I'm back from Alaska!

My internet connection was way too slow for blogging. But I'm back with a lot of stories to tell. While I was gone, the good folks at Squidoo HQ decided that I'd make a worthy Squid Angel, so they gave me a badge. I'm tickled pink, honored, humbled, excited. And I made a new Squidoo lens about it: Squid Angel Blessings by Chef Keem My annual cheffing gig at the Driftwood Lodge was a great success. We served fabulous food and the guests were very happy. Many of them go on fishing trips all over the country, several times a year. They always tell me that they are surprised at the quality of my food, and that they haven't eaten this good anywhere else before. That's nice to hear. It makes me proud! Over the course of the next few months, I will post regularly about my adventures and recipes, with a load of great pictures. To whet your appetite, I start with a few impressions of the Driftwood Lodge, our home for the silver salmon season at the Tsiu River in SE Alaska, next to the mouth of the Bering Glacier.

Fresh from the Tsiu River - Alaskan Silver Salmon

You know what? I don't really like salmon. Never did. Until... ...I had my first freshly caught silver from the Tsiu River in SE Alaska. This is good eating! My favorite cooking method is a quick saute in butter and spices, finished in a hot oven. Watch this video from my Alaska lodge kitchen for a demonstration of my way of cooking silver (coho) salmon fillets.

Alaska is calling - and I come...

Next Sunday, I will hop on the planes. Yes, it will take four planes to get me to my Alaska lodge kitchen: Austin - Seattle - Anchorage - Cordova - Driftwood Lodge. I've been cooking for our guests - fly fishermen from all over the country - for the last 10 years. The Driftwood Lodge operates only during the silver salmon (coho) season from mid-August through mid-October. The fishing is awesome, the duck hunting is great, and my food is quite popular. Let me show you how I like to prepare wild duck breast. I made a little video, directly from my lodge kitchen.

"Chef - what's your secret ingredient?"

I've heard this question many times: "Chef - what's your secret ingredient?" Or: "I used the same recipe but your stuff tastes much better!" Adding: "I guess that's why you're a chef and I'm not."

Maybe so. But maybe I'm not following the "same" recipe always to the letter. To be honest, I never follow any recipe exactly how it is written. I always change something.

One of my "secrets" is the following principle: I always add a little more of the good stuff - sugar, butter, yolks, vanilla, cream, booze, etc. Not too much, though - I wouldn't want to distort the proportions.

You can't write something like that into a recipe - it's intuition, love, play, passion, cooking music - whatever you want to call it. You are in the "zone". Something deep inside of you communicates with the developing dish. It's not rational. You kind of get out of the way, let the dish take over and influence your actions - adding, stirring, folding-in, baking time, heat, seasoning, and a few other aspects. Whatever you do, you stay "connected" with the dish until it's done. (If you can't get into the "zone", just add 10-15% more of the ingredients your doctor warned you about.)

And then there is the talk about adding "love" to the food. I believe that concept to be real - caring energy transforming the molecules of the dish. It's basic metaphysics, as I understand it: everything is energy transmuted into matter by our perception. I literally "create" a great meal - with my mind as well as with my hands.

When I'm in the "zone" I project a variety of thoughts and emotions into the foods I'm preparing. There's pride in my profession, in my skills, and in my knowledge. I'm focused on doing the best that I can to cook a great-tasting meal. I want to impress the eaters with flavors and proper preparations. My goal is to satisfy their appetites, to still their hunger, and to provide them with a profound sense of well-being and comfort. I truly care about my guests.

And when I see pleasure-filled faces, and when I hear "oohs" and "mmhs" and "aahs" - I forget the hard work and the meager pay - I'm happy.

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