CHEFS LOG ALASKA DATE AUGUST 15 2010

Fresh caught British Columbia Sockeye Salmon Filet seasoned with lots of Kosher Salt, Fresh Cracked Black Pepper, Tarragon and Herbs de Provence, drizzled and puddled with great ExtraVirgin Olive Oil and baked with Campari Tomatoes and Pearl Onions. Now, preheat the oven to 425 degrees and slip it in for 25-30 minutes. Take out of the oven and let rest 10 minutes. Enjoy the aroma.. As you plate, make sure you give everyone a tomato, pearl onions and scoop up all that goodness in the olive oil for every serving. Don't leave a drop of olive oil in the baking pan  as you will want it for the drippings on that good toasty baguette. Enjoy it all with a crisp glass of Sauvignon Blanc or earthy Pinot Noir.

A new charter begins. A family from Germany. Dad taking his 3 adult children to a place where he grew up, British Columbia, Canada. As you view the photos you will know why. We call this “Eighth Wonder of the World”. Beautiful, magnificent, breathtaking and grounding. To be here is to be centered. Its just the feeling you get. Ahhhh, I am blessed.

Merlin, Abbygayle, Thomas and Champagne (like the bubbly)

Fresh Shiitake and Baby Bella Mushrooms served with the Salmon. The secret to delicious flavorful mushrooms is a medium to high heat saute, quick, move them around, lots of room in the pan (do not overcrowd the pan or the mushrooms become mushy), good olive oil, splash of sherry vinegar, liberal sprinkling of Kosher Salt and Crack Pepper, Fresh Chopped Tarragon and finish with a Nugget of Unsalted Butter. Swirl and Serve.

Fresh Berries. Raspberries, Strawberries, Blackberries and Blueberries, a perfect dessert to a rich in flavor dinner, but you need something to set the your palate and make it ready for the burst of sweet and tart juices. I suggest serving it with a lemony frozen gelatto ... rich, creamy sweet and tart. Chocolate Espresso is a nice finish too! And come to think of it ... we all enjoyed a syrupy cool sip of Limoncello.

I am nearing the end of my journey, my summer on the MV Jamal. Catering to wonderful families and friends that inspire me and my cooking to new heights. I am rejuvinated, excited and anxious to return to home. My family, my friends and my clients … I promise delicious food, beautiful presentations and … I have to leave something as a surprise ... teehee ... 

ENJOYING SUMMER TOMATOES (even in Alaska)

I know you are all enjoying ripe, Heirloom, Roma, Beefsteak and Queen Tomatoes. A big slice, salted, peppered with a drizzle of EVOO is absolutely my favorite, but when you want to serve those ripe, juicy, red and gold fruits as a major side dish or yet, a main course here is a recipe  I know you will love, Tomatoes Provencal.

 

 

TOMATOES PROVENCAL

6 large Roma or favorite ripe tomatoes, cut in half, seeds removed
2 ounces Mascarpone cheese
2 ounces goat cheese
2 ounces Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and black pepper
Extra Virgin Olive oil for drizzling
Drain tomatoes upside down while making gremolata. Mix the cheeses together.

Turn the tomatoes right side up. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Divide the cheese evenly into the tomatoes. Pack in the gremolata on top. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Place in oiled baking dish and bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees. 

Gremolata:
1 cup crushed garlic croutons, small and coarse, not fine
¼ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
1/4 each cup chopped basil and parsley
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons chopped fresh garlic
1/2 -3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
Mix the first 6 ingredients together. Pour in ½ cup of the olive oil to form a paste. To test mixture, hold the some of the mixture in the palm of your hand. Squeeze and open your hand. If mixture holds together in your palm it is perfect. If it falls apart, add more of the extra virgin olive oil. Taste and season with salt and pepper. 
Enjoy!



