onions. If they are brown they are bitter.
5. Add the garlic, and continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes.
6. Add the cubed potatoes. Stir them to coat evenly in the bacon grease.
7. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes.
8. Return the bacon to the pan, and add enough chicken stock to just cover the potatoes. Cover, and simmer until potatoes are tender.
9. In a separate pan, melt the butter over medium heat.
10. Whisk in the flour. Cook stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes.
11. Slowly whisk in the heavy cream, tarragon and cilantro. Stir constantly and work out any lumps - it can be done, just be patient!
12. Bring the cream mixture to a boil, and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened.
13. Add potato mixture to the cream mixture.
14. Remove about half the soup and puree it with a blender or wand. **You can skip this if you want but you will get a very different kind of soup - your call!
15. Return puree to the soup pan.
16. Adjust seasonings to taste.

9-12-06

by Tiffany Longan

I am not quite sure what is going on but it seems to be some sort of restaurant season. We have gotten about 5 new restaurants in the past month and a half. Personally, as someone who craves variety, I think this is the best trend we have had in years!
What is really exciting is that Mexican food is becoming all the rage! It has always been what everyone has clamored for and now it is finally here!
Already up and running the Q2 has started a mini-Taco bell-esque component that is both reasonably priced and
DEEEElicious!
What I am even more excited about is the newest establishment in town—opening any day—La Salsa!!! It will be in the carry out building currently used by The Lunchbox across from the Longhouse and they will have - drum roll please - Authentic Mexican Food made by actual Mexicans!!! AND if that is not enough, it is owned by Hector and Maria Lopez, who also own one of the most reliable cleaning businesses in town. SO Real Mexican food in a CLEAN kitchen!!! Look up because pigs are going to start flying at any minute!
And yes Hector is from El Salvador, which you may be surprised to learn is not part of Mexico, but the nephew they have brought in as their hired gun is from Maria's side of the family and they are Mexicans. They have told me that their emphasis will be on authenticity and consistency. Maria is even using some old family Flan recipes so we can actually get some variety in the dessert category.
Here is a salsa recipe I suggest someone starts using. Easy and Yummy!
Funky Avocado Salsa
1 (16 ounce) package frozen corn kernels, thawed
2 (2.25 ounce) cans sliced ripe olives, drained
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 avocados - peeled, pitted and diced
1) In a large bowl, mix corn, olives, red bell pepper and onion.
2) In a small bowl, mix garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, cider vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper.
3) Pour into the corn mixture and toss to coat. Cover and chill in the refrigerator 8 hours, or overnight.
4) Stir avocados into the mixture before serving.
5) Serve as a dip with tortilla chips or as a condiment with your favorite Mexican and Tex-Mex Food!

