texasmesquite

Book tells of 'serious' cooking in 'The Land of the Midnight Sun'

Nancy Tarnai
source: Daily News-Miner
Originally published Wednesday, September 17, 2008 at 12:00 a.m.
Updated Wednesday, September 17, 2008 at 12:00 a.m.
Schiffer Publishing, Ltd.
A quick perusal through my cookbook shelves would provide evidence that I am drawn to lighthearted, fun cookbooks. There sit “White Trash Cooking” and the indispensable “Ruby Ann’s Down Home Trailer Park Cookbook.” Among my favorites is “Aunt Bee’s Mayberry Cookbook.” (Aunt Bee was a killer cook!)
Lately a serious cookbook found its way to my shelves. It’s more of an anthropological and geological study than the above-mentioned collections. “Cooking in Alaska, The Land of the Midnight Sun” by Pat Babcock and Diane Shaw is a good buy for Alaskans, cheechakos and Outsiders with an interest in the 49th state.
In addition to worthy recipes, there are descriptions of seven regions of Alaska — the Arctic, Western, Southwestern, Aleutian Island, Gulf Coast, Interior, Southeastern, with history, photographs and lovely illustrations to represent each one. In describing the land and the people who inhabit each area, the writers educate their audience about how diverse the state is. They tend to generalize some, with statements like, “The Yupik are a happy people,” but other than that the book seems pretty much on the mark.
The theme is preparing good nutritious food simply and quickly as possible. It’s fun to see where the authors borrowed the recipes from. There are a couple of Alaska Airlines cookbooks, as well as recipes from homemakers’ clubs, women’s clubs, churches, Ruralite magazine. Fairbanks is well represented with cookbooks, including “Cookbook of Our Favorites” from the Cabin Fever Quilter’s Guild, “Golden Heart Cookbook” by First National Bank of Fairbanks, “Alaska Recipes from our Cache” Golden North Rebekah Lodge No. 4A, “Favorite Recipes” St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church Guild, “Here’s a Toast” by Toastmistress Council #12.
There are even quaint, but possibly worth trying, household hints from a 1910 Fairbanks cookbook produced by the First Presbyterian Women: “When eggs are frying, add a little boiling water and cover with a lid just during the last moment of their cooking. This will create the pretty, pink, glazed-over look that is so desirable.” I never knew that a pink tint was desired on one’s fried egg.
Food lore and history are a big part of the book, with interesting facts about native plants, animals and fish sprinkled liberally throughout. There are game recipes for any and everything that moves in Alaska. I doubt that many Fairbanks readers are going to rush out and try Four-Day Spiced Walrus but it’s still entertaining and educational to see how such a thing is prepared.
There are hundreds of other useful recipes that will make this a valued cookbook for just about any collector.
Cabbage Soup
1/2 head of new, green cabbage
1 cup milk
1 large potato, pared
salt and pepper
1 large onion
1/4 cup butter
4 Tbs. water
Shred the cabbage; cut the potato and onion into thin slices and add to the cabbage. Place in a heavy container with the water. Cover tightly and simmer slowly until very tender. Mash very well or put through a sieve. Add the milk, salt, pepper and butter. Reheat until hot, but do not boil.
Venison Zucchini Bake
1 lb. venison or reindeer sausage, ground
1 green pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
oregano, parsley, basil
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
10 1/2 oz. can tomato soup
4 cups canned whole tomatoes, crushed
10-inch zucchini, sliced
2 eggs, beaten
salt and pepper
oil for frying
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
3 Tbs. each of cornmeal, wheat germ, grapenut cereal
Brown the venison or reindeer sausage with the onion. Add the green pepper, oregano, parsley, basil, garlic, tomato soup and canned tomatoes and simmer for 1/2 hour. Dip the zucchini slices in beaten egg, then in the combination of cornmeal, wheat germ and cereal, seasoned with salt and pepper. Fry until brown and crispy. In a 9 x 13 inch baking pan, place a layer of fried zucchini, then a layer of shredded cheese, then a layer of the meat sauce. Repeat until you reach the top, ending with a layer of cheese. Sprinkle the top with the bread crumbs and bake at 350 degrees until bubbling, about 20 to 30 minutes.
Alaskan Carrot Cookies
2 cups sifted flour
1 cup raw grated carrots
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. orange extract or 1 tsp. grated orange rind
1 egg, beaten
1 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Resift flour with the baking powder and salt. Cream the shortening and the sugar; add grated carrots, flavoring and egg. Work in the dry ingredients. Drop by teaspoons onto greased cookie sheets and bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 12minutes.
Recipes and cover reprinted by express permission of Schiffer Publishing, Ltd., Atglen, Penn., www.schifferbooks.com. Cookbook available locally at Gulliver’s Books for $14.95.
Nancy Tarnai can be contacted at ntarnai@alaska.net.