Even summer in Alaska can be delicious. I always seek out and find the Farmers Market in all of our ports. I remembered Billy in Ketchikan, I met him two years ago and his bright smile and blue eyes seduced me to his stall. He farms in the summer, land of the midnight sun. His table is full and colorful and stuffed with seasonal fruits and vegetables. His artfully arranged baskets, big garden sunflowers and hand written cardboard box signs reminds me that this is a mom and pop, brother and sister summer business. A sweet half hour is spent reminiscing about our last visit and tales of the long winter and no fish. I bought as much as I could carry and then came back the next day with a gift of brownies. Sweets for the sweet.   

CHEFS LOG ALASKA DATE AUGUST 8 2010

Our right of passage. Today we leave Ketchikan, Alaska, just us girls. Feather, our fond name for Jim, Jennifer's father, has passed the baton of this 170 ton, 76 ft,,  24 ft. beamed, ocean going, Hatteras hulled, MV Jamal.  The Inside Passage is sometimes just not that, inside. We are set to cross open ocean to reach Campbell River in four days via Dixon Entrance, Milbank Sound and the Queen Charlottes. This season marks our 20th and it is with bittersweet smiles that we go without him on the bridge. He knows this vessel like no other and has made this crossing a hundred times. He eats, sleeps and breathes every nook and cranny of every nicely tucked away hidden spot. He knows where to lay her anchor when seas or darkness rise or fall and fog forbids travel. His daughter, my friend, my Captain Jennifer, First Mate Jeannette, Crew Kathy and myself are taking the MV Jamal, this right of passage, like we have been  given the delivery of the Compass Rose. I myself, have made this voyage a dozen times, always with Feather. I am honored to have been handed his life, his best friend, that he has shared with me for 20 years, to bring her safely home.

We had some apricots, white wine, peaches, butter,brown sugar,  cinnamon and leftover homemade biscotti. No recipe no measurements,  just good ingredients put into a baking dish and baked at in a 350 degree oven until the fruit was soft and the butter, white wine and sugar made a syrupy sauce underneath a crispy sweet crust.

Dawn came at 4:45 with the generator calling us to wake. Wake up you sleepy head. Beautiful colors of blue and soft pinks drew our destination to the horizon.  Once outside of our lovely anchorage rolling swells and fishing fleets with outstretched nets keep us all awake and all eyes wide. Wrist bands are applied, saltine crackers and candied ginger also take there place in the wheelhouse. Our stabelizers keep the big swells to a soft, sleepy, rolling motion that caresses you to close your eyes and dream of romantic ports. Captain wants some chicken tenders extra crispy. I turn the oven on.

Fog, fog, fog, and we can't see a damn thing. All eight, lovely lady hands and seductive eyes are on deck with field glasses pointed port, starboard, bow and stern. Horn blowing every two minutes with the manual finger on a wheelhouse blast for 4-6 seconds. Less than a quarter mile visibility leaves us with only radar and AIS, Automated Identification System, boats show up on a Navtec screen with name, rank, length and distance from us. Radar, necessary but, fashioned at best, a blinking light on a screen, sometimes slow to respond. If it is moving, it is a vessel, if not, probably a rock. Sometimes pods of whales can show up. We are all seasoned travelers and while the weather casts a serious note there is always fun to poke and laughter with the yayas.

Prince Rupert is our border crossing. We dock and wait for the patrol to give us the welcome wave to a foreign land. Welcome to Canada! We declare the berries, fruits, wine and tobacco, and take our few minute meeting, one on one.              

Questions answered we are on our way.To a nice little anchorage that greets us after our 12.5 hour day. Napping, charting, sunning, we are ready to settle in and dance in the salon and sing with Jeanettes guitar. AHHHH and dinner Salmon with Herbs De Provence, Lamb Chops, Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes and Arugula Salad and don't forget dessert, what ever is leftover from the crumble that has been inching smaller to its last portion.We retire to our staterooms for a little read and sweet dreams...

 
Fog and more fog with less visibility is our wake up call, that and the purring of the generator at 4:30 hrs., which dangles a strong espresso at the other end. Grenville Channel will take up a good part of the day with 4-5 hours navigating through that currentous channel. Fog hanging low and caressing the upward tree lined granite slopes that resemble women's voluptuous bodies, intertwined and wrapped around each other. I see them as you would see shapes and stories in the clouds. I greet them every time, but no camera can capture their exquisite familiar beauty. For my eyes only?

