food

Orange apricot muffins ready to eat. (Photo by Patty Schied)

Cooking For Pleasure: Orange apricot muffins for breakfast

A few years ago when I had a bag of oranges and a half eaten bag of dried apricots, I thought a mixture of the… Continue reading

 

Caesar salad ready to serve. (Photo by Patty Schied)

Cooking For Pleasure: Restaurant-style Caesar salad

When I go to a fine restaurant and Caesar salad is on the menu, it is usually the first thing I order. When I was… Continue reading

 

Alaska Grown-labeled salad greens are offered for sale on Jan. 14, 2025, at Natural Pantry, a health food store in Anchorage. Grocery shoppers are willing to pay a premium for locally sourced lettuce, researchers have found. (Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)

Grocery shoppers willing to pay more for Alaska Grown produce, study finds

How much are Alaskans willing to pay for produce that is homegrown? A newly published study has some answers: a significant premium, especially when they… Continue reading

 

Szechwan-style fish ready to serve. (Photo by Patty Schied)

Cooking For Pleasure: Fish Szechwan style

Ever since I started writing this column, I have debated whether to include this recipe which I have made for many years. Although complicated to… Continue reading

Szechwan-style fish ready to serve. (Photo by Patty Schied)
Tortilla casserole ready to serve. (Photo by Patty Schied)

Cooking For Pleasure: Tortilla casserole with leftover turkey

This is a great way to use leftover turkey should you have any remaining from Thanksgiving. If you don’t, this casserole is very flexible in… Continue reading

Tortilla casserole ready to serve. (Photo by Patty Schied)
Pumpkin cheesecake with a pecan crust being served. (Photo by Patty Schied)

Cooking For Pleasure: Pumpkin cheesecake with a pecan crust

For those of you who struggle with trying to figure out how to bake pies and also put a turkey in the oven on Thanksgiving… Continue reading

Pumpkin cheesecake with a pecan crust being served. (Photo by Patty Schied)
Finished Mexican cornbread loaf with roasted green chiles and cheese. (Photo by Patty Schied)

Cooking for Pleasure: Mexican cornbread loaf with roasted green chiles and cheese

Many years ago when I lived in Tucson, Arizona, I was lucky enough to have neighbors of Mexican descent who were great cooks. From them… Continue reading

Finished Mexican cornbread loaf with roasted green chiles and cheese. (Photo by Patty Schied)
Sheet pan tomato soup garnished and served. (Photo by Patty Schied)

Cooking For Pleasure: Sheet pan tomato soup

Whenever I get my hair done at Salon Cedar, owner Brendan Sullivan and I talk about food nonstop. During my last visit he shared with… Continue reading

Sheet pan tomato soup garnished and served. (Photo by Patty Schied)
Nine-hour pork roast ready for serving. (Photo by Patty Schied)

Cooking for Pleasure: Nine-hour pork roast with crackling

For a few months now I have been craving an old-fashioned pork roast, one with the skin on that gets real crispy, sort of like… Continue reading

Nine-hour pork roast ready for serving. (Photo by Patty Schied)
Green salad with blackberries, pecans, pears and blue cheese. (Photo by Patty Schied)

Cooking for Pleasure: Green salad with blackberries, pecans, pears and blue cheese

This is an unusual salad that I love to serve as a first course for a company dinner. The slight bitterness of the greens are… Continue reading

Green salad with blackberries, pecans, pears and blue cheese. (Photo by Patty Schied)
Sugar cookies in various flavors ready for serving. (Photo by Patty Schied)

Cooking for Pleasure: Crisp sugar cookies with your choice of flavors

When I was about 14 years old I babysat for a very fine cook who gave me this wonderful sugar cookie recipe, one that I… Continue reading

Sugar cookies in various flavors ready for serving. (Photo by Patty Schied)
Sigrid Bogert and Fathom Mitchell, both 11, toss straw used during a children’s game into a wheelbarrow to place on a garden plot during the 30th Annual Juneau Community Garden Harvest Fair on Saturday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Juneau Community Garden celebrates bountiful 30th annual Harvest Festival

Founders had to make own soil to start garden; now a chef makes festival food from what’s grown.

