Alaska: Homer's Halibut

On our last full day in Alaska, we again headed out into the water, this time on Bob's charter fishing boat to catch halibut. A ninety minute ride into the open ocean ended with Tino anchoring us to the ocean floor, and Richard showing us how to use our pre-baited rods. On the way out to the fishing grounds, both Tino and Richard chopped up the frozen herring we would use to bait our hooks. I had imagined little cubes of white fish - no scales, no fins, no guts. Certainly no eyes.

I was wrong. No, our bait was either the head half of a herring or the tail half of a herring. And if you were lucky, as you tossed your weighted hook over the side of the boat, lovely little pieces of fish guts would slide from the inside of the fish onto the boat, into the water, or, best of all, onto your shoe.

Now, I've never been a big fisher. I remember going as a kid with my Dad and kid brother in the pond behind our house. Live worms were the bait, so clearly it was Dad's job to take care of that step. We mostly caught brim, which were small, spiny little suckers that we always threw back. Except, of course, when that dumb little fish would get greedy and swallow the bait, hook and all. Mostly for my sake, I think, Dad would try to save the fish. In the event he actually was able to remove the hook and we threw it back in the water, our not-so-lucky catch was likely to float on the water. Sometimes resuscitation was just not to be. It was then the cats got a tasty treat, though to be honest, I think they turned their kitty noses up at brim, too.

Anyway...I've digressed, as I am apt to do. Me = not a big fisher. I love to eat fish, but killing them just seems so sad! But Jason and Dad were enthusiastic, and Mom and I were eager to eat fresh halibut. As it turns out, Mom was the best at it! She caught lots of halibut, but because we were each only allowed to keep two of our halibut catches, she had to throw quite a few back. And, unlike me, she reeled all of hers in by herself (to be clear, Jason and Dad did, too). You wouldn't believe how tough it was to pull up a 12 pound fish attached to a 3 pound sinker from the bottom of the ocean! I guess all that swimming over the years has really paid off.

At the end of the day, we ended up with 46 pounds of fish, most of which was halibut (we also caught two cod and kept both of them). It was a great day.

Conclusion? There will be lots of halibut and cod blogging over the next several months! Here are a couple of recipes so far:

Blackened Halibut with Peach Avocado Salsa

Grilled Fish Soft Tacos

Tino [right] and Richard [left] chopping up herring.

Frozen herring

Not a bad view as we left Homer and headed into the open waters.

Sea gulls followed us out to the fishing grounds and then back into the harbor.

On the way back from fishing, Tino and Richard filleted the halibut. They were amazingly deft at hand, as they used very sharp knifes to accurately filet a fish while the boat was bumping along. They had it down to a science!

Reward!

Dinner at last.

Richard filleting cod.

Awww...poor little cod! Is Richard just playing at this point? No, by slicing open the fish's head, he's is able to remove the ear bones from the cod. Why? Because they sell the bones for $20 each to craftsmen who make them into earrings.

Ear bones

Back in the harbor.

What do you call a group of cute sea otters? A raft.

On our drive back to the house, we spotted this Bald Eagle starring down waiting for dinner.

Alaska: The Denali Highway + Denali National Park

While usually a woman of many words, I think this blog post is best left to the photograph. They are, after all, worth a thousand words.

On our first full day in the 49th state we drove from Anchorage, the biggest city in Alaska, to Paxton,  possibly Alaska's tiniest township. The views were so spectacular, we stopped at this pull off in an attempt to capture the beauty.

Jason is usually the first to spot wildlife, but I am proud to say this moose spotting was all mine!

In addition to $.25 coffee, Eureka Lodge served up a giant slice of delicious coconut creme pie and a great view of the mountains [note the reflection in the window].

America: Stars, Chevys, and Fireworks

Day #2 consisted of more great views. We drove on the Denali Highway from Paxton to Healy, stopping three times to hike. This first hike was a short jaunt along the ridge for a view of Echo Lake.

Hike #2 was to McClaren Summit. The day started out without a cloud in the sky, but I think I like it even better with these big poofy cotton balls.

Jason reclaimed the title of Best Moose Spotter after he spotted this Momma Moose with her two little ones off in the distance.

Back on the road again, we saw several swans a swimming.

Hike #3 straight up a hill through fields of mosquitos yielded this amazing view.

Denali, often known as Mt. McKinley, is the highest peak in North America. We were lucky enough to see her on our drive through Denali National Park, a feat that is only accomplished 20% of the time.

