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The Cajun Queen: Alligator meat, deliciously Cajun

By the Cajun Queen
Special to the Turnagain Times

As we mentioned earlier, Cajuns eat everything – even alligator meat. Actually alligator meat is delicious. The tail is white and as sweet as crabmeat. Other parts are darker. Recently alligators have been so conscientiously protected that in some areas there is a problem of overpopulation. A very limited and carefully controlled hunting season opens once a year, so occasionally a few people are afforded a taste of the meat. It will probably reach the markets in the near future. Coon, squirrel, possum and nutria also make tasty dishes. Although the natives refer to the animal as a “nutria rat” because of his long tail, he is a very clean, vegetarian mammal who spends much time in the water feeding on tiny water plants. The meat, cooked in rich tomato gravy is a gourmet treat. Duck, goose, all game birds and even poule d’eau (coot) go into gumbos and other wonderful concoctions.
Parboil or pressure cook the meat. Tenderizer helps. Soak overnight in Italian salad dressing. Brown flour in oil to make roux. Add vegetables and tomato paste and cook slowly for 30-40minutes. Add chunks of alligator meat with enough boiling water to cover. Boil down for 30 minutes. Add celery, green onions, bay leaves, allspice, sugar and Chinese vegetables. Sherry or red wine may also be added to the sauce if desired. Or have a glass yourself and continue to cook. Raise heat and thicken up well. Add sliced lemon and butter just before serving. This recipe for Sauce Pinquante may be used for many other kinds of meat.
Roux: Ingredients: 1 cup vegetable oil and 1 cup all-purpose flour
The typical Cajun roux is a blend of equal parts of flour and fat, cooked together in a heavy pot over high heat until a medium brown color is reached. Roux MUST be stirred constantly to prevent burning. Finely chopped onion and bell pepper is added to the browned roux to arrest the cooking temperature and prevent the roux from scorching.
Well…..till next time, Bon Appetite.

Between the Pages: The finale of the Harry Potter Series is celebrated at our local bookstore, which quickly sold out of every copy ordered

By Chuck Hinson
Special to the Turnagain Times

No spoiler alert here. But if you haven’t finished reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, three weeks after being released to phenomenal praise and excitement…even if you aren’t a fan, even if you aren’t a reader, even if you just existed on the planet…you probably at least know that the final book in the J.K. Rowling series is a grand one.
We had a nice little party at the bookstore in Girdwood on July 21, not the extravagant midnight gala type of event that took place in cities and town squares everywhere, but a nice little gathering nonetheless. People were waiting on the front porch of the store, armed with their credit cards, some from town, some from the cruise ships in Seward and Whittier, when we opened. The day continued to be lively, with the first couple of chapters being read by Ken Smith and Tommy O’Malley to an eager group of children and adults. People who came received a pair of Harry Potter glasses, a magic wand and chocolate cupcakes with a purple lightning bolt on top. The price of the new book was an unprecedented thirty five bucks, but, like bookstores everywhere, we still sold every copy we had. It was fun.
Maybe that’s what everybody wants from all the hoopla surrounding Harry. Fun. It was hard to escape the news and magazines articles, the bits on television and the “coincidental” timing of the release of the fifth movie. People camped out, dressed up and stood in line together. It was unbridled excitement, shared excitement…and over a book? Almost unheard of.
I admit I had fun reading the final book, and I even consciously tried not to read it so fast. I wanted to savor some of my favorite characters, like Hagrid and Snape, even though some of them didn’t even show up in the story until past page 500! Deathly Hallows took off to a roaring start, as the books usually do, but the beginning was quite a bit darker than the others, with life and death at stake for many of the characters. Then there was a wedding and the introduction of some new characters (Luna Lovegood’s father, for instance) to lighten things up. But, before things got too comfortable, Harry, Ron and Hermoine were off and running in an action-packed, magically induced journey, chasing horocruxes, learning about the Deathly Hallows and outwitting You-Know-Who at every turn. The plot continues at an exciting and other worldly pace, until Harry finds himself face-to-face with his enemy, finally making a decision that you will long remember.
Fun, but serious too. No doubt J. K. Rowling’s books will go down in history, along with other not-just-for-children series like C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia and J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. In fact, Rowling has admitted being captivated by the other two authors, and some people will find lots of similarities between them and the Harry Potter books. One Newsweek writer even pointed out some religious overtones, which might shock some who have condemned the whole magical Harry Potter world.
Rowling may have gone well beyond Lewis and Tolkien in her ability to get kids reading again and to captivate the world with her magical vision. She certainly saw it to completion in a first class way. Nobody I have spoken to was disappointed by the ending and all the fans, especially those who have grown up along with Harry Potter, are sad to see it all end. Makes me wonder what in the world could come along next to surpass this.