Sigrid Bogert and Fathom Mitchell, both 11, toss straw used during a children’s game into a wheelbarrow to place on a garden plot during the 30th Annual Juneau Community Garden Harvest Fair on Saturday. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Curried rice artichoke salad ready to serve. (Photo by Patty Schied)

Cooking for Pleasure: Curried rice artichoke salad

One of my family’s favorite picnic salads is this one with curried rice and marinated artichokes. I originally got the recipe off the back of… Continue reading

Curried rice artichoke salad ready to serve. (Photo by Patty Schied)
A prepared ratatouille tart ready to serve. (Photo by Patty Schied)

Cooking For Pleasure: Recreating a ratatouille tart from a trip to southern France

The other day my sister Mary and I were reminiscing about our favorite things to eat when we were in the south of France (on… Continue reading

A prepared ratatouille tart ready to serve. (Photo by Patty Schied)
In 2024, the work of the Lynn Canal Food Web expanded into an additional community garden located in Deishú Haines using plants and seeds from the Victory Garden at Xunt’i Áa Mosquito Lake. Pictured, Erika Merklin and Liz Landes tend to the Henderson field property. Landes is funded to manage site development for the year through an additional USDA Southeast Alaska Sustainability mini-grant made available by Southeast Conference demonstrating how USDA funding continues to develop new leadership in local communities. (Photo by Shaelene Grace Moler)

Woven Peoples and Place: Upper Lynn Canal food systems boosted by regional sustainability initiatives

Network of grassroots efforts, volunteers and community gardens helping ensure access to local food.

In 2024, the work of the Lynn Canal Food Web expanded into an additional community garden located in Deishú Haines using plants and seeds from the Victory Garden at Xunt’i Áa Mosquito Lake. Pictured, Erika Merklin and Liz Landes tend to the Henderson field property. Landes is funded to manage site development for the year through an additional USDA Southeast Alaska Sustainability mini-grant made available by Southeast Conference demonstrating how USDA funding continues to develop new leadership in local communities. (Photo by Shaelene Grace Moler)
Ingredients for cauliflower shrimp salad ready to prepare. (Photo by Patty Schied)

Cooking for pleasure: Cauliflower shrimp salad

I realize that this combination sounds a bit odd, but I’ve become quite fond of it. Many years ago in a now-defunct local restaurant, a… Continue reading

Ingredients for cauliflower shrimp salad ready to prepare. (Photo by Patty Schied)
Sockeye salmon in a red chile sauce, ready to serve. (Photo by Patty Schied)

Cooking for Pleasure: Sockeye salmon in a red chile sauce

Every summer I look forward to finding fresh sockeye salmon for sale in one of the local stores. Several years ago I happened to taste… Continue reading

Sockeye salmon in a red chile sauce, ready to serve. (Photo by Patty Schied)
Battered fish fillets frying. (Photo by Patty Schied)

Cooking for Pleasure: Fish and chips with homemade tartar sauce

For years I struggled with different fish batter recipes, usually with lousy luck. The resultant deep-fried fish would be raw in the center, or the… Continue reading

Battered fish fillets frying. (Photo by Patty Schied)
Customers gather in the seating area of an expanded food court area on Franklin Street on Friday. Reconstruction work that began last fall was recently completed for the facility scheduled to be open between May and September. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)

Franklin Street facelift: Sites of former Elks Lodge, Glory Hall debut new eateries, housing

Expanded food court opens at former lodge site; donut shop and low-cost apartments replace shelter.

Customers gather in the seating area of an expanded food court area on Franklin Street on Friday. Reconstruction work that began last fall was recently completed for the facility scheduled to be open between May and September. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Dining out in Croatia. (Photo by Patty Schied)

Cooking for Pleasure: Almond cake from a trip to Croatia

I should have probably titled this week’s column: “Eating For Pleasure.” My daughter, Sally and I spent the first two weeks of May traveling from… Continue reading

Dining out in Croatia. (Photo by Patty Schied)