Alaska’s version of pimento cheese! Or is pimento cheese the South’s version of Kenai dip? Either way, the original recipe for Kenai dip has been traced to Echo Lake Meats in Kenai, Alaska. They call it “jalapeño cheese spread with liquid smoke.” It’s the quintessential snack of the 49th state and can always be found in coolers bound for fishing, camping, hunting and cookouts. I made mine by shredding a 16oz block of sharp cheddar cheese, mixed it with about a cup of Duke’s mayo (it’s the best), about half a cup of chopped pickled jalapeños plus the juice, a squirt of Colgin hickory liquid smoke, and some garlic powder, onion powder, seasoned salt, and cayenne.

This isn’t Rudolph, I swear. Reindeer sausage is actually a staple in Alaksa, typically either served as a side at diners or on a bun at hot dog carts. They were reportedly brought to Alaska from Siberia in the late 19th century in an attempt to create a new food industry for Native Alaskans. I, for obvious reasons, couldn’t make a homemade reindeer sausage so I just ordered this one off of Amazon. It was about $18 but totally worth trying something new. It wasn’t as gamey as I thought it would be — just tasted like beef summer sausage. It had a really good spice and paired well with the cheese dip!

If I’m playing word association and you say Alaska, I’m saying salmon. 90% of the country’s wild salmon output is caught in Alaska. Alaska has some of the finest salmon and halibut in the whole world! Sockeye salmon specifically are prized above all other varieties because of their vibrantly colored flesh. They are found in the pristine, cold waters of the Pacific off the coast of Alaska, and have a great bite and muscle structure (wild-caught only, though!)

I smoked these salmon on a cedar plank soaked in water and white wine. Soaking the cedar planks is key because you don’t want them to catch fire in the smoker.

The salmon was cooked with a lemon, dill, parsley & garlic butter with more lemon slices laid on top.

I love cooking salmon with lemon because the acidity in the lemon cuts through the fattiness of the salmon and gives it a more complex bite.

Fun fact: Alaska holds the world record for the largest halibut ever caught at 459lbs. Alaska is considered the halibut capital of the world because of the abundance of halibut in the cold waters surrounding it. I decided to use Alaskan halibut in a chowder as a side dish because when I think of cold places near the water, I think of chowder.

I made it by rendering the fat off of some bacon until the bacon was crispy and I had a good 2-4 tablespoons of bacon fat (I never said this was a healthy chowder). Then I sweated down some onions and celery in the bacon fat and added enough garlic to make a village of vampires cry. I then added flour to create a roux and added clam juice, milk and heavy cream. Once the liquid got to a good simmer, I added diced potatoes and chunks of halibut and let it cook for about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt & pepper; you don’t want to over-season this because you want the taste of the halibut to really come through. I had to play with it a little to get it just right — more milk here, a squeeze of lemon there, another pinch of salt there.

Here’s another fun one: the record for the world’s heaviest broccoli is held by Alaskan farmers, weighing in at 35 pounds! Broccoli grows exceptionally well during Alaska’s cool summers. I tossed broccoli florets with avocado oil, garlic, brown sugar and sriracha and roasted them at 450° for about 20 minutes. The sweet & spicy broccoli paired really nicely with the bright herby flavor of the salmon.

I know you’re all probably wondering why I didn’t make baked Alaska. Baked Alaska was actually invented by a chef at the famous NYC restaurant Delmonico’s in 1876 to honor the acquisition of Alaska. I may make it as a bonus dessert, but you’d just have to tune in again to see! I wanted to stick to making authentic regional dishes for each state, so I made a berry rhubarb cobbler.

Rhubarb goes way back in Alaska’s food history, a favorite both because it grew easily in Alaska’s climate and because it delivered sourness — a flavor people craved in a place without citrus. It became a kind of fruit substitute because many culinary rhubarb varieties are hardy, require minimal care, and thrive in cool climates. Berries have also been a staple in the Alaskan diet for centuries. There are more than 50 types of berries that grow all over the state between August and September, most of which are edible.

For my cobbler I used a medley of raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and strawberries, and of course rhubarb. I tossed them in about a cup of sugar and a couple of tablespoons of flour and placed the mixture in a 9×13 pan. I then combined about a cup of packed brown sugar, 2 softened sticks of butter, about a cup of rolled oats, and a cup and a half of flour to make a sort of crumbly paste. I broke off chunks of the paste-like mixture and sprinkled it all over the top. Bake at 350° for about 45 minutes and serve warm with vanilla ice cream!