Chuck Hinson owns Girdwood Books and News

MICHAEL CLEM HOWERTON
Aug. 24, 1948 - Aug 2, 2007

Mr. Michael Clem Howerton, age 58, died August 2, 2007 at his home in Girdwood.
A memorial service will be held, 4:00PM, August 18, at Anchorage City Church, 1301 W 100th Ave., in Anchorage. Ron Adams will officiate. A potluck will follow the service.
Mr. Howerton was born in Hutchinson, KS, August 24, 1948.
He joined the U.S. Navy and served two tours in Vietnam as a medic attached with the U.S. Marines.
Mr. Howerton moved to Alaska in 1982 and made Girdwood his home.
Throughout his career Michael has worked for many different employers including, Mono County Sheriff’s Department in California, Red Lodge police Department in Montana, Genet Expeditions in Alaska, Kuparuk on the north slope in Alaska, and Phillips Cruises in Alaska, in addition to several automobile dealerships in CA, NV and AK..
He attended Girdwood Christian Fellowship and most recently Valley Bible Chalet. He was a member of Girdwood Rotary and Girdwood Volunteer Fire Dept. Board,
He received many awards for service throughout his life.
His family writes, “Mike was a quiet giver of himself. He loved people and served people in every profession at which he worked. The outdoors was his passion. He loved the Sierra, the Rockies and especially Alaska. Denali was ‘his mountain’ and the Kenai River was ‘his river’. Mike loved fly-fishing and he spent as much time on the river as possible. He loved climbing, especially ice climbing and taught many young folks how to safely enjoy the sport. Mike could ‘tell a story’ because he had lived so many wonderful adventures in so many exotic places. He was good at mixing little lessons in the telling so you could learn something if you listened. Slow of speech at times, you may have wanted to hurry him along; however, it was always worth the wait to the end. His friends constantly encouraged him to write a book, but Mike never thought anyone would want to read it. During this life he belonged to diverse groups of working people; military, medical, law enforcement. Mountain-eering, search & rescue, oil patch, automotive service, boat captains, and fly fishermen to name a few. Although he never considered himself a master of any one thing, he always gave 120% and enjoyed whatever he was doing at the time. Loved by his family and friends, he loved them back, perhaps without much vocal expression, but always with deep feeling. He had an abiding faith in God and knew exactly where he would be when it was time to fold his tent and enter eternity. We have not lost him. We shall meet again when time has ended. We are better people because he loved us.”
He is survived by his wife of 36 years, Carol Howerton of Girdwood; uncle Fred Volker of Albuquerque, NM; cousins, nephews, nieces and a very large extended family of friends.
Mr. Howerton was preceded by his parents, and younger brother Mark S. Howerton.
Memorial donations may be sent to Anchorage Gospel Rescue Mission. PO Box 230510, Anchorage, AK 99523.
Arrangements are with Anchorage Funeral Home and Crematory.

Down in the Cellar

By Justin Persons
Special to the Turnagain Times

Well folks, summer isn’t exactly over but….it wasn’t quite the scorcher I was hoping for. Come on Global warming, throw us a bone!  Maybe you never felt too inclined to drink a dry Riesling or a refreshing Rose’ out in the sun on the porch, but I sure hope so. Let’s not fret and let the mild summer get to us. Let’s drink some wine that comes from a warm place that we wouldn’t mind going to for a few weeks. To Argentina for some Malbec!
The Malbec grape has put Argentina on map in the world of wine. No other country has grown so rapidly in stature and distinction in relation to wine production as Argentina with Malbec. This grape has been a minor blending grape in Bordeaux, France for centuries, never able to stand on its own as a wine of any substance. But in Argentina it has found its homeland. The soil, climate, sun exposure, etc. are absolutely perfect for this grape. Malbec’s are typically very dark ruby/purple in color with aromas of dark berries, plums, chocolate, and figs.  It is also full bodied with velvety, smooth tannins and is absolutely delicious. There is also a “rustic” quality to them that I love. You can almost see the grape pickers with their wooden baskets harvesting out in the sun.
Argentina is the largest producer of wines in South America and the fifth largest in the world. The major wine growing region is Mendoza which produces 75 percent of all wines. Other grapes grown are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, and world-class Chardonnay.  Wine producers from the U.S., France, and even next door in Chile are recognizing Argentina’s potential and investing in the region. Malbec has been the “hot” new wine on the block for a couple years now and has really hit the mainstream recently. Pinot Noir is still riding the popularity wave from the movie “Sideways,” but now Malbec is riding its own wave.  Even though it’s fashionable right now, Malbec is still a great value. You’re not going to find many that cost more than $30 retail, while most are $8 to $18.
Here are a few that I highly recommend: Dona Paula—this beauty turned me on to Malbec. There is a low end bottle and a high end “reserve” bottle. I suggest getting both and trying them side by side to see the difference.
Norton- Toasty black fruits, concentrated and ripe tannins. Delicious with pizza.
On the wine list at the Double Musky we have these gems:  Pascual Toso—very popular and very smooth, easy drinking. Lot’s of raspberry fruit up front and will go with many types of food. Great intro to Malbec.
On the higher end we have Archeval Ferrar—wonderful juice. This shows how good this wine can be. Spicy, peppery and silky smooth in the mouth. By the glass we have Terra Rosa- another great example and a great food wine.
So if you’re feeling adventurous and want to jump on the bandwagon to see what all the fuss is about try an Argentine Malbec. Bring one to a dinner party or barbeque and you might make a few new friends. If you enjoy Cabs or Merlots then you’re in luck with Malbec. Cheers and here’s to summer. Until next time when we’ll explore another grape and the wine it creates!

Justin Persons is co-owner of the Double Musky Inn Restaurant in Girdwood.