Alaskabites

Author: rebeccak2

Growing Alaska

Published on: May 22, 2013

Categories: Made in Alaska, Summer

Tags: bell's nursery, garden, mike mesesian, Rebecca Palsha, Summer

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We moved into a new house, from a condo, about a year ago. One of the best things about our new place is that we get TONS of sunlight and we have a yard. For several years now I’ve grown herbs and flowers in container gardens. This year I”m going to have a garden, with raised beds, and grow vegetables. I’m beyond excited.
I stopped by Bell’s Nursery this week to get some growing tips. Owner, Mike Mosesian, said I should wait until next week, when the temperatures will probably be about 45 degrees at night, before I start planting. He also reminded me that the plants need to harden off before they can go outside.
I planted a few seeds, two weeks ago, and everything looks great–things are growing fast! So far I have: peas, squash, arugula, lettuce and zucchini.
I”ll be updating the blog on my garden’s progress throughout the summer. I’d love to hear your tips and see photos of your produce and gardens! Send me an email at rpalsha@ktuu.com

Alice shows off our seed starters.

Our ‘princess’ tabs help us keep track of what we’re growing.

Tomatoes at Bell’s Nursery.

Granola Addiction

by rebeccak2

Published on: May 17, 2013

Categories: Restaurants

Tags: Anchorage, fire island, organic grain granola, Rebecca Palsha

Comments: 4 Comments

I am addicted to Fire Island Bakery’s organic grain granola. I bought a bag this week, you know, to share with the family. I’ve eaten half of it by myself. I think I need an intervention. Anyone have a good granola recipe?

Bike to Bacon

by rebeccak2

Published on: May 16, 2013

Categories: Made in Alaska, Restaurants

Tags: Anchorage, bike to work day, Rebecca Palsha, Spenard Roadhouse

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Anyone riding in Bike to Work Day? I’ll post the schedule below and highlight the food stops. You’ll want to stop by the bacon station… maybe stop by twice.

May 17, 2013 Bike to Work Day Bike Stations
May 17th is Bike to Work Day. There will be bike stations located throughout Anchorage providing a variety of treats, juice, and coffee to bike commuters. Each station is different.

BCA Bacon Station sponsored by Spenard Roadhouse, Great Harvest Bread Co., Snow City Cafe, Kaladi Brothers, Green Star and Midnight Sun Brewery
Location: Chester Creek trail just east of the Seward Highway Schedule: 6:45-9:00 Description: Bacon – of course. Kaladi Bros. Coffee, Great Harvest Bread Cookies, and other treats.

Trek Store of Anchorage & House of Bread
Location: Elmore and Abbott Schedule: 6:30 AM to 8:30 AM Description: If you happen to be in the area, stop by the Trek Store of Anchorage aid station at the corner of Elmore and Abbott. Treats …

CRW Engineering
Location: Tudor and C St (for Bike to Work Day) northeast corner near the big red fish Schedule: 6:30 to 8:30 AM Description: Stop by for Coffee, Rolls and Water – and other treats to keep you fuel…

Alaska Regional Hospital
Location: Glenn Highway Multi-use bike path at Muldoon intersection. Schedule: We planned 6:30 to 8:30 am. Description: coffee, water, and snacks.

ANTHC & Southcentral Foundation
Location: Corner of Elmore and Ambassador Drive Schedule: 6:30-8:30am Description: Blueberry Station (blueberry inspired breakfast for bicyclists!)

USKH’s TLC Station (Treats, Lube (+air) and Camaraderie)
Location: 2515 “A” Street (Corner of A and 26th) Schedule: 7:00 – 9:00 Description: Treat Station will be operating 7:00 – 9:00 and include caramel cinnamon bars, fresh fruit, and coffee

Bayshore Clubhouse
Location: Dimond & Victor near entrance to Campbell Creek Trail Schedule: 6:30 AM to 8:30 AM Description: Dino’s Donuts, energy bars and drinks.

Rim Architects and Corvus Design
Location: Westchester lagoon (by the cozy cafe) Schedule: 6:45-8:45am Description: Coffee and treats

Dark Horse Coffee
Location: W 7th Ave and L St. Schedule: 6:45-9:00am Description: Coffee for commuters!

