Truth be told, I’m feeling a bit decadent.

I woke up with the sun and played with Noe, did yoga on the platform under the giant maples overhanging the dock and afterwards spent a good half hour just dangling my feet in the water doing absolutely nothing at all. For lunch, we boated to a nearby wharf for local clams and shrimp, and then Christopher and I climbed in our kayak for a jaunt on water as smooth as glass before driving three minutes down the road to buy lobster for tonight’s dinner. Now, I’m sitting on the dock perch listening to birds chirp and leaves rustle overhead while water laps against the rocks below, and my daughter is laughing on the lawn playing frisbee with uncle Russ. [photo below at the wharf where we bought our lobsters]

It’s been an incredible day.

We’ve been here less than 48 hours and already, as it was in Alaska, there’s so much to write about. Like yesterday when we were on a mission to find the best lobster roll in the area and ended up on an hour adventure following a map drawn by a local on the back of a cigarette carton to Miller’s where, indeed, we found the best lobster rolls we’ve ever had (and bought a few pounds of clams to cook up for an appetizer last night).

Or like this morning when I ran down the road, past the Olsen House to a dirt driveway that led to a small harbor and met Sam Olsen (yes, he’s related . . . his father, whom I also met today, was the last person to be born in the Olsen House). Within three minutes were were talking about sustainable fishing and feeding the world. [photo below of Sam giving us lessons on how to “pick us a good shedder”]

the first thing I spotted on his dock were three huge bins of fish. When I asked what they were he answered “herring” and was somewhat surprised that I even knew what they were. I said not only did I know what they were, I also had just come back from Prince Williams Sound in Alaska where the herring industry was decimated by the Valdez spill. He made a face and said he thought it was ridiculous that they (he and the fishermen in Maine) dumped billions of pounds of perfectly good herring into lobster traps to catch lobster rather than selling the herring themselves, or sardines for that matter. “Just think how many more people we could feed,” he said. Frankly, I couldn’t agree more.

But right now I’m pretty dang content with that lobster. I had just done my due diligence researching how to choose (and kill) and cook lobster and had come away from reading a dissertation in Cook’s Illustrated Best Recipes on hard versus soft shell lobsters convinced that hard shells were the way to go. It turns out lobsters molt throughout the summer, so many of the lobsters caught here have just donned their new shell which makes, according to Cook’s, the tail meat waterlogged and the claw meat tough. But Sam said otherwise; he much prefers the “shedders” because the meat is sweeter and more tender. So I did what any food-obsessed person would do to get the bottom of a conundrum like that. I bought one of each type of lobster—ten in all—to do a proper taste test tonight. [photo below . . . dinner!]

I’ve had a hankering to head south of the border, so we’re going to grill these puppies and baste them with some cilantro-lime butter. And I’m juuusst about to head back up to the house to whip up a batch of guacamole to start. But stay tuned later this week for the results of tonight’s showdown . . . in the battle of the grill between the hard shell versus the shedders.

“The gang” on the big night (photo courtesy Mark Hoover)

First off, a huge round of thanks to the Copper River/Prince Williams Sound Marketing Association, to our host, Brandy (even if you do hate bluegrass and wood-fired pizza and fisher poetry), and once again to Bill, for sharing both information and some dang good fish (I fired up the grill last night to give it a try . . . see the recipe for lavender honey salmon with stone fruit salsa below).

Speaking of dang good food, thanks to Chefs Dominic Cerino from Cleveland, Jeremy Storm from Cordova’s Orca Adventure Lodge and Regan Reik of Pier W in Cleveland for creating an unforgettable feast from the bounty of the area (think grilled Alaskan halibut cheeks in a crisp wonton cone with avocado mash and organic tomato sorbet and Copper River salmon charcuterie . . . oh yeah). And then there were my compatriots: chefs Trevor White and Adam Newton, both Chef/Partners at The Oceanaire Seafood Room in Houston and Atlanta, respectfully (the order, that is); Julia Rutland from Coastal Living; Jacqueline Church from the awesome blog, Leather District Gourmet; and Carolyn Jung of foodgal. It was a blast meeting, eating, drinking, learning and playing pool (sometimes . . . when I actually sank something) with all of you.

Alright, on to the recipe . . . and more photos for anyone interested.

{  Grilled Lavender Honey Salmon with Stone Fruit Salsa  }

My husband has a “thing” about fruit and seafood, and it’s not a good thing. But he devoured every morsel on his plate last night. Although I don’t know how much credit I can take; Bill’s salmon was delicately flavored with an incredibly succulent texture. I served it with sauteed purple potatoes with pancetta.