In order to get inside the interior of Denali National Park, visitors can hike, bike, or take a shuttle bus. We opted for the third with only one minor hiccup: our bus broke down! Instead of sitting in the overheated bus waiting for the mechanic, the four of us decided to walk along the road until another bus came by with room.

Luckily, we were on the bus when we saw this beauty. We heard that her two cubs were hidden somewhere in the bushes, but we never saw them.

Team Pearfection + Iron Chef

My Iron Chef experience would never have come to pass without the guilt and persistence of Adam. Fifteen minutes prior to the competition's start time, he went to the Event Coordinator to ask whether someone could switch from her planned activity to the Iron Chef Competition. Even after he came to tell me such a switch was permissible, I still balked, uncomfortable with prospect of going back to that Event Coordinator to facilitate a switch again.

But wait - I am getting ahead of myself. A little background here is necessary for you to understand the history accompanying my hesitation; the variables to be considered before my verdict was rendered.

When Jason told me he’d won a trip to California, my first question was “Do I get to go, too?” He confirmed that he did, indeed, get to bring a guest, but that it was still to be determined as to whether I would be his top choice.

Luckily for both of us, he quickly made up his mind that I could accompany him across the country to sit around at Terranea Resort, eat lavish food, and participate in two pre-planned activities. We could choose from things like golf (ehh), kayaking (yes, please), a Segway tour (probably not), whale watching + fishing (Jason's choice), or an Iron Chef competition. Iron Chef Competition!?!? Sign me up for THAT one please! To which Jason hemmed and hawed and tried to convince me that we would really much rather go whale watching and fishing. Particularly the fishing. Back and forth we went until he finally played the “It’s my trip” card, and I acquiesced. It really was his trip, after all, and I knew he had no interest in cooking for fun. So he signed us up for kayaking the first day and whale watching + fishing the second day. Iron Chef soon became a distant memory.

But when we arrived midday on Sunday, I learned that there was no requirement Jason and I participate in the SAME activity! Suddenly, playing chef for an afternoon became a viable possibility. Jason and I discussed this option and decided to wait in making a decision. We explored the coastline, and he patiently waited while I took photos.

Monday afternoon we went kayaking along the coast. It all started off well. We saw a huge school of dolphins and two Gray Whales (momma + calf). Unfortunately, there was a lot more talking about kayaking than actual kayaking, which meant that we sat in the water, ores not propelling us anywhere, and talked about the local ecology. It wasn't long before the ebb and flow of those crystalline waves began to send waves of nausea throughout my body. Pretty soon I was peeling off layers of clothing and shoving half my forearm into that cold Pacific water to ward off the expulsion of lunch! Our guides got us back on shore without any messes, but after that train wreck, I knew I wouldn't be getting back on a boat the next day.

Jason and I walk up to the sixth floor to find the Event Planner to see if switching was a possibility, and if so, to which activity. I inquired into the Iron Chef Competition, but she suggested a massage at the spa instead. Apparently, the activity description had people in pairs, so if Jason wasn't going to do it, I would have no pair!

Which brings me back to Tuesday afternoon, fifteen minutes prior to the cook-off's start time. At some point, Adam learned that I had been really stoked about the Iron Chef Competition and why I was not doing it. He and his wife, Jessica, were already in -- I could be on their team! However, the idea of going back and switching my activity again made me feel like a high-maintenance crazy person. Finally, Jason had had enough. He knew that's what I'd wanted to do all along, so he walked up with me, stood by while I did the unthinkable and changed plans again. The Event Coordinator was completely fine with it, as there was a waiting list for the spa (apparently, others had changed their minds, too!). When it was finally switched, I broke into a huge grin and nearly bounded to the meeting area.

And thank goodness I did! It was a one-of-a-kind experience and I had a wonderful time.

Ingredient

Pear

Assignment

To make an appetizer, an entree, and a dessert that used pear

Team Name

Pearfection

Chefs

Adam, Jessica, Darcie, Christopher, Rhonda, and Kelley

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Avocado, Strawberry, and Pear Bruschetta

Salmon with Cilantro-Lime Rice

Pearfect Citrus Cobbler w/Vanilla Ice Cream

Appetizer #1

Appetizer #2

Avocado, Strawberry, and Pear Bruschetta

Salmon w/Cilantro-Lime Rice

Pearfect Citrus Cobbler w/Vanilla Icecream