Sun sun sun and little caps of white by the time the clock strikes 9. Fog is gone and morning has broken. Captain napping and the girls press on, spotting each other at the helm. 

Temperatures rise to 80 degrees and well, we are, all girls. On with the sunscreen and off with our clothes. Naked charter begins. This mental picture is for those only whose imaginations can paint our lovely reflections amidst blue skies and even bluer waters. Sorry, no digital please.

We say goodnight to our engines at 2100 hours (8pm) as we move farther south the days get shorter. We are enjoying our time together especially now that sunshine is an everyday greeting. Soon we will be in Campbell River and get ready for our next guests. Wish it were you! 

CHEFS LOG ALASKA DATE AUGUST 5 2010

This charter is coming to its final days, and I am never running short of ideas of what to cook. I never plan menus, only the first meal of every charter and that you know is Roast Chicken. Who doesn't like roast chicken? I just buy what looks best at the market and go from there.   My guests are my inspiration. sweet, spicy, comfort, elegant, sophisticated, rich, buttery, light, healthy, French, Latin, Asian or down home Americana. I can create something for everyone. Just cook and smile.
Saying goodbye is always bitter sweet.

Last night spent in a new found harbor, it is so beautiful, Loring Cove. 
Girls take a skiff ride to see the rapids. Girls just wanna have fun!!

Finally into Ketchikan, first city of Alaska. We are docked at Bar Harbor with no electricity and with our blue fenders hung port side, broadside across the breakwater entrance like a target that needs to be missed. 70 degrees and blue sunny skies, a heat wave in Alaska. Shop keepers fans are blowing and water drops are beading on their lips and brows as they declare “I moved to a cool tempered climate with lots of rain for a reason.” Feels good to me, so we take our books and tall cool drinks and sit on the aft deck. Shuffle plays the Itunes. We listen, shuffle, dance and sashay to Jeanettes mystical chanting, Eric Clapton, BB King and nodding to the beat of enticing voices I have never heard before.  I have a few days in port with nothing to do and all day to do it! See ya!!

Ketchikan, aft deck looking at fishing boats in the harbor

Looking west at sunset out of the harbor

Loving my Life and Loving You! It just doesn't get any better!
Ohhhh and a recipe to enjoy on a lovely deck, by the water, whether alone or with somebody!

Coco Pineapple Pzazz…    2 oz. white rum
                                    2 oz. pineapple juice
                                    1 oz. Coco Lopez 
                                    1 oz. Cointreau liquor
                                    Pineapple wedge
Fill cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Add rum, pineapple juice, Coco Lopez and Cointreau. Cover and shake for 30 seconds. Strain into chilled martini glass. Garnish with pineapple wedge.Sip and enjoy.

 

CHEFS LOG ALASKA DATE JULY 30 2010

Pillsbury Perfection Skillet Baked Morning Biscuits seemed just the way to greet everyone with smile and a brown sugar and honey drizzle glaze (gaze). The California peaches and plums tossed their juices together in a big glass bowl while eggs rose to the occasion with crisp bacon and mushrooms named fritatta. My guests love the big breakfasts I am preparing and as I watch them wolf down the full plate and guzzle glasses of fresh squeezed orange juice, I know I am where I should be. Whether in a galley, in Alaska, thousands of miles away from the ones I hold dearest, or in my own designer kitchen on Lake Lenore, I am always home where the pots are boiling over with love from my pantry!.

A high pressure morning brought rays of sunlight streaming through a brilliant blue sky. Next, Wrangell! One of the sweetest little towns in Southeast. Captain, First Mate and I took the skiff after docking at the new marina and went into town about a mile away. We gratefully stopped to pay homage to the Totem House where protective, more than a hundred year old totem poles stand erect over looking Wrangle Bay. Wrangle seemed a ghost town by late afternoon, but we always stop and shop at the Eagersman Everything store, contributing to the economy of a community that knows us by name. Guests are off to view the petroglyphs at low tide. Markings of a time long ago when only natives walked the shores. Holding on to history as I blog, text, double click and send.       

