I’m always searching for new recipes to make with salmon, since it’s so easy to fall into a rut of my favorite preparations. This is a sauce that I usually make if I’m cooking a German-style dinner of pork chops or schnitzel. I thought that by adding some fresh dill to the recipe it would really compliment some simply grilled salmon. Wow was I right! This was a home run all the way. The sauce really melded with the delicate salmon and also goes great as a gravy on top of a side dish of mashed potatoes. Garnished with a vibrant dill sprig this meal just pops with flavor and is perfect if you are having guests over for dinner. The salmon was prepared by simply cooking it on the grill, wrapped in an aluminum foil pouch with salt and pepper for about 7 minutes. Super simple, no fuss, delicious.
In the summer of 2013 I attempted to compete in my home town’s 3rd Annual Chili Cook-Off. I wanted to make something really special, something that would help me stand out from the crowd.The last time I was I there I had made a chocolate mole chili and let’s just say not everybody appreciated it, but I thought that this one would be a contender! The smokiness of the chipotle accented the smokiness of the salmon, and this particular batch (that my dad smoked himself) was a tad dry so it had almost has a pancetta quality to it. Alas, I did not win…but my family was especially surprised with the tastiness of my chili experiment.
The one time I attempted to grow Swiss Chard in Interior Alaska it grew like crazy and went to seed before I could manage to do anything with it. I tried sauteing it and I tried adding it to a salad and I have to say that I was never particularly impressed. This is an easy (yet impressive) way of adding leafy greens to your diet. It’s not a particularly healthy preparation, but boy is it delicious!
When I was a child my family would make the annual Alaskan pilgrimage to a warmer climate for a few weeks. Our usual destination was Zihuatanejo, Mexico and while we were there we’d often take day trips to the little fishing village of Barra de Potosí. I’ve heard that the beautifully expansive beach of Playa Blanca is beginning to be developed now but back in the 90s there were only one or two little beach bars right on the water. After an arduous journey that involved a tightly packed Volkswagen bus and a bumpy ride in the back of a pickup truck, we’d arrive at the tranquil locale. We’d settle in at an enramada where each of us would claim a hammock and relax in the warm ocean breeze. Besides plenty of cervezas, Frescas and fresh coconut water we’d order their specialty Camarones al Mojo de Ajo. If you do it right the garlic in this recipe will take on a sweet toasted flavor and it’s fun to leave the shell on as you cook them so that you can suck the garlic sauce off of your fingers later.
We are both born and raised in Alaska, land of the midnight sun and fishing at 2am. We love to find new ways to use fresh ingredients or put a modern spin on an old Alaskan classic. We hope you will enjoy tasting Alaska.
We are both born and raised in Alaska, land of the midnight sun and fishing at 2am. We love to find new ways to use fresh ingredients or put a modern spin on an old Alaskan classic. We hope you will enjoy tasting Alaska.