1 teaspoon lavender buds
1 tablespoon honey
2 cups stone fruit (I like to use nectarines and plums), cut into a 1/4–inch dice
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
1 serrano chile, minced
2 tablespoon basil, minced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 pound wild Alaskan salmon, preferably from the Copper River

Heat lavender buds and honey together in a small saucepan until honey becomes liquid. Set aside to infuse for at least 20 minutes (soften again if necessary).

Mix together stone fruit, onion, chile, basil, oil and vinegar with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside and heat grill to medium-high

Place salmon flesh-side down over direct heat and grill for 3–5 minutes, until it comes away from the grates clean. Flip, baste with honey (try not to get any of the buds in there with it), and grill for an additional 3–5 minutes, basting once more in the process.

Serve salmon with stone fruit salsa.

Serves 4

What to drink: You know, I’m going to ‘fess up here. I tried a Pinot Noir last night thinking it would be a hit, but the acidity of the vinegar overpowered it. So I think next time I’d go either floral and spicy—like a Gewurtztraminer—or try to match the acidity with something like a Pinot Grigio. If you give them a try, let me know which one works best!

More photos from Cordova . . .

Me and Carolyn at the Copper River Salmon Festival Salmon Cookoff (the eight of us on the trip were judges) Photo courtesy Mark Hoover

Trevor and Jacqueline being vewy vewy serious about their role as judges

Me and Julia yakking it up on the big night . . . at about 10:00 pm (Photo courtesy Mark Hoover)

One of the “tenders” delivering boat to the Copper River Seafoods canning company

View of the cannery

Fresh sockeye salmon

The new generation of Cordova fishermen (brother and sister) mending nets on the dock

So long Cordova . . .

I just returned from Alaska

Can’t wait to see what you all come up with! 

And then I saw this.

I mean, come on. As someone who will leave pancakes on her plate if she’s run out of bacon (the sweet-savory balance is thrown off) . . . who considers chocolate covered pretzels yin-yang personified . . . who salts the bottoms of her brownie pans, I ask you, how does someone like me say no to trying THIS? I don’t. So I did.

And I have to tell you . . . I’m sorry to disappoint, but I still prefer chocolate covered pretzels and tin roof sundaes. I’ve heard a lot of wonderful things about Vosges Chocolates, and the chocolate itself was indeed wonderful. But I didn’t get much of a bacon hit at all. And as much as I love a zing of salt, the smoked salt hit a funny place for me. I’d much rather have had the smoke come from the bacon and the salt just be a pure, minerally punch of good sea salt.

So, see, I’m glad I tried it . . . otherwise I’d have been coveting it from afar for the rest of my days. Proof that occasional indulgence can indeed be a prudent thing. Now I can go back to my nightly square of just-plain-dark-chocolate and be content once again.

Bill talked about how Copper River salmon have a certain quality to them because of the heavy sediment in the river and I said “you mean like terroir?” He gave me a funny look and I explained that the term meant a certain ephemeral quality imparted on a wine by the place the grapes were grown. We’d both learned something about a subject we knew nothing about and found common ground—and a platform of understanding—in between. Here are a few things I learned [photo below of Cordova’s Old Harbor . . . about 9:30 at night]: 

1) There are “varietals” of salmon. For those of you who are fishermen, forgive me. But I really had no idea there were different types of salmon all swimming around in one place. I thought, conveniently, that one type existed here, another in California, and yet another in the Atlantic. Yet lo and behold, I come to find there are five species—King (Chinook), Sockeye (Red), Coho (Silver), Keta (Chum) and Pink—right here in the area (the King, Sockeye and Coho being indigenous to the Copper River). These are like the Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrahs and such of the salmon world, each one with its own inherent set of qualities common amongst the species. [Photo below of the Old Harbor at around 11:00 pm]

2) Terroir exists in fish too. As I mentioned, Bill—and several other people from fishermen to cannery-men to chefs—talked about the unique quality of Copper River salmon, and that began to make a lot more sense to me when I flew over the river and saw it spreading like a spilt latte into the delta. The mineral-rich brew and high headwaters here gives the fish a succulent flavor and silken texture that salmon from other areas simply don’t possess. However, as with grapes, this isn’t necessarily a “good” or “bad” scenario . . . it’s simply a unique taste and texture that reflects the place it’s from. [Photo below of the north Delta from “Uncle Dave’s” float plane]

3) There are “appellations” in the fishing industry too. When Bill was explaining the various associations and labels to me, yet another parallel became clear. Wild Alaskan salmon is sort of the equivalent of California wine. Then when you break it down to a smaller geographic area, you have the Sonoma County equivalent of the Prince Williams Sound area. And then the particular “appellation” of Copper River would be akin to Alexander Valley or Dry Creek Valley. Total revelation for me. [Photo below of Bill’s boat, the Gulkana, in Cordova Harbor]

Alright, there’s the lesson for the day. Now time to wash up and eat some salmon! [Photo below of Old Harbor around 11:00 pm]

Tags: wild+alaskan+salmon, copper+river, prince+williams+sound, terroir, wine

For more details, click here for the Wine & Words page 

WINE & WORDS 1 CHALLENGE

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Write a haiku on the best food and wine pairing you’ve ever had

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Here’s mine (on my first time tasting foie gras with sauternes . . . don’t judge too harshly, I haven’t written a haiku since junior high!):

Foie Gras and Sauternes: Pairing Epiphany Part I

Silk melts on my tongue.

