See Alaska's beautiful food world through the eyes of these creators

You all know I don’t love social media but when its powers are used for good, it can be charming, fascinating and transporting. For your entertainment this week, I rounded up some Alaska food creators I’m loving right now. I’m leaving out some fun-to-watch, highly popular influencers from the “northern wife” genre, built by women somewhat new here, for audiences not from here, around the mystique of how we harvest, store and eat. These influencers don’t use their full names and wouldn’t tell me when I asked. (I am sure I am too old to understand why they will share wedding photos with thousands of strangers but won’t tell Alaskans who they actually are.)

My favorite Alaska food person on Instagram right now is Wallace Ungwiluk in Gambell on St. Lawrence Island, basketball coach, hunter and daredevil egg-gatherer. Following along on bird, seal and reindeer hunts and then heading to his kitchen is a lovely ride. (He also has a YouTube channel.) Take a look:

Then there’s life and food at fish camp with Sydney Mutch, who runs Kodiak Fish Co. with her family at Outlook Cove on Kodiak Island. Look at the beauty:

Andrea Wagner is a Yup’ik chef who grew up in Wasilla with family ties to Emmonak. She lives in Seattle now but makes very cool videos about Indigenous food. Here’s one on fry bread.

I’m charmed by the videos from Roxanne Hoorn, a young science writer/naturalist who’s working seasonally in Alaska. One day she’s eating seaweed. The next, she’s giving a tour of the cooking school/old boat where she’s living at Tutka Bay Lodge, a culinary landmark, outside of Homer.

You should know Kelli Foreman, who runs a dairy farm in Kodiak. The world of the farm is gorgeous and wholesome. Over the last few years, she has blown up as an influencer. It doesn’t hurt that she’s funny.

Meanwhile, from a corner of the internet that might be known as BidarkiTok, is subsistence food sensation Nicole Rae Norman out of Port Graham. Also a very popular influencer. (She was on the Today Show!)

Is it wrong that I can’t get enough fillet videos? I could watch Indigenous food influencer Heather Douville’s dad fillet all day at his place in Craig. That guy is a wizard. (Their IG videos won’t display on my Substack but have you seen her gorgeous show?) I also can’t stop watching the Kenai River Cowboys feed. I want that knife. (Send me more filet videos, pls.)

What’s for dinner:

I have a new recipe in the Anchorage Daily News for killer blueberry muffins that, it turns out, are also a spell for improving rainy mornings. For the love of god, make this Parmesan chicken salad. My very sweet friend Kate porched me a Tupperware of soup made famous by New Yorker food writer Helen Rosner and it was perfect. Helen named it “Roberto.” If you don’t subscribe to the New Yorker (you could, it’s great!), here’s a pretty close version. 🥣 Finally, my pal Susie Brito, also a solid IG follow who fishes out of Bristol Bay, posted a nice step-by-step recipe for salmon pastries that I made for family on Sunday. Try ‘em!

Little treats: IT IS TART RHUBARB SEASON at Wild Scoops and I am not holding back. If you have not had this sweet-tart manna, 10/10 suggest getting it with the baked Alaska toasted meringue topping. Oh, hey, the Alaska Farm Bureau is sponsoring a backyard barbecue competition that looks like a kick. In food news, if you’re wondering why the salmon are late on the Kenai, ADN’s Chris Bieri is checking around. There’s also a good discussion going on my Facebook about how many fish we should actually take.

Did you miss last week’s thin-smashed newsletter? Here it is: “How City Boy’s Blair Hicks dreamed up the burger Anchorage wants.” For paid subscribers, here’s what we were reading this time last year: “Five essential Anchorage farmers market buys this week.”

I am certain my kids don’t know the difference between influencers and journalists. My standard rant is that journalists put their name on their work, correct their mistakes, tell you where their facts come from and don’t get quietly paid for endorsing things. They get paid by subscribers like you. If you read every week, consider paying to subscribe? An annual subscription pencils out to $6.67 a month. (🚨If you have been a paid subscriber but your card expired, here’s a reminder to renew!) If you want to double down, become a founding subscriber for $240. 👑 Thank you so much to the growing circle of founders!

Please write with your favorite fillet knives, cool Alaska food influencers and anything. Really.

Thank you, always, for reading.

Julia

P.S. For my newest recipes and access to stories I link to, subscribe to the Anchorage Daily News and Edible Alaska (and maybe get the New York Times cooking app). Find all my recipes and writing at juliaomalley.com.

P.P.S: Look, it’s your zodiac sign as expressed in Jell-O salad. (Remember when “salad” in Alaska always meant something with Jell-O?)

*Eagle-eyed copy editor-for-hire Egan Millard reads this newsletter. Hire him. 🦅*

** This newsletter is produced in part with the support, inspiration and community found at The Boardroom.

***Accuracy matters! If you find an error in this newsletter, let me know!