Dept of Transportation and Public Facilities
Location: NW corner of Spenard and Intl Airport Rd Schedule: 7-9am Description: refreshments, safety info, and transportation swag.

PDC Inc. Engineers, Bettisworth North Architects, and Acai Alaska
Location: A Street in front of Barnes and Noble Schedule: 6:30-9:00am Description: Trail Angels” Smoothie Stop is not on your map this year. PDC Inc. Engineers, Bettisworth North Architects, and Acai …

Great Alaska Seafood Cook Off

by rebeccak2

Published on: May 10, 2013

Categories: Made in Alaska, recipes, Restaurants

Tags: alaska seafood marketing institute, chinooks waterfront, great alaska seafood cook off, kevin lane, la baleine, mandy dixon, maxine's fireweed bistro, Rebecca Palsha, robert lewis, Seward

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Wednesday night was the second annual Great Alaska Seafood Cook Off, which is hosted by the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute.
It’s a pretty cool event. A lot of people take a train to the Bill Sheffield Railroad Depot and the event is packed once you get there.
Six chefs had one hour to make and plate a dish that features Alaska seafood.
Kevin Lane of Chinooks Waterfront in Seward won first place. Mandy Dixon from La Baleine and Robert Lewis of Maxine’s Fireweed Bistro tied for second.
I was sent a copy of Lane’s winning recipe. If you make it send me pictures! rpalsha@ktuu.com

Sourdough Crusted Sable with Yukon Gold Potato Puree, Sea Bean Sauté, Smoked Salmon Jus,
Rhubarb Aigre-Doux and Basil Coulis

Sable
Sablefish 8portions
Sourdough, thinly sliced 8pc
Salt and pepper
Clarified butter 1Tbl
Place sable, bone side down, onto each piece of sourdough and trim excess dough. Season.
Heat clarified butter in large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add sable, sourdough side down and cook until golden. Flip and finish cooking.

Yukon Puree
Yukon potatoes 2#
Garlic 1clove
Milk, warm ¼ cp
Butter ¾#
Salt
White pepper
Peel potatoes and cut into large dice. Place into salted water and bring to a boil. Simmer until tender then drain. Run through food mill back into pan. Return to medium heat to evaporate any liquid. Add milk then beat in butter, little by little until fully incorporated. Season.

Rhubarb Aigre-doux
Rhubarb, small dice 2cp
Shallot, minced 1tsp
Beet juice 2Tbl
Red wine vinegar 1tsp
Black pepper
Spruce tip syrup 2Tbl
Honey 2Tbl
Place rhubarb, shallot, beet juice and vinegar into and small sauté pan and bring to a simmer. Cook until rhubarb is tender and liquid has reduced. Remove from heat and let cool. Stir in syrup, honey and pepper.

Smoked Salmon Jus
Smoked salmon 2oz
Shallot, sliced 1
Thyme sprig 1
Veal stock 4oz
Place all ingredients into sauce pan and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes then remove from heat. Strain and hold warm.

Tempura Batter/Sea beans
Flour 1cp
Cornstarch 3Tbl
Soda water 12oz
Dill, minced 2Tbl
Sea beans, trimmed 8
Place all dried ingredients into a bowl and whisk in soda water and dill. Heat fryer to 375. Dip sea beans into batter and fry until crisp. Drain on paper towels. No need to season as the sea bean is briny enough.

Mushroom/Sea Bean Saute
Olive oil 2Tbl
Shiitake Mushroom, sliced 16
Red onion, julienne 1
Sea beans 1#
Garlic, minced 2cloves
White wine ¼ cp
Chicken stock ¼ cp (or less)
Butter 1Tbl
Espelette Powder ½ tsp
Heat oil over high heat. Add onions and mushrooms and sauté until caramelized. Add garlic and sea beans and toss. Deglaze with wine and stock. Finish with butter and pepper.

