Alaska Mini-Roadfood Convention

quote:

Originally posted by seafarer john

Come to think of it, I'd like to try a few ice worms sitting at the bottom of my Martini some afternoon...

Cheers, John

I have seen the little black rascals and I am not sure that I want them in my afternoon libation. I never realized they existed until I saw them at the Portage exhibit. They are real and I saw them. Little bitty small worms that live on ice. Perhaps if you add an Olive, they would be better.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

quote:

Originally posted by Sundancer7

Quite frankly Lleechef, some of your southern starved halibut friends would appreciate a nice portion of such a succulent fish.

Perhaps you could fax it or email it to yours truly?
Later

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Sundancer, I think email is faster.......and I don't want the fax to smoosh the fish.

quote:

Originally posted by seafarer john

OK, Lisa Lee, how do you cook an ice worm?
We truly envy your great fishing expedition and the tasty culinary results.

Cheers, john

Here's a traditional Eskimo recipe for cooking ice worms.

Go to your local glacier and dig yourself some worms. Using a very small knife, butterfly them. Marinate them in seal oil, lime juice and papaya juice (which is gathered on the trees growing outside of your igloo). Bury them in the tundra for 6 months in a Tupperware container. When the kids start chanting, "Ice worms! Ice worms! We all scream for ice worms!" go borrow your neighbor's back hoe and dig them up. Fire up the barbie and grill to perfection! Accompany with cosmopolitans served in martini glasses, garnished with a parasol and a straw.

I knew the recipe was authentic when you mentioned the parasol...

I would have never thought about a cosmopolitan with ice worms. Perhaps with blue ice it would be ok. The little rascals are very small. I would guess that it would take several hundred to get any flavor?

I have wondered ever since I saw them how they survive on ice. Then I recall how much I like ice with certain things. Curiosity is a wonderful thing.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Lisa,

Is salmon in season now in Alaska. Saturday, our Sams Club had fresh salmon, they said that was just flown in from Alaska. As I was getting mine wrapped, a lady beside me informed us that this was not the season for salmon and that it couldn't be from Alaska. I bought it any way and baked it that night and it was wonderful.

quote:

Originally posted by emsmom

Lisa,

Is salmon in season now in Alaska. Saturday, our Sams Club had fresh salmon, they said that was just flown in from Alaska. As I was getting mine wrapped, a lady beside me informed us that this was not the season for salmon and that it couldn't be from Alaska. I bought it any way and baked it that night and it was wonderful.

The lady beside you needs to get her head examined!!!!!!! When does she think the salmon run.......in January???? Sheesh!
This is indeed the peak of salmon season in Alaska. They are everywhere, in the creeks, the rivers, the lakes, the ocean, they are jumping everywhere. All four species are available fresh now: King (Chinook), silvers (coho), reds (sockeye) and pinks (humpies, only on even numbered years). You probably had sockeye available at Sams, as I saw it yesterday at Costco. The finest eating salmon is Yukon River King.....with pinks being at the end of the spectrum, they are usually used to feed sled dogs. We are planning on taking our Roadfood Conventioners salmon fishing this coming weekend. FISH ON!

I have an extreme curiosity about the salmon. The rascals seem to be everywhere in Alaska.

Several years ago as I was traveling down the California coast, I bought some smoked salmon in the most extreme northern California border close to Oregon. I also bought a six pack of some nasty beer. I burped smoked salmon for several days and I have not since purchased.

I am sure that it is much better than that even though of my experience.

Curiosity is a wonderful thing.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

My Alaskan hiking guidebooks arrived today from Amazon. I hope you don't fish out all the salmon before I get there!

Just in case the ice worms run out. I just read about this in my rearch:

Baby Octopus Sakétini. TenPenh in D.C. serves this typical vodka and saké Martini with a pickled baby octopus.

Wouldn’t you?

Since I'm the only Alaskan on the Roadfood delegation, I'll have to answer the questions and comments one by one. AHEM!

Mr. Sundancer, your curiousity seems to be in high gear lately. Perhaps another trip to the 49th state should be in your future.

