My Alaskan Adventures with The Winterlake Lodge Cookbook

About four years ago at this time of year, my husband and I moved from Seattle to Anchorage, Alaska. Indeed, I landed in America's Last Frontier at the coldest darkest time of year. Of course our kids embraced the novelty of sledding, ice skating, and cross country skiing, but there were many bitterly cold nights when I retreated to the fireplace with a good cookbook and a hot toddy in hand.

One of my favorite books purchased shortly after I moved there was The Winterlake Lodge Cookbook by Kirsten Dixon. Dixon and her husband, Carl, have built Winterlake Lodge from the ground up. Located in a remote area, this Alaskan wilderness lodge has no road access and is an official checkpoint on the historic Iditarod Trail. The Dixons purchased the land from a homesteader in 1993 and have lived there since 1994.

I was particularly fascinated by Dixon's stories of life in the Alaskan Bush and with her recipes. Everything about Alaska was new to me then, and I was anxious to learn more. The photographs throughout the book were taken by Fred Hirschmann and are simply spectacular. They capture much of the inspiring beauty that can be found there--the luminiscent skies, the perfect untouched snow, the wildlife, and glacial peaks.  

The book is organized by season, and Dixon artfully demonstrates how she manages to cook for her adventurous guests yearround, using everything from local halibut and salmon to wild blueberries and reindeer.  She peppers the book with anecdotal stories about homeschooling her two daughters and living life among some beautiful bears. Without a doubt, Dixon's book inspired me to get out and see Alaska first hand and to cook with the local fare, such as halibut, salmon, moose, and rhubarb.

I've made many of Dixon's recipes and one of my favorites is her recipe for Blueberry Bars. If you are hunting for a good book on Alaskan cooking, this is the one. I know, because I cooked from it when I lived in Anchorage and I continue to do so now that I am back in the Emerald City.

Checkout their official website where you can see the photos of Lodge and read about their Winter Wilderness Adventures.

Photo by Fred Hirschmann and sent courtesy of  Carl Dixon of Within The Wild.

--Melissa A. Trainer