Alaskan Apocalypse

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As a post-apocalyptic fiction writer, I’m all too aware that Alaska may not be the ideal place to live if the world goes belly up. We ship in over 95% of our food. Our growing season is a meager 101 days here in the Anchorage Bowl, and even shorter further north. Then there is the issue of ripening fruit in summer temperatures that may never go above sixty-eight. But in spite of the challenges, I manage to supplement my family’s food supply with hundreds of pounds of potatoes, gallons of pickling cucumbers (in a greenhouse,) and lots of everything in-between.

Right now I’m picking apples. I have 23 fruit trees on my half-acre lot, and last year I harvested enough to make 10 quarts of pie filling and 15 gallons of cider, not to mention what we ate out of hand. Alaskans must grow what are generally considered “summer” apples; if they ripen in August down south, they ripen in September up here. And by mid-September, we usually have a killing frost. No Fuji for us. We grow a lot of Yellow Transparent, Rescue Crab, Parkland, and Norland. (My favorite is Parkland.) The apples aren’t huge, and they don’t store well, but they survive and ripen in our unique conditions. And I make a mean, hard cider to help us keep warm on those frigid winter nights. ;)

Hardiness zones are only one step on a long path of survival for plants in Alaska, because zone 3 in Minnesota is very different from a zone 3 up here. For one thing, our long hours of daylight fool a lot of trees; they swell flower buds in early May before the last hard frost, or they don’t shed leaves in September when snow is just around the corner. Secondly, our winters are capricious. In the middle of January, a Chinook wind often carries in a few days of forty or fifty degree temperatures, fooling trees into thinking spring has arrived. They happily start sap flowing to the branches, only to freeze and rupture when temperatures plummet below zero when the wind shifts. Growers up here call this a “test winter,” and every new plant variety is on trial until it has survived one of these. I’ve lost more trees than I’ve planted.

This is not a comprehensive list of the challenges we face. So why do I keep trying to garden under such extreme conditions? I think I like the challenge. If I can coax enough plants to survive and feed me, I feel like I can make it if disaster hits. I guess you could say Alaskans themselves are on trial, and only the hard-core people stick it out. But you know, I think we may survive the zombie apocalypse. I hear zombies don’t move well in the cold.

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Tam Linsey writes speculative romance as well as gluten free cookbooks. You can learn more about her at www.tamlinsey.com

Real Men of Alaska - Mr. August 2013

 

...meet 'BILL'...

 

As Romance Writers We Are Always On The Lookout For Hot Hunky Hero Types, So Please, Take A Few Minutes And Tell Us A Little About Yourself, Bill.

1: Were you born in Alaska, and if not, then how did you end up here? What do you do for a living, and what do you do for fun. Age, height, fav. food, and any other statistics you are willing to share. Just remember though, we are a PG 13 site and blush easily J

I grew up in the southeast city of Ketchikan where my mother was born. I moved up to Anchorage when I was 25 years old to attend college at UAA . I have always been a pretty gregarious 'people person', so it made perfect sense for me to move into the restaurant industry as a means of supporting myself.

I’m 5’9” weigh 150lbs, have brown hair, green eyes and am blessed with a wonderful group of family and friends that are constantly supportive.

I’m not picky when it comes to food (with the exception of seafood- you can only eat so much fresh seafood growing up without becoming a little sick of it), but if forced to pick one place in Anchorage to eat I would probably say either Bear’s Tooth or Moose’s Tooth. They both have great food, but the atmosphere and most importantly the beer is what sets these two places apart.

2: What kind of person appeals to you, and who do you let make the first move, you or them?

I’m extremely attracted to someone with strong moral character who knows what they want and where they’re going in life. Someone with a great work ethic is a huge turn on. As trite as it may sound, I love when you meet someone and you can tell immediately that you’re meeting the “real” them. Life is all about these wonderful connections that you make with the people around you.

On a more basic level, if you love food as much as I do, we’ll instantly have something in common.

3: Where is your favorite place to take someone on a first date, and why?

 

I honestly really enjoy meeting people out on the town. One of the most important things you can do on a first date is put the other person at ease. When you both are in a comfortable environment it opens the door to honest communication.

4: What's the wildest thing you've ever done, other than, well you know, with a companion since living in Alaska?

Well… as someone from the southeast where tourism is such a major part of our economy, it’s sort of a rite of passage to moon the cruise ships in the summertime.

So I’m neither confirming nor denying anything, but some hapless tourist may or may not have seen my shining little behind.

5: Winter can be long, dark, and very cold here in Alaska. What are your favorite frosty pastime activities? (Remember the PG 13 rating J)

And, what is the coldest temp you’ve seen/been in?

I love the winter in Alaska. Many people have this misconception that winters here are long and depressing, which for me has always been a point of contention. Winter here is not unlike any other situation in life-it is what you make of it. I love getting out and skiing, skating, watching the northern lights, snowshoeing, whatever. As a true Alaskan, we all know that the weather doesn’t actually restrict our fun, often it just adds to it.

6: And, if we ask about winter then we simply must inquire about the too short, wonderful summers. What are your favorite things to do during all those long hours of sunshine?

I feel like I am like most Alaskans in that, in the summertime especially, I work hard and I play hard. Between double shifts at work, and extended camping/hiking/fishing trips, I more than make the most of my days.

7: Alaskan men take their vehicles very seriously. What is your favorite mode of transportation – car, truck, snow machine, four-wheeler, airplane, skis, snowboard, etc., and why?