I swirl and elixir gilds. 

Bliss. A gold-leaf wake. 

Tips on writing a haiku (from ehow.com):

1. Think about a theme (in our case, a sublime, life-transforming food and wine pairing) for your haiku and write down some of the words that come to mind on that theme.
2. Organize your thoughts roughly onto three lines. First, set the scene, then expand on that by expressing a feeling, making an observation or recording an action. Keep it simple.
3. Polish your haiku into three lines, the first with five syllables, the second line with seven syllables and the third line with five syllables. It may take some time and substitution of words to make it fit.

How Wine & Words Works (click here for the Wine & Words page)

1. Write a post with your take on the week’s Wine & Words topic, and include a link to the Wine & Words page. Feel free to use the nifty graphic (just right click and save) if you’d like.

2. Send me an e-mail at lia (at) swirlingnotions (dot) com with a permalink to your post.

3. Check back on Swirling Notions the following Wednesday to see what others have written.

4. Spread the word about Wine and Words!

ZERO

So I’m including this simple little recipe as a way to address the savory overload on Swirling Notions while at the same time celebrating my local fruit growers with an entry to the Living La Vida Local Cooking Challenge begun by Muffin Love. If you want to join me in participating, be sure to get your entry in by July 15!

{  Apricot Almond Tartlets  }

Wrap these delicious little tarts in a square of foil or parchment and cart them off to a picnic with a dab of creme fraiche or whipped cream. Or serve them at home right out of the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Crust
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon  salt
1/2 stick butter, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 egg
1/4 cup ice water
   
Filling
1-1/2 pounds apricots
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup apricot jam

2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon sugar

Crust
Mix together flour, sugar and salt in a bowl and work in butter with your fingertips until dough begins to come together. Add almond extract, egg, and just enough ice water for the dough to form a ball. Turn out onto a floured surface, and divide dough evenly into six balls. Wrap each in a piece of plastic wrap, flatten into a disk and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Filling
Preheat oven to 400. Slice apricots lengthwise down the center and remove the pit. Slice each half thinly crosswise and toss gently with sugar and almond extract.

Assembly
Roll each disk out into a 6 inch circle roughly 1/8-inch thick. Sprinkle 1 rounded tablespoon of almonds on each circle. Spiral apricots from the center of one of the circles out to 1 inch from the edge. Fold the edges up, crimping as you go, so that no juice will escape from the tart as it cooks. Repeat with remaining tartlets. Brush the crusts with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar.

Transfer tartlets to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 40 minutes, until the edges are golden. Heat jam over low heat and dab over fruit. Slide tartlets onto a cooling rack. Serve either warm or cool.

Serves 6

Burger with White Cheddar and Caramelized Onions
Burgers are all about that luscious burst of savory yum bite after bite. But break it down from there. First, a good deal of that yumminess comes from fat, which means it can stand up to a wine with a good bit of tannins. Second, check out the flavors that surround it. You’ve got sharp Cheddar cheese and sweet caramelized onions (and if you’re a burger on my plate, you’re drenched in ketchup, which adds a tart-sweet note to the ensemble).

Wine Pick: Merlot   You could reach for Cabernet Sauvignon, but Merlot may be an even better bet. The palate scouring tannins are there. But so is an approachable roundness and both earthiness—which will latch on to the meaty flavors and pungency of the cheese—and ripe stone fruit notes that will complement the onions.

Spicy Grilled Flank Steak Over Herb Salad with Peanut Dressing (recipe below)
Whoa. What the heck to do with this one? You’ve got steak (which, remember, means fat which means . . . yep, you need tannins in your wine). You’ve got spice. You’ve got herbs. You’ve got a salty-sweet thing going on with the dressing.

Wine Pick: Syrah    Syrah is one of my favorite go-to wines. It has just the right amount of umph to it, with a lovely balance of spice and fruit and underlying herbal tones that, I find, seem to jump out with Asian dishes featuring an abundance of minty herbs.

