The editor ponders: Cook....or Starve?

I’ve made no secret about hating food in Anchorage.

You can defend it all you’d like, but the fact remains that I’ve eaten Mexican food with Asian “sticky rice” (On what planet is that OK?), eaten soggy blackened tofu (Ever hear of extra firm tofu?) and  born witness to the most bruised, most gross-looking fruit and vegetables I’ve seen in my life.

Go on—I’d like to hear the defense of the awful state of your food.

At first, I thought I’d adjust to the food selection in this city. I’m a strict vegetarian from steer city and have worked my way around few vegetarian options before.

This, however, does not seem to be happening.

I can’t get over the blandness of everything I eat. I’m sorry. I will not compromise on this accusation that Alaskan food is bland.

So a girl like me is stuck with two options— learn to cook or starve.


My previous cooking endeavors have been disastrous to say the least and calling them cooking endeavors is generous.

For instance, over heating Hot Pockets, Pop-Tarts and instant mash potatoes is only called cooking by people like me.

In this case, though, it’s all the experience I have to work with.

Miss food like this! Vegan,too. Photo/http:greensantionio.com

But seeing photos of beautiful meals from my favorite restaurants back home makes me want to brave a new world of the unknown.

So today I have decided to buy a cookbook.

(You know, a book? One of those things with a hard cover and pages inside. It’s like a printed copy of information you can find on websites.)

I have resolved to try one new recipe a week to try to get out of this terrible Anchorage food slump.

In doing this, my apartment could burn down. My hair could catch on fire. I could become drastically ill from undercooked food. My hands and forearms will undoubtedly become martyrs to the good-food cause.

But, as God as my witness, I WILL try to eat delicious food while in Anchorage, even if I die trying.