Meyers Chuck, could be my favorite place in Southeast. A community that has a history for more than 70 years. Halibut Bill, Jig Man and Little Lori …. a little place with a big heart.
It has been couple of years since I have stepped on Terra Firma here at MC and as we make the turn to see if there is space at the dock, my mouth drops in shock. Dock is full and 4 other boats are anchored in the harbour. We used to be the only ones here. The world can change, so can I, but not MC. My baby blues squint to keep the new construction out. I close my eyes and turn away to keep from bringing reality to life. Memories best kept in the windmills of my mind. But, don't get me wrong, to those of you who have never been here, there is no other world more charming and enchanting.

Doll porpoise running with the wake

Meyers Chuck ... FOR SALE ...Lenore's Cook Camp and Catering! Relocate!

We sit well in the water and everyone know us by name, bow and stern. On to make dinner after our little skiff excursion. Enjoy this amazing recipe. It may be too warm in our air-conditioned Florida climate ... if so, I am planning on sharing this recipe at one of my upcoming fish classes. Enjoy it today or put it on the back burner for another cooler day.

PECAN CRUSTED HALIBUT WITH MAPLE SWEET POTATOES
6 6 oz. pieces halibut fillet
3 c. small chopped raw pecans
1/3 c. favorite pancake mix
3 egg whites beaten
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
6 small sweet potatoes or yams
3 T. unsalted butter
Pinch nutmeg
¼ + c. maple syrup
lemons
Wrap sweet potatoes individually into tented foil. Place on sheet pan and bake in 400 degree oven until soft. Let cool slightly. Remove from foil and tear off the skin. Smash and season with butter, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Season halibut fillet with salt and pepper. Mix the nuts and pancake mix.
Place beaten in egg whites in shallow bowl. Dredge the halibut pieces in the egg and then the nut mixture. Set aside.
In a nonstick pan melt together 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon butter over low heat. Place the halibut into the pan, top side first. Cook each side for 3 minutes. Nuts will be toasty and golden in color. Place fish on parchment lined sheet pan and bake in 350 oven for 12-15 minutes or until fish is cooked through. Dollop mashed sweet potatoes on plate, top with halibut, drizzle with maple syrup and a generous squeeze of lemon. Enjoy!!

Until we meet again ... dinner was divine and the Baked Peaches Amaretto made for a lovely ending ... 
 

CHEFS LOG ALASKA DATE JULY 28 2010

We say goodbye to Sawyer Glacier and its entrance waterfall for the last time this season. On our way to Cape Fanshaw we weave our way through a water skiers dream seas, just like glass, giving us the advantage to spot whales on the horizon. As we near the 5 Brothers Islands, where we have been lucky enough more than once to see humpbacks spouting and bubble feeding. Ah ha, they are doing just that. Not a pod or in a grouping. We can hardly see them under the water. They are lazy rogue whales, singularly, slowly moving in their play and feeding ground.

It's lunch time and everyone is eager to be called to the table. The dining room is right in the main salon with panoramic views so whale spouting, eagle soaring or porpoise jumping with the wake will not be missed. I understand that a hearty breakfast of wild mushroom frittata, turkey sausages and cherry scones with lashings of butter and drizzled with homemade cherry syrup give way to a lighter soup & salad lunch. Keeping guests balanced is my way of keeping them smiling. I profess there are no "fat, calories or cholesterol on board" ... with a wink and a smile. They laugh as they take the last bite and push themselves away from the table. Moseying over a few steps to the galley and circling for the last cookie or two on the sheet pan ... and by the way "what is for dinner?"     