Garlic lover's Leg of Lamb

by Tiffany Longan

While living in Romania I became hooked on lamb meat. It was a big Easter treat I became quite fond of. The funny thing is that the thought of lamb with mint jelly sounds repulsive to me. I always cook it using the marinade I created below. It is somewhere between Greek and Cuban. I don't know why it works- it just does!
Acquiring lamb in Bethel is hit or miss and usually costs a fortune when it is in stock. I would imagine it is impossible to find out in any of our villages. In Anchorage however I always pick up legs of lamb and lamb chops at bulk stores like Sam's and Costco. It is very reasonably priced and is such a treat that I highly recommend grabbing a leg or two the next time you are in town squirreling away goodies to bring back home. You will not be disappointed and if you cook it for some kind of special occasion it just makes the entire affair seem more fancy.
And in case you are a Yup'ik gourmand and want an idea of what lamb tastes like - it is like really tender musk ox. Yummy!
Garlic Lover's Leg of Lamb
1 leg of lamb (bone removed)
1 head of fresh garlic (break apart and peel each clove)
1 handful of fresh parsley or cilantro (about half a bunch)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2-6 tablespoons cayenne hot sauce (optional- but highly recommended)
1 teaspoon black pepper
4 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons salt
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1) In a blender or food processor combine all ingredients except the lamb.
2) Process until you have a fairly smooth paste.
3) Taste a little and feel free to adjust the seasoning to your liking. It should taste saltier than you eat your food so that there is enough salt to penetrate the meat as it marinades.
4) Remove the lamb from its packaging. It is probably tied together. Remove this binding and spread open up the meat. You want the inside facing up (inside is where they cut the bone out).
5) Take handfuls of the seasoning mixture and spread about a third of it all over the inside of the meat.
6) Roll the meat back up so it looks the way it did when you bought it and tie it in place with 2 or 3 pieces of butcher's twine. Don't use anything silly like yarn that will melt!
7) Place meat in a zip top bag and pour in the rest of the seasoning mixture. Spread it around so the meat is coated all over on the outside.
8) Place in the fridge for at least 6 hours or as long as 24 hours.
9) Put lamb in preheated 450° oven and bake for 15 minutes.
10) Reduce heat to 350° and continue roasting until thermometer registers 145° to 150° for medium-rare, or 160° to 170° for well-done.
11) Make sure you let it rest for about 15 minutes before you cut into it so the juices redistribute back into the meat.
12) Serve with a side of rice and steamed vegetables. If desired, simmer and reduce drippings, skim fat, and serve with the lamb and use as a gravy for the rice.
13) Slice up leftovers and make fantastic sandwiches.
Alternative Cooking:
Lamb is also excellent when cooked outside or with a rotisserie. If you want to grill it, cooking times will vary with the temp on your grill. When I use my kitchen rotisserie I usually cook it for about 90 minutes for rare- beyond that you are on your own! This marinade is also good on Lamb Chops, and they will marinade quicker because they are more thin than an entire roast.

I have berries on the brain and am now eagerly awaiting the arrival of the cranberries. A flavor combo I am in love with is cranberries and chocolate. They just complement each other really well - throw in pecans and it is a party!
The following is a delightful cookie recipe that actually uses dried cranberries but you can easily substitute fresh ones if you stir them in gently at the end and don't over mix.
They are great because they are cookies and in my opinion cookies should be a food group. If you want to try something different, soften a little chocolate ice cream until it is easy to dip and put a scoop between two cookies for gourmet ice cream sandwiches—yum! You can even make a bunch and re-freeze them if you seal them in plastic wrap.
Cranberry Cookies
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup vanilla chips
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup chopped pecans
1. Cream together butter, shortening and sugars.
2. Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition.
3. Beat in vanilla.
4. Stir in all dry ingredients - I usually add the salt and soda first and then the flour to make sure that everything gets evenly distributed.
5. Stir in chocolate chips, nuts and cranberries.
6. Drop by spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet.
7. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes on a center rack in the oven until golden brown.
8. Cool on a wire rack if you have one.
9. Do not over bake so the cookies stay moist and chewy.

Cake Layer
5 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 teaspoon grated orange zest (peel)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup fresh blueberries
Topping
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon orange juice
1/4 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/4 cup butter, softened
1) Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour a 9 inch square baking pan.
2) Cream together butter and sugars.
3) Beat in egg until light and well incorporated.
4) In a separate bowl sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
5) Stir one third of the flour mixture into the egg-sugar batter, then stir in milk, then one third of flour mixture, then the orange juice, and finally the last third of the flour mixture.
6) Mix in orange peel and extract.
7) Fold in, gently, 1/4 cup of the blueberries.
8) In a separate bowl (use the one you mixed the flour to save on dirty dishes) mix together topping ingredients with a fork (or fingers) until all ingredients are well mixed and mixture is nice and crumbly.
9) Pour batter evenly into the prepared 9 inch baking pan.
10) Sprinkle remaining berries evenly over the top of the batter.
11) Cover entire pan with the topping mixture. Make sure the berries are as well covered as possible.
12) Bake at 350 on a center rack for 30 minutes or until cake tests done.
**You can make a thinner cake—that will feed more people—by using a 9x11 baking pan instead of a 9 inch square one.