Basil Coulis
Basil leaves 1/4cp
Spinach leaves 1/4cp
Chix stock 1/2cp
Orange juice 2Tbl
Salt small pinch
Xanthan gum 1/4tsp
Place all ingredients except xanthan gum into blender and puree until smooth. Add gum and puree. Strain and place into squeeze bottle.

From Spenard With Love

by rebeccak2

Published on: May 1, 2013

Categories: Cocktails, Made in Alaska, Restaurants

Tags: bourbon, foodies, hogg brothers, pig, sage asher, Spenard Roadhouse, tater tots

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Spenard Roadhouse has only been open four years, but it is possibly one of Anchorage’s most popular restaurants. It’s on Northern Lights, in what was the old Hogg Brothers Cafe. When the current owners bought the building they auctioned off most of the pigs that covered seemingly every square inch of the building, (I’m told there were hundreds of pigs.)
“This is kind of a sad story,” Sage Asher, the assistant general manager of Roadhouse told me.
“We kept a few pigs, and one pig we kept was a doorstop. It was so cute. I think after six months or a year being open someone stole it. That was really sad it was our favorite pig.”
Pigs, or rather pork, is a favorite item at Roadhouse with a bacon of the month special and, “I love bacon,” bumper stickers being sold here.
There are also tater tots.
Fabulous tots.
The super tots are amazing, but who really has anything bad to say about tater tots covered in cheddar cheese, bacon, green onions, sour cream?
“We’re kind of known for our bacon and tatter tots,” Asher said.
Roadhouse also features local produce as often as possible with great vegetarian meals and meatless Monday specials.
The restaurant staff also boosts about the bar that has the largest selection of small batch bourbons in the state and all local beers on tap.
“It’s a place where foodies and people who just want a good meal can come eat,” Asher said.

The Waiting Game

by rebeccak2

Published on: April 10, 2013

Categories: Made in Alaska, Restaurants

Tags: Anchorage, friday, moose's tooth, pizza

Comments: 4 Comments

How long are you willing to wait for a to-go order? How about 30 minutes, 40, 50? Maybe two hours? That’s what was happening a lot at Moose’s Tooth. “We got to a point where we couldn’t keep up on to-go’s,” Dan Fiacco the GM at Moose’s Tooth said, “and in-house it was up to 40, 45 minutes, it wasn’t acceptable.”
So this October the restaurant started building a second kitchen, just for to-go orders.
It’s 3,000 square feet, with six ovens, double the freezer space and eight to 10 additional employees.
Fiacco says the first Friday night the second kitchen was being used they sold 1,678 pizzas.
“It’s a major improvement, so far so good,” Fiacco said.
Fiacco says about 30-40% of the business is from to-go orders. But, he says, people weren’t willing to wait for more than an hour.
He says the goal now is for to-go orders to be about 30 minutes, and in-house orders closer to 25 minutes.
The new kitchen will be fully running May1st.

The Iditarod and A Fancy Dinner

by rebeccak2

Published on: March 6, 2013

Categories: Made in Alaska

Tags: DOM PERIGNON, IDITAROD, KING CRAB, MILLENNIUM ALASKAN HOTEL, MUSHER

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Bobby Sidro was nervous when I met him: nervous about being interviewed by a television reporter, and nervous about his first time on the Iditarod trail. He’s a chef at the Millennium Alaskan Hotel, and this week — maybe around Thursday — he’ll make dinner for the first musher who reaches the Yukon River at Anvik, who’ll also win $3,500.
Here’s the menu:
• Portobello mushrooms stuffed with red king crab and smoked sockeye salmon with cheese
• Alaskan clam chowder
• Roasted duck salad with mixed greens
• A 14-ounce ribeye steak marinated in cognac and Alaskan Amber beer
• Jumbo prawns
• Bacon-wrapped scallops
• Grilled asparagus
• Four-cheese risotto cakes
Dessert is a fruit tart. Four wine pairings will be served with each course, and there is also a bottle of Dom Perignon.
Sidro will make all this on small burners in a tiny room, for a musher who will most likely be very sleep-deprived.
“To me, you know, adventure is adventure and I want to have one,” Sidro said, “I can tell my kids one day that I’ve been there.”
Sidro’s worked at the Millennium as a chef for 19 years, but this is the first time he’s been tapped to cook the Yukon River meal.
“I’m a rookie, but hopefully it’s going to be fun,” Sidro said.

Vegging Out

by rebeccak2

Published on: February 22, 2013

Categories: Made in Alaska, recipes

Tags: eggs benedict, nutritional yeast, phil eherenman, Rebecca Palsha, vegan

Comments: 1 Comment

I was skeptical. I didn’t trust Phil Eherenman with his mop of curly blonde hair and his assertions that eating vegan would taste good.

You know, as in no milk, cheese, meat or fish. Then he handed me a bean quesadilla. I bit. It was cheesey, tangy, self-sufficient. How was it possible? Eherenman told me the cheese flavor was from nutritional yeast, the yellow-Velveeta color from roasted red bell peppers, there was a deep rich flavor from the liquid smoke.

“This is powerful stuff,” Eherenman said as he showed me how to make a dip he calls cheesy-beany spread.

Eherenman says he went vegan about seven years ago to improve his health. His knees had been hurting. He thought he’d developed arthritis after years of backpacking through Alaska. He says he had terrible cholesterol and high blood pressure. He was constipated and had hemorrhoids. And the snoring, it was awful.

“I couldn’t sleep at night,” Eherenman said.

So he became a vegan. Eherenman says all his health problems went away. He’s hiking again.

Now, to be honest, I’m not cut out to be a vegan. I love cheese way too much to give it up. I can’t imagine brunch without eggs Benedict and bacon or sausage. I start my day with hot chocolate for breakfast. But, I do understand wanting a healthier lifestyle and having more vegetables in your diet just seems like a good plan.

Eherenman, who teaches cooking classes, is amazingly passionate about being a vegan. He sold me on having more vegan dinners, although I probably won’t give up a meaty cheeseburger.
Cheesy-Beany Spread
1 can white beans, drained
1tbsp. tahini
2 tbsp. nutritional yeast
1-2 tbsp. roasted red bell pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. salt (only if not using canned beans)
1 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice (or more to taste)
a few drops of liquid smoke

The Non-Romantic, Romantic

by rebeccak2

Published on: February 13, 2013

Categories: Made in Alaska, Restaurants

Tags: flying dutchman pastry shop, freida koper, Rebecca Palsha, romance, valentine's day

Comments: No Comments

I wanted to work on a romantic Valentine’s Day story this week. But, once I started to interview Frieda Koper the owner of The Flying Dutchman Pastry Shop, I realized I had not found a romantic person.
“No,” Koper giggled, “actually the joke in the family is that I am the guy in the family.”
Despite her romantic shortcomings Koper will spend the next several hours cranking out tokens of affection for her customers at her pastry shop. Chocolate covered strawberries, cakes topped with pink sugar flowers, truffles.
The love of her life, Cam Hays, helps. He’ll dip strawberries into a warm tub of chocolate as the couple talks about life and unfinished chores.
“Well technically we’re not married,” Koper said, “we never got around to that part, but after you’ve been together 14 years it’s really silly to call him your boyfriend… Maybe someday.”
Koper smiled when she talked about him.
As I stood in her shop surrounded by the warm smell of chocolate I couldn’t help but wonder if maybe Koper wasn’t just a little romantic after all.
Check out the tv story.

Alaskan Salmon on Top Chef

by rebeccak2

Published on: February 6, 2013

Categories: Made in Alaska

Tags: Alaska, salmon, top chef

Comments: No Comments

Alaska salmon make it on an episode of Top Chef. Check out the video clip!

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About Alaska Bites

Fearless cooking and eating in the Last Frontier. We've all heard someone say a restaurant is good...for Alaska. That's no longer true. The Lower 48 can have their Olive Garden, we have some of the finest chefs, best seafood and local farmers in the country. Our goal is to explore the state one bite at a time to find the most delectable, savory dishes Alaska has to offer. In this blog you can expect cooking tips, dining suggestions and advice on how to find local products. We also want your advice to share! Send emails to rpalsha@ktuu.com. Let's get some Alaska bites!