Dutch Harbor

My friend Bari sent me this picture. It shows the APL crane in Dutch Harbor, after being blown over by winds reported to be upwards of 120 mph (one report said 150!)

Typical Fall Day in SE Alaska

Recipe: Grilled Salmon with Pink Peppercorn Rub

Alas, all of our content, pictures etc. must fit within 144 pages. That means a few things are getting cut. This recipe is one of them. It is a simple and tasty way to cook salmon, so we hope you will try it. It comes from our friends Greg and Amy from the F/V Angie, a troll tender in Southeast Alaska.

Grilled Salmon with Pink Peppercorn Rub

4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets

2 teaspoons sea salt

4 tablespoons crushed pink peppercorns

4 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Sprinkle the salmon fillets each with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. In a small bowl, mix the crushed peppercorns, brown sugar, and olive oil together. Rub the peppercorn mixture evenly over the top of the fillets.

            Heat the grill to medium heat. Cook the salmon fillets skin side down for approximately 8 minutes, until nearly opaque in the center. Peek inside the fish, and remove the salmon fillets just before done, since the fish will continue to cook for several minutes once away from the heat.

Makes 4 servings

Recipe: Sake Steamed Clams

This preparation takes the usual butter and white wine recipe and turns it on its head. The use of sake, soy sauce, and ginger gives this dish a Pacific Rim flair. Togarashi is a Japanese pepper blend, but you can substitute a pinch of red pepper flakes instead.

1 cup sake

2/3 cup water

1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1 garlic clove, minced

1 1⁄2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons butter

2 pounds littleneck clams, cleaned

2 green onions, chopped, for garnish

Togarashi, optional, for garnish

In a large pot, place the sake, water, ginger, garlic, and soy sauce. Place over medium-high heat and cook for 3 minutes. Add the butter and the clams, and cover the pot. Decrease the heat to medium, and steam the clams for 8 to 10 minutes or until all the clams have opened. Discard any clams that remain closed. Pour the clams and broth into a bowl, and sprinkle with the green onion and the togarashi.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Cookbook Design

It was a busy summer and fall editing the cookbook and tweaking recipes. The text is finally whipped in to shape, thanks to our crack editor, Ellen Wheat. Now it is on to the design/layout stage. Take a look at the cover design, and a peak at the page layout.