Fennel and Thyme Rubbed Pork Loin
There’s something so alluring about rubbing pork with fragrant herbs and spices like fennel and thyme. Their earthy flavors seem to permeate the meat and perfume your palate with every bite. We’re looking at a fair amount of earthiness here in all of its forms—the salt-of-the-earth primal qualities of the pork and the more ethereal qualities of fennel and thyme, capped off by a high note in fennel that borders on floral. What’s missing? You guessed it, fat. Pork is far leaner than beef, and as such doesn’t demand as much tannin in a wine.

Wine Pick: Pinot Noir    Pinot Noir has a lighter body and less acidity and tannin than other reds, with a more delicate, nuanced set of flavors. Its earthy, almost smoky essence coupled with a good hit of herbal undertones makes it a great match for this grilled pork roast.

Leg of Lamb Rolled with Olivada
Lamb. Grill. Love it. Especially when the rich, smoky-sweet meat is accompanied by a briny mix of olives, garlic, herbs and hot pepper.

Wine Pick: Cabernet Sauvignon    A Cabernet will love this meal. Its super-rich mouth feel, hefty tannins and smoky, tobacco-esque flavors will waltz with the meat, while the herbal—sometimes even minty—tones will take on the olivada.

And remember, pairing is a personal matter that shouldn’t be governed by ‘shoulds’. These are just guidelines and suggestions. The bottom line is, have fun with it. If you tend to grab a Cab when you fire up the grill, I challenge you try something new this Fourth of July. If you find a particularly inspiring pair, revel in it . . . and then tell me about it here!

{ Spicy Grilled Flank Steak Over Herb Salad with Peanut Dressing }

Marinade
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 tablespoon Thai chile sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 1/2 pounds flank steak

Peanut Dressing
1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
2/3 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
2 teaspoons Thai chile sauce
salt and pepper

Herb Salad
4 cups mixed lettuce
1/2 cup each basil, cilantro and mint, torn into pieces
1/4 cup peanuts, chopped

1. Blend marinade ingredients together in a baking dish and add flank steak. Rub marinade over meat, cover and refrigerate for an hour.

2. Place dressing ingredients in a small saucepan and heat over low heat until all is well incorporated. Remove from heat and let sit.

3. Mix together salad ingredients and mound on a large platter.

4. Heat grill to medium high heat. Remove steak from marinade, pat dry, and salt and pepper generously. Grill for 3-4 minutes per side for medium rare.

5. Remove steak to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Slice thinly on a bias and arrange over top of herb salad. Drizzle peanut dressing and scatter peanuts on top.

Serves 4–6

The very same boyfriend—we’ll call him Pat, because that’s his name—who smoked the bacon also cured some pancetta (he’s a chef at Hungry Cat in Santa Barbara, where our friend’s daughter—we’ll call her Ellie, because that’s her name—is a bartender). And we, lucky little beasts, made off with a hunk thanks to Honore. (Have I mentioned how much we love our friends? And their children? And their children’s S.O.’s?)

I keep opening up the fridge just to take a peek, concocting grand plans for its future. Here’s where a smidge of it is going tonight . . .

{ Pancetta, Ricotta and Asparagus Pizza }

I like to double (or quadruple) the dough recipe and freeze the extra portions. Use very thin asparagus spears, or cut thicker ones in half lengthwise.

Dough:
1/2 cup warm water
1 teaspoon dry yeast
1 cup all-purpose flour, divided
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

Topping:
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
3 ounces pancetta, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 pound fresh asparagus spears, trimmed
1/2 cup fresh ricotta cheese
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shaved fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano

1. To make the dough, combine warm water and yeast with 2 tablespoons flour in a large bowl, let stand 20 minutes. Add remaining flour, salt and oil to yeast mixture and stir until blended. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes), using additional flour if needed (although the dough should feel sticky).

2. Place dough in a large bowl coated with with a light sheen of oil, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, for an hour or until doubled in size.

3. While dough rises, prepare topping. Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add thyme, pancetta, and half the garlic and sauté 5 minutes or until pancetta is crisp. Stir in 1/8 teaspoon salt and pepper.

4. Preheat oven to 500, preferably with a baking stone (if not, preheat with a sturdy baking sheet). Mix remaining garlic with olive oil.

5. Punch dough down, cover and let rest 5 minutes. Roll the dough into a 12-inch circle on a long piece of parchment paper and place on a baking peel or rimless baking sheet. Brush the garlic olive oil on the dough, spread pancetta evenly over top, and arrange the asparagus on top of that. Sprinkle with ricotta and mozzarella and slide onto pizza stone. Bake for 3 minutes, then gently lift pizza and slide parchment out (discard). Continue baking for another 7 minutes, until crust is golden. Remove from oven and top with shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Serves 3 as a main, 6 as an appetizer