8-9-06

by Tiffany Longan

My hubby was wise enough to barter for some halibut steaks this week and it is such a nice treat! The following is a tasty and somewhat off the beaten path recipe for halibut. It will also work with pretty much any firm fleshed white fish. If you are not into frying fish you can also just grill the fish and flake it onto the tacos. You will miss out on the crispiness though, which really is to die for.
If you are going to fry fish or something like frybread, my Papaw taught me a trick years ago that I just love. He always takes a couple slices of bread (nothing moldy!) and places them under the paper towels where he lets the oil drain off his fried fish once he takes them out of the pan. The bread soaks up any oil that might otherwise pool under the towels and seep back onto the fish. It is a great trick that works like a charm and helps keep us from wasting yards of expensive paper towels every time we fry foods.
Halibut Tacos
Oil, for frying
2 cups Panko bread crumbs*
3 eggs
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
2 pounds halibut, or other firm flesh white fish
8 corn tortillas
Lettuce, shredded (about 4 cups should do it)
Green Cream Taco Sauce, recipe follows
Lime wedges
*Regular breadcrumbs will do in a pinch. Panko are a Japanese variety that are just fabulous!
1) Fill a large heavy bottomed pot about 1/3 full of oil. Heat to approximately 375 degrees F.
2) While the oil is heating, put the breadcrumbs into a shallow dish.
3) Break the eggs into another shallow dish, season with salt and pepper and Cajun seasoning. Beat in 2 tablespoons of water.
4) Cut the fish into 1-inch wide strips.
5) Dip fish strips into the egg mixture, then coat them well with the breadcrumbs.
6) Set aside and let them rest for 10 minutes.
7) Cook the fish a few pieces at a time until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 to 5 minutes.
8) Drain on paper towels.
9) When you're ready to start building your tacos, warm the tortillas. Wrap them in barely damp paper towels (or a barely damp CLEAN dish towel) and place them in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
10) Place a fish strip on a warm tortilla, top with some of the shredded lettuce, and a big dollop of Green Cream Taco Sauce. Squeeze on some limejuice, roll up, and eat!
Green Cream Taco Sauce:
1 cup mayonnaise
2 cups sour cream
1 tablespoon cayenne sauce, or more to taste
Juice 1/2 lime
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, a generous handful, large stems removed
3 stalks green onion
Salt and pepper to taste
1) Place all ingredients in a blender and process to a puree.
2) Refrigerate sauce for at least 1/2 hour to let the flavors to blend; taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.

8-1-06

by Tiffany Longan

Rumor has it that the salmonberries will finally be ready for picking here in the next week or two. It seems like this cooler weather has made them a little later than usual, but I am curious to find out if that is true or if in reality we just got accustomed to the warm summer and early berries we have gotten over the past few years. Crazy!
The following is something a little fun you can do with some extra Salmonberries. The pudding is a basic one that would be wonderful with some other topping, or a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. This is a great recipe if you ever find yourself in a situation where you have a bunch of milk that is about to go bad, or if you ever find some half priced milk at the store.
The Salmonberry Syrup can also be used on foods other than the Bread Pudding, like pancakes and French toast. Together, though, they make something pretty special!
Bread Pudding
8 slices bread
3 egg yolks
1 whole egg
1/2 cups sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 cups warm milk
1/2 cup butter
1 can condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1) Break bread in pieces and place in a large bowl.
2) Pour can milk and vanilla over bread, and allow to soften.
3) Beat egg yolks and whole egg with sugars until fluffy in separate bowl.
4) Warm whole milk with butter, heat until butter is melted. Don't boil!
5) Add beaten egg and sugar mixture to bread.
6) Pour scalded milk with butter slowly over bread mixture.
7) Stir well, but not to the point that the bread completely breaks up.
8) Pour into large greased 9" x 13" baking dish.
9) Bake for 40-50 minutes until firm and lightly browned.
10) Serve warm. Reheats nicely in the microwave. Is fantastic with Salmon Berry Syrup.
Salmonberry Syrup
1 cup strained ripe salmonberries
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons cold water
1 tablespoon butter
1) Mix cornstarch, sugar, lemon juice, rind and cold water to make a smooth paste.
2) Stir strained salmonberries into paste gradually until smooth. To strain, grind ripe salmonberries into a fine colander using the back of a wooden spoon to filter out the seeds. Get as much pulp and juice to go through as you can.
3) Heat in saucepan until mixture boils and thickens. Stir constantly.
4) Remove from heat.
5) Stir in butter.
6) Serve warm.

