It's no surprise to anyone who knows me that I love to cook. Cookies, cakes, roasts, chicken, and bread. Especially bread! Cooking has always been a passion of mine, and I love sharing that passion with others.
Here in Port Heiden, my cooking has transformed to a whole new level. Some experiences have been interesting: no milk? Make it from powdered, and others have challenged me to try new things: uhhh, how do I cook this salmon?? Most of all, I love being able to go outside and gather my own food. Berries and salmon are abundant here, and I'm thankful that I'm able to fill my freezer just by stepping out my front door. Last weekend we went salmon fishing and were able to net a respectable 17 fish! We spend a long evening packing and freezing the filets. I can't wait to find new recipes to try. An afternoon during the week was spend gathering clams, which of course led to a delicious clam chowder! (also, clams look really weird) Blueberries and crowberries are also in their peak season, and I've been out several hours this week picking and then freezing them. They'll be used in muffins, scones, and smoothies, and I also hope to get enough to attempt a batch of jam. I've also taken the time to begin a new sourdough starter. Unfortunately, the one I was given last year didn't survive, even though I attempted to dry it for the summer. I'm not sure why I felt it was so complicated, and why I was nervous to attempt it, but to be honest the process was very simple and hardly required any work. My starter was finally ready to use today, so I decided to whip up a batch of donuts. I didn't have a donut cutter, so I improvised and made drop donuts. To be honest, it doesn't make too much of a difference to me, they still tasted delicious! Now that my starter is ready, I don't think I'll go back to regular yeast. It's just too delicious! I know a lot of times in this modern age, making your own food and putting food up is seen as old fashioned and time-consuming. But I'll be honest, I'll take berry picking in the tundra over Netflix any day! |
KatieA blog about my move and teaching in bush Alaska. Archives
September 2016
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