MY SISTER APRIL"S BROCOLLI and BLUE CHEESE and APPLE SLAW
Baby April, as I so fondly call her, is a wonderful cook and that is only topped by the amazing ways she can decorate a room and tablescape. I adore her!
2 pkgs. (12 oz each) broccoli slaw
1 pkg. (10 oz.) julienne carrots
1 bunch green onion diagonal sliced
1 c. chopped fresh parsley
1 c. chopped fresh dill
1 c. dried cranberries
1 Red Delicious apple sliced thin
1 Granny Smith apple sliced thin
1½ c. crumbled blue cheese    
1 small jar of lite blue cheese dressing (your choice)
2 heads of Bibb lettuce or Romaine lettuce
1 c. toasted pecan or any favorite nut
Mix together the broccoli slaw, carrots, green onion, fresh herbs, cranberries and apples. Add crumbled blue cheese. Toss with dressing just before serving.
Place leaves of lettuce on plates. Mound salad in center and sprinkle with nuts.
If you prefer to use another dressing rather than blue cheese, try a raspberry vinaigrette and any favorite cheese of your choice. Enjoy!

Cape Fanshaw proves to be too exposed with the threat of northerlles coming through the coast guard radio weather report. We decide to cast our fate and move on to a place that our friends often drop their anchor. A beautiful spot it is and no wonder whale whisperer, Captain John of the MV Discovery secures his hook in this beautiful anchorage. Our guests are anxious to kayak, explore the area on the shoreline and by skiff.tion

Dropping our crab pots we hoped for some Dungeness, but we were all a bit taken back when an extra large star fish attached itself to the pot and ate up all the bait. Everyone looked to me as if to say "you don't have a recipe for star fish do you?"

CHEFS LOG ALASKA DATE JULY 27 2010

VERY VERY BERRY CRUMBLE
On the morning navigating our way to the glacier I made this very berry delicious crumble to entice our guests to the early rise. Who can resist waking up to the aroma of the rich. ripe sweetness of berries and sugar? I placed it on the breakfast bar with whipped cream and vanilla yogurt and to make this morning even more special I offered them a steaming hot cup of cafe au chocolate. Voila' the day begins with a smile.  

6 cups favorite berry selection (raspberry, blackberry, blueberry)

1/4 c. dried cherries
1 t. grated lemon zest
1 t. grated orange zest
1 c. granulated sugar
2 T. corn starch
1 t. ground cinnamon
pinch salt
TOPPING
1½ c. all purpose-flour
1 c. light brown sugar, firmly packed
½ t. kosher salt
¾ c. old-fashioned oatmeal
½ c. sliced almonds
½ lb [2 sticks] cold unsalted butter, diced
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the berries in a large bowl and add the zests, sugar, corn starch and cinnamon. Pour into a glass pie baking dish. For the topping, combine the flour, sugar, salt, almonds, oatmeal, and butter in a bowl. Using your hands crumble the butter through the ingredients into big chunks. Sprinkle evenly over the berries, covering the berries completely. Place the baking dish on a sheet pan covered with foil and bake for 50 min. to 1 hour, until the top is brown and the berries are bubbly and dripping over the side. Serve warm with ice cream. Enjoy!!

Our wonderful all girl crew, Jeannette, Jennifer and Lenore, always having fun!

Another foray up the arm to South Sawyer Glacier was mystical and enchanting with low slung clouds whipped and folded with heavy fog. Tide was low so we were able to hug the right fork snug to one side. Granite rock formations higher than the eye could transit seemed in arms reach. Then as we turned the corner, to see for the first time, or has it been my 20th or 30th, Sawyer Glacier with arms out stretched, an open door, a clear path. Icebergs parted the seas to get us closer than we had been in years. Quiet is not the word to express the stillness. Grateful shivers and blessings of goose bumps … why me? How lucky I am!      

"Every day begins with a smile and continues the same path with grace and with ease. Embracing life in Mother Natures breast of purity is so easy when the world is no bigger than the next bend or way point. Summers spent on the MV Jamal has been my life for the last 19 years. It has been an adventure. Spending time on the waters has a way of grounding me. It is an ending and a beginning. I love opening my heart and sharing my life. Please join me, there is room for all of you."