I'm writing a cookbook!
Ever since I completed the Alaska Food Challenge 13 years ago, people have been asking me to write a cookbook. People were so curious about what I was eating and when they saw how delicious my food looked on social media, they wanted the recipes!
But that challenge coincided with me becoming a mother and that learning curve was also quite steep. I also didn't feel "qualified" to write a cookbook. I was just trying to figure it out as I went along!
Well, now that I have been on this journey of eating mostly local food for a lot longer, I do feel like I have a lot of recipes, tips, and stories to share!
When I became a single mom 6 years ago, I relied on my garden to feed myself and my kids fresh, healthy food while I got my business going again. The garden is still the central part of our diet, along with local meat and fresh milk.
The purpose of this cookbook is to be a practical guide for people who want to make healthy food from scratch using primarily Alaskan ingredients. I want people to know that it is possible to eat really well inexpensively and easily and to be able to achieve it themselves.
It is also meant to put people in touch with the rhythms of the seasons through their food. To celebrate based on nature’s rhythms. To learn how to eat out of their garden year-round, even in Alaska. And to be able to source their food locally, not out of a grocery store.
It is not meant to be fancy, and yet, I want people to eat delicious food and have wonderful, healthy options for special meals.
This is the actual food I cook day in and day out for me and my kids. I don't usually use actual recipes, and they tend to change each time I make them, so I will do my best to capture my methods and offer suggestions for modifications.
I will be posting recipes here on the blog, or if you would like them delivered to your inbox, click here to get on my mailing list! You can also find quite a few recipes in earlier posts on my blog. If you try them out let me know what you think!
Here's a link to them.
And here is a recipe for my Salmon Sausage Chowder, which has become a favorite among my friends and kids. To make it you will need the salmon sausage recipe above!
Salmon Sausage Chowder
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3 Tablespoons tallow, lard, bacon grease, or butter
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2 onions, diced
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2-3 parsnips and/or carrots, and/or rutabagas diced
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3-4 potatoes, diced
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3 stalks celery or a handful of lovage, diced
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1 teaspoon fresh thyme
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1 bay leaf
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2 tablespoons white flour (optional)
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1 cup dry white wine
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2 quarts chicken broth
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1 teaspoon salt
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2 cups milk
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1 cup heavy cream
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1 tablespoon fresh or frozen parsley
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2-3 cups cooked salmon sausage
Directions: Heat the fat in large, heavy bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the diced veggies, thyme, and bay leaf and sauté until the onions are soft. Add the flour, if using, and stir to combine. Add the wine and let it cook down one minute. Add the stock and salt and let simmer about 20 minutes. Add the milk, cream, parsley, and salmon sausage and bring just to a simmer. Do not boil!