Poverty Pete, I might leave one or two old spawned out salmon for you to harvest. As for me, I'm gonna slay them this weekend and freeze some and smoke the rest. You'd better get up here in a hurry before they're gone!

Grampy, Forget about that octopus thing, the suckers get stuck in your throat! Plus they taste like nasty rubber bands. Those little ice worms come in very handy for mixing a nice neat cocktail. "A kidd'le eat ivy, too, wouldn't you?"

quote:

Originally posted by lleechef

"A kidd'le eat ivy, too, wouldn't you?"

lleechef, you're way too young to remember that!

I started seriously training for my upcoming trip to Alaska. Today I ate three Klondike bars...

Rick,

Maybe she's too young for it first time around, but she might've picked it up if she watched the final season of Twin Peaks! That's where I learned it!

Mairsy Doats and Doasy Doats and Liddle Lambsy Divey!

Alaskan Mini-Roadfood Convention update: Patti and Rick took the camper/truck rig and headed north. I'll let them fill in the details of this trip. They had a great time.
We all (6 of us) gathered at the Millennium on Thurs. night and had a lot of laughs, a few libations and food, under the midnight sun, while watching the float planes. We picked up Rick and Jan the next morning and headed for the boat.....blue skies and sunshine, the day was spectacular. Rick and Jan trolled for salmon then tried their hand at halibut, the only fish caught that day was by the Chef, and it was a scrawny little Irish Lord which I threw back. We subjected Rick and Jan to an Alaskan lunch.......King crab and halibut, while looking at Blackstone Glacier.
We saw Rick and Jan off and picked up Patti and Jeff the next morning and again headed down to the boat.....what a difference a day makes!! We were welcomed by fog, rain, drizzle, cold and generally nasty conditions. Did we head out? Heck yes! We're troopers!!! Tried to troll for salmon, the seas were too rough, so we headed in a different direction and tried for halibut, no luck. Despite good raingear, we all ended up more or less wet and cold. Patti and Jeff said that these conditions were what they expected in Alaska! Sheesh! We'd sell the boat if we had that every weekend!
Jeff had one that "got away". But on the way back we saw otters, eagles and moose. Being skunked on the fishing was not critical. We came back to Anchorage and after showers and organizing luggage and boxes of frozen halibut, took Patti and Jeff to the airport.
Rick and Jan are back in Louisiana, Patti and Jeff are back in California, Zman and lleechef are in Alaska and a great, great, spectacular week was enjoyed by all.
We will organize our photos and post them soon.

Poverty Pete: You'd better bulk up on caribou, moose, elk and whale....forget about those Klondike bars!

RickF: Maybe I should modify it to sing: "A kidd'le eat King Crab too, wouldn't you???"

quote:

We subjected Rick and Jan to an Alaskan lunch.......King crab and halibut, while looking at Blackstone Glacier.

And I have to say it was sheer torture! Sitting in a boat, looking at lovely ice (after being "subjected to" a Louisiana spring and summer, while eating succulent King Crab, salad with bleu cheese dressing, and freshly sauteed halibut; and fresh nectarines with their juice running down our chins for dessert. I wouldn't inflict that on my worst enemy, so if anyone ever has the misfortune of being thus abused, just call on me and out of the generosity of my soul I'll take your punishment in your place. Don't even thank me: it's my duty.

And even the scenery was awful; if I can figure out how, I'll link to a particularly bad sample.

Alaska is very lucky to have Lisa and Bob spreading the word and invitation to “Come on up and see the place.”. Jeff and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves while in the tender loving care of our hosts. Alaska is breathtakingly beautiful with more trees and more waterfalls ever found in one grand place on this whole earth.