I have lived all over the world in the course of my existence and I am beginning to realize more and more how each stop has had a lasting effect on my persona - especially when it comes to food.
Florida is where I began my journey and I was born into the Florida that qualifies as the "south". My first accent was southern, I hate to wear shoes and socks, and I drink everything I can on ice - even if it is already cold. I also love southern delicacies like greens, shrimp, fried chicken, boiled peanuts and the queen mother of southern side dishes - GRITS!
I have always loved grits, but what I have discovered is that it is a sort of love-it-or-hate-it food. It really shouldn't be that way! Grits are simple and easily go with just about anything. They are basically ground white cornmeal and are very versatile. In the south they are what you are likely to get instead of hash browns when you go out for breakfast. Typically they are served with a heap of melted butter, salt and pepper.
Grits are becoming a bit more fashionable these days and now you often see them as a side dish for meals other than breakfast. They are easy to make and easy to jazz up if you are in the mood for something funky.
Recipes for plain grits are right on the side of the box when you buy them. The following are a couple alternative ways that they can be served if you are ready to flex a little cooking muscle.
Grits and Shrimp
4 cups water
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup grits
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (sharp is best)
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
6 slices bacon, chopped
4 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 cup thinly sliced chives or green onion
1 large clove fresh garlic, minced
1) Bring water to a boil in medium sized pot.
2) Add salt, pepper, grits and butter.
3) Cook covered over medium heat until water is absorbed, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and stir every 5 minutes or so during the cooking period.
If you do not pull them off the heat they may bubble up and burn you while you are stirring them.
4) Remove from heat and stir in cheese.
5) Fry the bacon in a large skillet until browned.
Drain well on paper towel but do not discard the grease.
6) In grease in the pan add peeled and deveined shrimp.
7) Cook until shrimp turn pink. Don't overcook or they will get tough.
8) Add lemon juice, chopped bacon, parsley, green onion and garlic.
9) Sauté for 3 minutes.
10) Spoon grits into a serving bowl.
11) Pour shrimp mixture over grits and mix well.
12) Serve immediately. You can garnish with extra shredded cheese or chopped green onion if you want to pretty it up.
Cheese Grit Soufflé
1 cup grated, sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup raw grits
4 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Dash cayenne sauce, or more to taste
4 ounces butter
4 eggs, separated
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2) Grease a 2 quart soufflé dish well and sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the cheese around the sides and bottom of the dish.
3) In a medium pot cook the grits in the milk with the salt over medium heat until done, about 20 minutes. Make sure you remove from heat a couple times during cooking to stir.
4) Add the pepper, cayenne sauce, butter, cheese, and egg yolks to the grits. Stir well and let cool to lukewarm.
5) In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites until stiff.
6) Carefully fold stiff whites into the grits mixture.
7) Pour into the prepared soufflé dish and bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until puffed and lightly browned.

