We arrived safely at our destination: Connecticut. After making the decision to drive straight through, our time of arrival was 1 a.m. It was a 17-hour trip, but we managed to avoid all but a hour snafu during rush hour around DC. We were exhausted, but an ice coffee perked us up and we made it all the way safely.

After a good night’s sleep I was woken by the fresh smell of hot coffee and blueberry muffins courtesy of my mom. In fact as I sauntered into the kitchen to say hello (my parents were asleep when we arrived,) my mother was taking the muffins out of the oven. This is a recipe she has had for awhile and it came from Jordan Marsh which used to be a department store in New England. The recipe will be shared in a few days.

As promised my daughter D arrived with 2 huge wild salmon she and her husband J caught less than a week ago on the Copper River. She brought this along with 10 lbs. of rhubarb that came from her garden. This, my dear friends, was the makings of our first dinner together.

My mom fixed her special spice rub and my dad prepared the fish, grilled of course. It was done to perfection and salmon caught from the wilds of Alaska is delicious. The fish was gutted, be-headed and be-tailed of course. Dad prepared the fish by cutting diagonal slices all the way to the bone on both sides. Then, he sprinkled a generous amount of olive oil and balsamic vinegar finished off with a good dose (a few tablespoons) of the grill mixture they use for a lot of their food. This was done about 1/2 hour before grilling.

The grill was set to medium high preheating so that it was nice and hot. The salmon was grilled for about 12 minutes on each side. We tested by gently flaking with a fork to see if they were ready. The salmon was moist and flaky with a richness that you don’t taste from the store-bought variety. Alaskan salmon caught fresh has a deep salmon color to the flesh, with a lot of flavor. We actually have leftovers and are going to make Salmon Croquettes on Monday.

Hearing how they catch the fish is a trip and my daughter D is a good -good -sport and helps out. J catches the fish and she bops them on the head to knock them out.

This year D and J fished a week earlier than usual, and it was slim pickings. No luck with a fishing pole, but J had the sense to get a permit ahead of time for dip net fishing. After a dry spell and due to the high winds which made standing on the side of the river next to impossible, they tied themselves to a tree so that they wouldn’t fall in. Strong winds made net fishing extremely difficult this year. J caught a few salmon, they both cleaned and gutted them (thank goodness) and were kind enough to share their hard work with us.

Spice Rub Mixture

2 teaspoons of each of the following spices: kosher salt, celery seed, cayenne pepper, black pepper, onion pepper, garlic powder, dry mustard, fennel seeds, hungarian paprika, oregano, sage, thyme, coriander. Mix together and use on fish, chicken, beef and pork.

It took me a day or two to recouperate, not only from the drive but the move before I left. Having to download a program to edit my photos has taken more time than I’d like. I am still trying to figure out how to edit the pictures and I should have it done about the time I head home. So I am behind in posting. We have a big crew here with a few toddlers in the bunch so meals are a big production.

Tonight we are having Salmon Croquettes along with the Lemon Glazed Sweet Potatoes and Corn Pudding that I recently made. After this Southern meal we are moving straight into Yankee food. I did have a preview with Creamed Chip Beef for Breakfast the other morning.

My parents live in an attached cottage, I ate Chipped Beef at their home, then an hour later tried some at my sister’s to compare. Just a ploy to get seconds of one of my favorites. It worked, no one was the wiser even though we do not run out of food around here.

Give the rub a try and if you have the chance befriend someone who has some good bopping skills in Alaska.