DAY 1: Our first morning was off to Whittier and through the dreaded tunnel (Okay it really wasn’t that bad). Boarding the “Fox Hat” to go out and fish Prince William Sound. Fueling up at the dock next to the Coral Princess Cruise Ship made me feel like we were going out into the great big Sound and we were so small next to the miles high mountains and water that lead to an ocean, but TONS of fun was just about to begin and I had the thrill of a lifetime catching my first Halibut that was taller than I am. It was a tough half hour fight to steadily reel that fish in, and once gaffed and into the boat Captain Bob had to subdue the monster to fit it into the live well. It was TOO LONG, OH NO!!. Off with its tail. Then Captain Bob showed Jeff how to net and filet an iceberg or two to keep the Halibut cold next to the two red snapper caught by Jeff. We actually ate that day fabulous sandwich lunches and a fantastic HALIBUT dinner prepared by Chef Lisa. Stay tuned for Day 2. (We didn't get home from the airport until 1:30 a.m. today and I'm a little tired still). We did see Moose poop later and almost ran for our lives. We walked on a glacier and saw a wooden OUTHOUSE! There was Salmon and Seafood Fettucine for dinner. At breakfast the reading was a "Male" Order Catalog.

Eating on Alaskan Vacation

Tangle River Inn
Denali Highway

Great homemade berry pie, apple pie and strawberry rhubarb pie, really great. Chicken fried steak was on every menu at every restaurant and looked very good.

Breakfast was good and filling but nothing extraordinary.

Café Michelle
Talkeetna, Alaska: Very classy place. Nice crab cakes, very good salad, fantastic seafood pasta very tasty sauce with large scallops, crab and fish chunks for Jeff and I had the “World famous” Salmon which was incredibly good served with mashed potatos and broccoli.

Roadhouse Café
Talkeetna

Giant slices of toast served with homemade apple butter and strawberry jam both were real good, lots of fabulous bacon very thick and peppery and even the eggs were cooked to perfection. Would definitely go there again.

Phyllis’ Café
5th & “D” Streets Downtown Anchorage

We had cold smoked Silver Salmon appetizer served with Carr’s wafers and whipped cream cheese very very tasty. The Salmon was lightly smoked and melted in your mouth. Also enjoyed the sweetest tasting 1 pound king crab for only $17.99 (appetizer order because I didn’t need to spend $29.99 for the salad, rice and veggies. Just needed crab. Then had some Oregon Polar Bear Vanilla Ice Cream with coconut flakes.

Jeff ordered the Reindeer sausage a full circle of sausage served with green salad, vegetables, potatoes and dinner roll -- all of a sudden the table fell silent... wow what a dinner.

The Alaskan Seafood Chowder was filled with Salmon, Halibut, Shrimp, Crab and Clams was a little thin but had great flavor.

It was a happy noisy meal, eating outdoors under tents on a street corner with about 80 of our closest friends (the tables were bustling and never an empty one).

The BBQ Pit
1160 W. Dimond Blvd., Anchorage

While driving down Dimond we saw a BBQ sign sans dressed up pig. The sign did have a trio of drooling animals, cuddly “baby” bear, handsome Caribou and a stately Moose on the sign. The smoke coming from the back of the restaurant should be bottled and sold it was WOW! Ordered sandwiches (Jeff had the all pork) and at $5.75 with two sides was a real value. I had the pork and beef combo. The sauce was served heated in individual cups and stayed hot throughout the meal, it was reddish/chocolate colored and had a deep flavor just enough cayenne to keep your lips tingling long after you left the restaurant. This was the only bbq sandwich I have ever eaten that did not require a toothpick or dental floss afterwards. I sure would like to know how they cut their meat to make it so fabulous. Great toasted bun, the beans were not bbq’d but on the pinto side of the bean world and lightly seasoned. Everywhere we ate french fries in Alaska they tasted extra special and you wanted to eat them all and order more.

The Fancy Moose Lounge
4800 Spenard Road, Anchorage at the Millenium Hotel

Service was a little slow but it was SRO on the outdoor patio. Each table had a large bucket full of napkins and tableware waiting for the crowds. All Alaska Mini-Convention Roadfooders were in attendance drinking/dining the evening away and we all had a lot of fun. Talking, drinking, noshing together under the “midnight” sun. Overhead we had a first hand look as float plane after float plane landed just feet from us on Lake Hood. We shared the Seafood Combination Appetizer which held popcorn scallops, breaded oysters (very tender and sweet), crab grabbers and Salmon nuggets, accompanied by the housemade Artichoke tartar sauce, cognac coctail sauce and cajun marmalade for dipping. VERY VERY TASTY. For entrees: Alaska Salmon Burger was very good, Seafood Cobb, Chicken Ceasar, Beer Battered Halibut and Chips and lots of Alaskan Pale Beer, Alaskan Summer Beer, and great Martinis we were all smiling under the summer sun.
[|)][|)] Burp! Burp!