I learned how to drive on a manual and for me, that is one of the most important aspects of driving. I’ll admit that I’m a sucker for big pick-up trucks, but more than anything I like being in control of the vehicle and having the option to downshift in the wintertime when braking may not be an option.

That said, there is nothing more fun than riding around in the summer sunshine on a moped.

8: What is your favorite Alaskan animal – to see along the highway or on your dinner plate?

I can honestly say that I’m not much of a big game eater, and while it is fun to see the common moose or bear along the side of the road it is pretty exciting when you get to see an Arctic fox or snowy owl.

Also can I mention how exciting it is to NOT see snakes, scorpions, or billboards while driving along?

9: Have you ever wrestled a polar bear, mushed a dog team, panned for gold, eaten muktuk, done the polar bear plunge, climbed Denali, run the Mt. Marathon, or any of the other, found-only-in-Alaska, activities?

I’ve probably had a beer in most reputable (and irreputable) bars in southeast Alaska. I’ve adventured my way around most of the state and have certainly tried (almost) every local microbrewery here.

I have refrained from such activities as eating muktuk given my dislike of seafood - and may I just speak for all men when I say that the Polar Plunge isn’t exactly a good way to (physically at least) impress anyone.

But I will say, that if you haven’t been, you should definitely check out the Ice Worm festival in Cordova.

10: In your opinion, what exactly is it that makes an Alaskan Male so wonderfully macho and appealing?

The beard.

11: What’s the biggest fish you’ve ever landed? And we mean the kind with scales and fins that swim in water, not the locker room bragging rights variety. J

In terms of story material, isn’t the one that gets away always the bigger/better tale?

With that in mind, I’ll have you know that I have lost many a lure in many an epic battle with our scaly friends. And I should note for the record that I come from a long, proud line of terrible fishermen.

13: And last but certainly not least, in your opinion, what is the most romantic thing about Alaska, and why?

In my travels throughout the years, I have found that in many places, “common courtesy” isn’t so common. One of the most romantic things for me about Alaska is that if your car slides off the road in the wintertime, without fail you’ll have 5 people stop to help you in 10 minutes time.

Here, it’s easy to get into a real conversation with someone in the Kaladi Brother’s line.

Here, when someone asks you how your day was, odds are, they actually want to know how your day was.

We haven’t resorted to apathy and disinterest, and to me, that is extremely romantic.

Our Thanks to Bill for a great interview - and to you

for stopping by!

 

Stay tuned for Mr. September 2013 -

- have a great summer!

Last Frontier Food

A question that sometimes comes up is, what do Alaskans eat? For the most part, we eat like the rest of the USA. We get most of the same national brands that can be found in the lower 48. Kraft Mac N Cheese is big. Lunch meat and canned tuna. Fresh produce is available, but can often cost double to triple of what someone in Arizona will pay for it. However, we do have some unique foods available as near as Costco. King crab legs, reindeer sausage, and smoked salmon to name a few. Jams and jellies made from local berries go great with that jar of Jif you picked up last week. And because there are people hunt and fish with the intent of filling their super-sized freezer, school lunches can look at little different than the kids in Boulder are eating.

Tuna salad sandwiches? Forget it. My nephews took salmon salad sandwiches to school because my brother loved to fish all summer. Other folks I know eat moose burger instead of beef. Moose roast cooks up quite well in the crockpot. Some friends swear by bear pepperoni. Uck. Then again, a while back Boone Brux posted a recipe for Whale Stew. Makes enough to feed the entire village, and then some.

So what is my favorite Alaska dish? You can keep the salmon. I’ll gladly accept some moose burger if you have some to spare. I can buy reindeer sausage at Costco. I’ll never turn down crab, shrimp or scallops. But if you have some fresh halibut to spare, well, you’ve found my favorite.

There are two ways I like best to fix it. One is to deep fry it in beer or tempura batter. Messy and time consuming, but oh-so-yummy! Serve with tartar sauce and fries for excellent fish and chips. But the easiest is simply to bake it. This probably isn’t what your doctor would recommend for healthy eating, but the following recipe always gets me raves.

Ingredients:

The O'Reilly guys and some fish. Not all were theirs,
but they brought home a nice pile of 'buts.

•  Halibut filet
•  Lemon, sliced thin into half rounds
•  Stick of butter, sliced into thin pats
•  Mayonnaise

1. Preheat oven to 350 degF.
2. Start with a halibut filet or two. The thicker the better. I like to remove the skin, but it’s not necessary. I think it tastes better. Wash with cool water and pat dry.
3. With a sharp knife cut into the meat, stopping before cutting all the way through. Make several cuts, about one inch apart. Place in baking pan.
4. Rub the filet with mayonnaise, getting down into the cuts. Stuff the cuts with slices of lemon and pats of butter.
5. Bake until halibut is opaque and flakes with a fork, about 30 minutes depending on the thickness of the filet. Remove the lemon slices and serve with sides of choice. Garnish with fresh lemon slices if desired.

I haven’t made this dish in quite some time, so I’m sad to say I don’t have any photos. Now if you’re really feeling adventurous, you could top off that meal with some Eskimo ice cream. Or, a blueberry pie made from the wild blueberries picked last August. Since I don’t have any blueberries on hand, I’ll be making brownies for my dinner guests coming over next week.

Have a question about food to be found? Toss it out! I have cook books galore from this church or that bazaar. I’ll see what I can find.

Oh, and gratuitous cute puppy pictures, because, well, that's what I'm doing these days, playing puppy mom. Meet Neo the wonder pup! Now two days shy of ten weeks.

Neo's idea of a moose meal.

 

Morgan Q. O'Reilly

Romance for All Your Moods

http://morganqoreilly.com