I never thought I would say this, but I am becoming a Chum Salmon convert! Up until now I have been king obsessed—because it is the richest, tastiest fish to ever grace the earth. A lot of friends told me that Chums were what they focused on at fishcamp and I thought they were loony. That is until I got my own little smokehouse and began to discover the wonders of Chum!
Don't get me wrong, Kings are the overlords of the tasty fish universe, and if I am going to cook and eat salmon I will accept nothing but King (Thank you for the DELICIOUS Kings John Wallace!!). Chums, however, are delightful smoking fish and I actually tend to prefer the firmer product you get. There is also the fact that Chums run stronger and are easier to acquire. Guess it is good that I am learning to love them.
The following is a recipe I began working on last summer. It will work as a nice brine alternative for fishcamp (but why mess with a good thing?) and is wonderful for everyone out there with electric smokers. My new little smokehouse makes sort of a hybrid between old school fishcamp fish and hot smoked electric smoker fish. Bryan Green built me one that is the combination of a couple designs I found and it is perfect! Always smart to get a professional involved if you are building something that will house fire!
Right now I am still on a salmon kick, but I plan to smoke homemade sausages and turkeys and any other crazy thing I can think of - like smoked cheese…MMMmmm.
This brine recipe uses Quick Cure, which is available at the stores next to the salt. I also simplify the mincing of all the garlic by just pulling off the individual cloves and chopping it all in my food processor. You don't have to peel it all since you rinse the fish off before you hang it. The recipe is also pretty forgiving if you need to substitute. I was out of molasses for one batch and just used 4 tablespoons of maple syrup. Do what you have got to do.
Blundie's Chum Cure
1/2 cup Tender Quick
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
2 tablespoons Molasses
2 tablespoons Maple Syrup
2 tablespoons Lemon Juice
2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 head of Garlic (about 1/2 cup), chopped
1 tablespoon ground Black Pepper
1-3 tablespoons Cayenne Sauce (like Trappey's), optional
2 1/2 cups water
1) Mix together all ingredients and stir until Tender Quick and sugar are all dissolved and well incorporated.
2) Cut your fish to whatever size and shape makes you happy (I have used this one everything from whole filets to strips). This should be enough cure for about 2 chums or silvers, or 1 large king.
3) Marinate your cut fish in mixture in the refrigerator for 18-24 hours. Stir it around a couple times so that all pieces get evenly cured.
4) When you are ready to hang your fish, pour off the cure and gently rinse fish in cool water. Pat dry.
5) At this point your options are endless. You can put it straight into a smoker, however, I strongly prefer for it to be dried first for at least 6 hours (usually I go for at least 24) or until it has a nice sticky-dry coat on it. Since I have mine in an enclosed area I actually blow a small fan on them to help things along. Once you have your fish as dry as you like you can hot or cold smoke. Hot smoking is what a Big Chief unit does and it is a fairly quick process (a couple hours) and the temperatures are actually hot enough to cook the fish while it is smoking. Cold smoking is more like what you get from fishcamp and requires smoke anywhere from 6 hours to 4 days. You should experiment to see what you like, try various drying times, different smoking woods, different smoking times and temperatures.

There are signs all over Ptarmigan and Tundra Ridge facing away from the road and it is driving us INSANE! What do they say and why are they facing the tundra?? Life is dull enough that we just had to know.
It turns out that they are roadwork signs for the upcoming PAVING OF PTARMIGAN ROAD!!! For real! They are actually going to pave it this summer and pigs may start flying at any minute!
The following recipe is a farewell tribute to Bethel's most infamous Rocky Road. It is ridiculously easy to make, yet seems fancy because it is frozen. I should also warn people who plan to speed up and down our newly paved road that I live on Ptarmigan and I will sit at my window and put hexes on anyone who speeds past my house. If that doesn't work I will resort to booby traps. You have been warned!
Farewell Rocky Road Pie
1/3 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cup Half and half or light cream
1/3 cup Chopped nuts
1 Graham cracker pie crust
1 package (4 serving size) chocolate pudding
1/3 cup Miniature marshmallows
8 ounces whipped topping
1) Pour Half and Half into large bowl.
2) Add pudding mix.
3) Beat with wire whisk until well blended, should take about 1 minute.
4) Let stand 5 minutes.
6) Fold in whipped topping, chocolate chips, marshmallows and nuts.
7) Spoon into piecrust. If you bake the crust for 5 minutes or so it makes it more crisp - just be sure you cool it before you spoon in the filling.
8) Freeze until firm, at least 4-6 hours or overnight.
9) Remove from freezer and let stand 10 minutes before serving.
10) Store leftover pie in freezer.
Note: You can make it even prettier by garnishing the top with dollops of extra whipped topping and a few extra marshmallows, chocolate chips and nuts sprinkled on top.

My dad was here a month or so ago and got me hooked on sweet potatoes. He cooks with them a lot and makes a very tasty baked dish that is pretty much just sliced sweet potatoes, a drizzle of olive oil, sliced onion, and a nice drizzle of maple syrup. He covers it all with foil and bakes it at 350 for 30-40 minutes. It is a super easy side dish.
The following is another sweet potato dish I found. It is easy to make and pleasantly unusual. If you are getting ready to fire up your grill this summer it is a nice alternative to regular potato salad and the sweet potatoes and onions can be cooked in a foil packet on the grill if you so desire.
3 large sweet potatoes
1 large onion
2 Tablespoons oil
1 Tablespoons chili powder
1/2 Tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 limes or 2-3 Tablespoons of bottled lime juice (fresh is best!)
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Preheat oven or grill to 375 degrees.
1. Peel sweet potatoes and cut into 1 inch square chunks and rinse in cool water.
2. Slice Onion and combine with sweet potato chunks.
3. Toss sweet potatoes and onion with oil and all of the spices.
4. Spread on foil lined sheet pan and bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until sweet potatoes are soft. Or make a foil packet and cook it all on the grill over indirect heat.
5. When cooked, put sweet potato mixture in large bowl and toss with the juice of two limes.
6. Add black beans - make sure you drain and rinse them first!
7. Let mixture cool for at least 15 minutes.
8. Gently stir in feta cheese and cilantro.
9. Serve at room temperature, garnished with sprigs of cilantro.