And y'all thought there wasn't any roadfood in Alaska!! HA! We have more food than roads!

So are there more pictures coming?

What's more, did you write that it was 85F and 105F in Alaska recently? My partner and I did this Princess cruise from SF to Alaska and back in 2000, and all the charming locals told us we were on the "good weather lucky ship" that drove away the rain and the cold. It was warmer in Alaska at that time than in SF... not that this is unusual. I passed through Needles and over the Colorado River Wednesday, July 20, and it was 120F. OF course, the A/C died the next day. I'm in St. Louis, where it was only a high of 75F yesterday and about 69F Sunday. Go figure.

Can I ask again if there will be more pictures? Thanks

quote:

Originally posted by michaelgemmell

So are there more pictures coming?

As soon as I can figure out how to post them!

And it was hotter in Fairbanks one day than it was in central Louisiana. . . .

Photos me too. Can't figure it out we've been trying for days.

As to the weather Michael... it was T-shirt weather 24/7 while we were there (only put on long sleeves to keep the bugs away). It was warmer in Alaska than in LA when we landed on the 9th of July. But then LA came into the 100's when we returned on the 18th.

Here are some of the photos: [img]http://images.snapfish.com/33%3B3%3B%3B2323232%7Ffp63%3Dot%3E2326%3D9%3B4%3D533%3DXROQDF%3E232359284%3B962ot1lsi[/img][img]http://images.snapfish.com/33%3B3%3B%3B2323232%7Ffp63%3Dot%3E2326%3D9%3B4%3D533%3DXROQDF%3E232359284%3B963ot1lsi[/img][img]http://images.snapfish.com/33%3B3%3B%3B2323232%7Ffp63%3Dot%3E2326%3D9%3B4%3D533%3DXROQDF%3E232359284%3B964ot1lsi[/img]http://images.snapfish.com/33%3B3%3B%3B2323232%7Ffp63%3Dot%3E2326%3D9%3B4%3D533%3DXROQDF%3E232359284%3B965ot1lsi[img]http://images.snapfish.com/33%3B3%3B%3B2323232%7Ffp63%3Dot%3E2326%3D9%3B4%3D533%3DXROQDF%3E232359284%3B967ot1lsi[/img][img]http://images.snapfish.com/33%3B3%3B%3B2323232%7Ffp63%3Dot%3E2326%3D9%3B4%3D533%3DXROQDF%3E232359284%3B965ot1lsi[/img]

It is a MIRACLE!

Oh My Gosh! I cannot believe the size of that fish!

Who is who in the pics?

The lovely and charming Lisa Lee and Captain Bob.
RickF, RedPatti, Jan, Lisa, Bob.
RickF, Jeff (husband of RedPatti), Jan, Lisa and Bob.
RedPatti with Halibut that is longer than she is tall. 114.8 pounds. It was a thrill to catch my first halibut, thanks to the help of the expert fishermen on board.
The BBQ sign is self explanatory. No carribou, bear or moose on BBQ signs in the lower 48 (we had to go in and eat just to make sure the BBQ served was not carribou, bear or moose, which if it had been we would have tried it). The BBQ served was FANTASTIC pork, beef, chicken, ribs, great slaw, beans and fried little whole taters or french fries.

Yay Patti!! You did it! Nice pics!!

Now we're waiting for some of RickF's 800-some pics that he and Jan took in Alaska!

Thanks for the pics, Patti!!

Who besides me thinks that Rev. Rick is a dead ringer for Wilford Brumley??

quote:

Originally posted by Bushie

Thanks for the pics, Patti!!

Who besides me thinks that Rev. Rick is a dead ringer for Wilford Brumley??

I am gonna get blasted for this but who is wilford Brumley?

Great pics from Alaska and I enjoyed all of them.

I am so curious about the Anchorage area!!!!!!!!!

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN