MelissaTrainer.com

I love this photo of jarred Bristol Bay king and sockeye salmon...I received these jars from Patty Luckhurst when I was traveling throughout Alaska's Bristol Bay region last summer.  I was on a mission to see the salmon run when it arrived, so we were there right in the beginning of July.

Patty and her family took us under their wings and shared their life with us. We subsistence set netted on the beach early in the morning. We stood in their backyard and helped them process upteem fish the same day. We were taught how to gut and fillet the wild salmon in order to get the best results while drying and smoking the fish for the winter. We heard all the local opinions and arguments regarding the proposed Pebble Mine. And, we were given these jars of salmon, which had been prepared by Patty's husband, Vince.

I snapped this photo early one morning and did so right outside the wonderful little cabin in which we were staying. The birch trees were around me and these stumps were a handy prop. For me, they are a deliciously happy memory of a critically important trip.

--Melissa A. Trainer

So, what do you cook when the snow hits hard in your region? Seattle is getting its first storm of the season. Schools were closed yesterday. They are closed again today. Roads are icy. The snow is falling right now. Temperatures are chilly. The wind is picking up.

Yesterday, I opted to stock up on some basics, such as eggs, milk, bread. I also hauled out my large Le Creuset Dutch oven and cranked out a large pot of beef and carrot stew. Served with mashed potatoes last night, it got a thumbs up from the crowd.

I was very fortunate to visit Cordova, Alaska in September. The Copper River/Prince William Sound Marketing Association hosted a fall press trip so they invited me plus four other food writers/professionals to visit the area. 

The Copper River region is most well known for the ultra rich wild salmon that is pulled from the local waters. This Alaska salmon is revered worldwide, and in Seattle there is always lots of hype when the season’s first catch arrives at the airport!

While in Cordova, Amy, Shauna, Danny, Joelen and I toured the fishing village, met fishermen and artists, fished for coho, and foraged for wild cranberries.  When we arrived on Tuesday afternoon, the winds were howling and the rain was falling in force. The second day wasn’t much better, but we all managed to grab a rod and fish off the shore for about an hour. We didn’t catch anything, but we certainly had a few nibbles. Without a doubt, we enjoyed the adventure with our guide from the Orca Adventure Lodge. We then visited the Ilanka Cultural Center and stopped for lunch at Baja Taco.

Driven by Instinct/Greeted with Smiles.

Like the millions of Bristol Bay sockeye that  naturally return to the region, I was driven by instinct.  I had to get to Bristol Bay during the height of the sockeye run this summer.   While I was doing my research before I left Seattle, some folks told me that the fishermen and processors would be too busy to talk to me. They told me that everyone would be exhausted and bleary eyed from catching and processing  the millions of sockeye that arrive at once.  

That was certainly frank advice.  I appreciated the candor, but I made the “executive decision” to go anyway.  As a journalist,  I wanted to see the star of the show during my first trip to Bristol Bay—I wanted to see those sockeye being pulled right from the water.  Regardless of the insider’s advice, I had to trust that I would find information and meet people who cared enough to talk to us. Indeed, everyone was busy, but the welcome was remarkably warm throughout our travels. Bristol Bay fishermen, families, shopkeepers, crew members, and processors smiled, talked, and treated us as if they had known us for years.  Even I was astonished when they took time out of their day and told us their stories.

From September 5-9, seventeen Seattle restaurants will show their support for the world's largest sockeye fishery, which is located in the Bristol Bay region of Alaska. They will celebrate the fishery by hosting "Dine Out for Bristol Bay" and during that time they will be proudly featuring Bristol Bay salmon on their menus.

As many of you know, Bristol Bay is under threat from the proposed Pebble Mine. Thankfully,  a massive wave is rising to fight this potential travesty.  "Dine Out for Bristol Bay" is just one of the initiatives underway. During the week, a portion of the Bristol Bay salmon sales in each restaurant will go towards efforts to protect this precious all-American watershed.

For those of you who regularly read my posts, you know that I visited Bristol Bay this summer. I flew to and throughout  the remote region with my husband and three children.  This was a "do it yourself" trip that led us to the most pristine waterway in the country.

I was working on a salmon project this morning and decided to snap this photo in the midst of my efforts. It was nearly noon and I couldn't resist tucking into some cold smoked Alaskan sockeye salmon. I had some bagels, whipped cream cheese, some diced onion, a little dill and some lemon zest. Hence, it was the perfect opportunity to craft a bagel with smoked salmon and cream cheese. When I tucked into that little concoction I wasn't sure if I was in New York or Alaska...hence the Newlaska Bagel! Yum!

Melissa A. Trainer

Subsistence Fishing For Family Fodder.  On the morning after I arrived in Dillingham, I was thankful to be an early bird. I rise early every day and on that day I was glad that I had yanked myself out of bed before 5 am.

At 5:55 the phone at Bull Moose Cabin rang. Still sporting my flannel pajamas and nursing a cup of coffee, I leaped up and grabbed the phone. It was Patty Luckhurst with a very direct message. Patty’s husband was already at the beach and she told me to get moving because the nets were sinking and “Vince wouldn’t be fishing for long.”

Yikes, that was a heck of a wake-up call!  I told Patty I’d shift into gear and get down there right away.  I nudged the boys out of bed. By 6:30 we were standing at the beach with Patty, her husband, her sister-in-law Cheryl Vanderpool, and their boys. Vince was happy to finally see us there, because his net was “nearly sunk” and he wanted to pull it in. The tides and the fish in Bristol Bay don’t wait for anyone, so we were lucky to have gotten there in time!

With July 4th nearly upon us, I ask this: When does an ingredient reach beyond the dinner table and become a living all-American legacy? When does it stand for something more than itself? When does it reflect an ancient and living history? And, when does that ingredient become a national legacy that sits at the center of the dinner plate?

I think an ingredient does all of this and more when it is born and survives in one of the most pristine productive waterways in the world and when generations of Americans have been working hard in the midst of that  legacy,  hauling it from the water and bringing  it forth to others around the world.  Indeed, Alaska’s Bristol Bay sockeye is an ingredient far larger than itself. Managed sustainably as mandated by the  Alaska State Constitution, Bristol Bay sockeye is an ingredient that symbolizes earth, water, life,  families, stability, sustainability, and the future in an ever changing world. 

Here in Seattle, we are very lucky. As soon as salmon season hits in Alaska, we start to see some of the world's finest freshest fish right at our local grocery stores.

Earlier this week on Al Dente, I discussed how to stretch one pound of sustainable seafood in order to get the most bang for your grocery buck. While writing that blog post and researching fish prices around town, I noticed that there are a lot of "whole fish" sales going on. By this, I mean that fish departments are selling wild Alaska salmon at a better price if you purchase the headed and gutted whole fish. Some folks might be afraid to buy a whole fish, but it is something worth considering for a variety of reasons. 

First of all, it's less expensive to buy the whole fish. This is the same theory that applies to buying a whole chicken versus the chicken cutlets. Secondly, even if you are afraid to fillet the fish yourself, rest assured that many fishmongers will fillet and package your salmon for you at no extra charge. This is a great added value feature at the fish counter. (Note: Costco does not offer that service, however.)

If you are lucky enough to be traveling and camping throughout Alaska this summer, be sure to visit the Anchorage Museum located in the heart of downtown. When we lived in Anchorage about five years, I spent many afternoons at this museum with my children.