In case you missed the parade…the smelt were running last week and they are fat and fabulous! Hopefully it is a sign of the King Salmon hot on their trail. I am so excited that summer is here!!!
Smelt are always a fun fish because just about anyone can have luck dipping if they get the timing right. The problem is that they can almost be too easy to catch sometimes and people can go a little Smelt crazy if they aren't careful. That first round of crispy fried fresh fish is soooo good, but they can lose their allure pretty quick if you don't pace yourself. Fried smelt is a once or twice a year treat, not a day in, day out kind of food.
If you have found that you have over-smelted, freeze them for later use and they also make excellent presents for friends and family who live in other places where they are not as commonly harvested. I know my honey's auntie in Marshall is always delighted to get a couple bags to share with her cronies. I have been told that they run on the Yukon, but I don't hear as much about them being harvested they way we do here on our river.
The following is an alternative to fried smelt. It takes a little more leg work, but if you make the effort you can have yourself a slightly more unusual snack food that is far better for you and makes a great treat while you are out on the river pulling in those first salmon of the season.
Smoked Smelt
1 cup Non-iodized salt
1 Tbl Chili powder
1 cup Brown sugar
1 Tbl Garlic salt
1 cup Soy sauce
1 Tbl Onion salt
1/2 cup Cider vinegar
1/2 Tsp Black pepper
1 Tbl Worcestershire sauce
3 cups water, Warm
1 Tbl Paprika
1) Remove heads and entrails of at least a dozen smelt with a pair of scissors. If you really enjoy the organs and heads, you can leave them on.
2) Wash smelt in clear water and pat dry with paper towels.
3) Mix all ingredients in warm water.
4) Let the brine cool to room temperature and add the cleaned smelt.
5) Brine the smelt for at least 4 hours or over night.
6) Pull smelt out of brine and allow to air dry completely. The longer you let them dry, the drier the end product will be. It should be at least a couple hours and as long as a full 24 hours. A good way to dry them is to tie two tails together with string and hang them over a stick or you can lay them out on a metal rack of some kind. Just make sure they aren't laying in a way that only one side can dry. They should have air circulating all around the body.
7) Smoke smelt in an electric smoker or smokehouse until fish have a dark golden brown sheen to the surface (5 to 7 hours on average).

The results are in from my first experimental batch of corned Ptarmigan and I must say I am more than pleased with the results! The only way I have ever really enjoyed ptarmigan in the past is in an old school Yup?ik Soup or A la Lucy Kuhns cooked in cream of mushroom soup. Other than that, it always seems a little too dry for my tastes.

I have discovered, however, that you can ?corn? pretty much anything and get moist, super-tasty results. Corned beef has always been one of my favorite foods so I had pretty high hopes for my little experiment and it really delivered.

My corned ptarmigans tasted like really lean, yet moist, lunchmeat. My honey cleaned and skinned them and then I soaked the entire bird in my brining solution for a couple weeks. I just double bagged them in zip-top bags and let them sit in one of my veggie drawers in the fridge. After a couple weeks I drained them off and boiled them for about 30 minutes in fresh water. It was like corned beef only not as fatty and you get lots of bones to nibble. Thumbs up, gold star!

I will most certainly make many more of these next spring. I have also been assured that this technique is also excellent with other birds like ducks and geese - and they have more meat to them!

3) Take 2 1-gallon Freezer zip-top bags and place 4 cleaned and skinned ptarmigan into each bag.

5) Get out as much air as possible and seal bag. I place each bag into a second bag just incase I get a leak.

8) Cook as you would corned beef. Place brined birds into a large pot with fresh water and boil on low for at least 30 minutes. The longer they cook the more tender the meat gets.

9) Serve hot with boiled potatoes and cabbage or chill and pull pieces off and use them like lunch meat.

Someday when I rule the universe, cookies will become one of the major food groups and everyone will be required - for their health - to eat them daily. The following is a very tasty twist on old fashioned chocolate chip cookies. They are fantastic dipped in coffee and make a nice midmorning treat. Make sure you use instant coffee and not just coffee grounds!

4) Cream sugars with butter and shortening in a mixer for about 2 minutes until fluffy.

5) Beat in egg and maple extract. If you don?t have maple extract, you can get by with vanilla.

6) In a bowl, sift dry ingredients, and then add them to the creamed mixture. Beat until combined.

8) Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. They will spread as they bake so don?t overcrowd your pan.

I don?t know if anyone else has been watching the news lately, but the planned overhaul of our immigration laws is getting interesting. What I find unfortunate is that somehow all immigrants are being made to feel like illegal criminals.

I personally know quite a few members of our delightful immigrant community here in Bethel and they are some of the hardest working folks you could ever hope to meet. I don?t know where else in the world you might be able to find a small town with the same kind of mix we have in Bethel. I personally know folks who were born in: Mexico, Sweden, Ireland, Norway, Austria, Great Britain, South Korea, China, El Salvador, Macedonia, Albania, Philippines, South Africa, and West Africa! Find another town in America with a population of 6,000 that is 60% Indigenous with that kind of mix among the non-Native community.

2) Add the onions and bell peppers, and cook while stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes.

3) Add the cumin, salt, cayenne, jalapeno, and garlic, and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.

8) In a large skillet, heat 1/2 teaspoon of vegetable oil over medium-high heat.

9) Add 1 tortilla and cook until warmed through and just starting to brown about 30 seconds. Turn and cook on the second side. Remove, cover to keep warm, and repeat with the remaining oil and tortillas.

11) Break 4 eggs into each skillet and fry sunny-side up until beginning to set, about 1 minute.

12) Sprinkle the eggs with the cheese and cover to finish cooking, about 1 1/2 minutes.

13) Place 1 warm tortilla on each of 4 plates and spread each with 2 tablespoons of warm refried beans. Place 2 eggs on top of each tortilla and top with the warm Ranchero Sauce.

Ooo lala?for some reason Eggplant has been on sale at one of the grocery stores in Bethel this week and I keep going back for more! They are so yummy and oddly enough, most people in the US don?t eat them very often. In the Mediterranean, Middle East, South Eastern Europe, and parts of India and Southeast Asia they are a staple item.

The following is a version of the most common way you find Eggplant prepared in the United States. The twist on this one is that it is easier to make than standard Eggplant Parmesan, yet equally tasty. It is a pretty safe bet for ?newbees? and once you are hooked you will hopefully feel brave enough to branch out to babaganush or a nice Eggplant curry. They are also fantastico when sliced and char-grilled.

It seems like spring is just not in the air on time this year. Ptarmigan, on the other hand, are right on schedule. You can almost go out and catch them with your bare hands!

My honey brought home a mess of them this weekend and I am experimenting with a corned beef marinade to see how well they brine. Once they are done soaking, I will boil some, like you would a regular corned beef, and then I will hot smoke the rest using a couple different methods. I have been told by wise Aniak sources that this is the absolute best way to prepare ducks, so I have high hopes for my Ptarmigan. I promise a full report on all of it in a few weeks!

For now this is a quick and easy meal you can make and will feed about two people. If you are cooking for a bigger crowd just double or triple it. A Ptarmigan is a terrible thing to waste!

1) Dice bacon and brown over medium heat. Drain and remove, leaving 3-4 tablespoons of grease.

2) Brown ptarmigan breast in bacon grease, adding spices and minced garlic as it cooks.

3) Once browned, add cream, peas, and cooked bacon. Simmer over medium-low heat until cream begins to thicken.

4) Add parmesan cheese to further thicken sauce. Once incorporated remove pan from heat.

5) Serve immediately over linguini. Garnish with fresh parsley if you so desire.

by Tiffany Longan

by Tiffany Longan