The main trick is trying not to overcook the cauliflower. Depending on the size of your florets, this might require a little trial and error. I think it’s better to err on the underdone side. I also recommend doubling this recipe if you plan to serve it as a side with a meal. I love Frank’s RedHot, but some in the family are sensitive about heat. In this case, I’ve reduced the hot sauce-to-butter ratio for a milder version and recommended a healthy serving of cooling ranch. If you’re good with an air fryer, this recipe would be easy to adapt.

Buffalo Cauliflower

Makes four snack-sized servings

1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets

1/2 cup white flour

1 cup water

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoons garlic salt

1/2 cup Frank’s or other Buffalo-style hot sauce

3 tablespoons melted butter

Ranch or blue cheese dressing (Here’s my go-to homemade ranch recipe)

Celery and carrot sticks to garnish

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. In a bowl large enough to hold the cauliflower, whisk together the flour, water, paprika and garlic salt. Toss the cauliflower in the batter and place the pieces on the sheet pan, giving each plenty of room. Bake for 15 minutes. While those are roasting, make the sauce by combining hot sauce and melted butter in a medium bowl. After 15 minutes, the cauliflower pieces should be softened but still a little toothsome and the batter should be dry and set. Remove them from the pan and toss them gently in the sauce. Discard the parchment on the pan and replace it with a fresh piece. Pull each of the florets out of the sauce and place it back on the pan. Roast for another 5 to 8 minutes, until the sauce is set and bubbling around the edges. Serve immediately with dressing and carrot and celery sticks.

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Because you cut the meat into chunks before cooking, it tends to braise a little faster than a regular pot roast. You can do this recipe in a slow cooker, transferring it from the pot to the cooker and going for 6 hours on high. The only trick, really, is getting the right gochujang. I like the kind made by O’Food that comes in a box with a gold lid, which you can for sure get at Sagaya and New Central Market. Whatever you get, make sure you don’t get the kind that says “spicy,” “medium hot” or “very hot.” Those might be good, if you like a kick, but won’t give you the warm, savory sweetness that comes with regular gochujang and makes this recipe totally fine for diners at your table who don’t like spicy food.

It’s also basically essential to serve this roast with kimchi, which adds a lovely acidic punch that perfectly complements the sweet, soft, braised beef. I also like to serve with fluffy white rice. If you’re not a kimchi person, go for pickled Korean vegetables, called banchan, that you can buy deli-style at New Central Market or order from most Korean restaurants. I like to do both.

Gochujang Pot Roast

Ingredients:

1 approximately 5-pound chuck roast, cut into six chunks

1 tablespoon neutral oil

1 shallot, sliced

1 yellow onion, sliced

4 large cloves of garlic, grated

1 1/2 tablespoons ginger, grated

2 1/2 tablespoons gochujang paste — the regular, not the “spicy” variety

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 cups beef stock

Chopped scallions, cilantro, warm rice and kimchi to serve.

Method: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Brown the meat on all sides, working in batches if necessary. Remove the browned meat from the pan and set aside. Turn the heat down to medium, add the shallot and onion, and saute until soft, about five minutes. Add grated garlic, ginger, gochujang, fry for a minute or two. Add brown sugar, soy sauce and beef stock. Return the meat to the pot, put the lid on and place in the oven. Cook for two hours, flipping the meat over halfway through. Once the meat is tender, remove it from the liquid. Skim the fat from the liquid and then put the pan over medium heat to simmer and reduce for about 10 minutes. Serve with warm short-grain white rice and kimchi, and garnish with thin-sliced scallions and cilantro.

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A very Alaska-feeling cousin of classic holiday beef Wellington, our salmon Wellington is a little lighter and brighter, but just as gorgeous and festive. It’s perfect for the center of a holiday table, especially if there are pescatarians coming for dinner.

The coolest thing about this recipe: It’s pretty simple and easy. Our frozen salmon is portioned already, so we made two smaller Wellingtons, but this recipe works just fine with one fat fillet. We painted the fish with Dijon and butter and then layered it in pastry with a rich, savory mixture of cream cheese, spinach and lemon zest. A little brush of egg yolk made it extra golden.

Because it’s so rich, the per-person portion is a little smaller than you might serve if you were grilling salmon. One hack for saving time on defrosting the pastry is to look for fresh pastry dough in the refrigerated section, which is sometimes available during the holidays. I found mine at Walmart. Instead of Tabasco, you might also try Barnacle’s Bullwhip Hot Sauce.

Salmon Wellington

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

About 24 to 28 ounces filleted salmon, skin and bones removed

1 1/2 tablespoons very soft + 1 tablespoon room temperature salted butter

1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cracks black pepper

1 small white onion, finely chopped, no more than 1 1/4 cups

2 cloves finely chopped garlic

1 1/2 cups cups frozen spinach, thawed

1 cup cream cheese, softened

Zest of one lemon

Two dashes of Tabasco sauce

1 13-ounce sheet puff pastry; if frozen, it should be fully thawed

One egg yolk, beaten

Method: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the soft butter, mustard, salt and pepper, stirring until combined. Set aside. In a frying pan over medium heat, melt the rest of the butter and saute the onion until it begins to soften. Add garlic and saute until the onion is transparent and very soft. Turn off the heat, stir in spinach, cream cheese, zest and Tabasco until well combined. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Prep the pastry. Lay the pastry sheet on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper or a silpat and roll it out so it’s about a quarter-inch thick. If you are using a full fillet, you will want to work with the whole or most of the piece.

If you are using two pieces of salmon, you’ll want to cut the pastry into two rectangles. To assemble Wellington, if you are using two pieces of fish, spread 1/3 to 1/2 cup of spinach mixture in the center of the rectangle of pastry, shaping it roughly to match the contours of your fish. Use more if you are doing a full fillet. Paint one side of the fish with the Dijon mixture and then lay it Dijon side down atop the spinach layer. Now paint the other side of the fish with Dijon mixture and cover with 1/3 cup layer of the spinach mixture.

Wrap the fish in the pastry dough the way you might wrap a burrito, folding in the narrower top and the bottom and then wrapping the sides into the center. Pinch the edges together and then carefully flip the pastry-wrapped fish over so that the seam is down. Crimp the edges, if desired, and decorate with a fish scale pattern, gently pressing the edge of a measuring spoon into the dough. Repeat with a second piece of salmon, if you are using two pieces. Bake for 30 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and browned. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

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Say what you want about that, but those earthy, buttery caramelized onions, the broth-soaked bread and that delicious toasted cheese cemented a life-long soup love. Recently, after I stumbled on an old Harry’s menu, I went on a re-creation mission.

The first order of business was to collect eight broiler-safe ceramic soup bowls, the kind with the little handles, which was actually pretty easy at Goodwill. This is, of course, optional, as you probably have something in your cabinet that can stand the broiler, but it was just a festive touch. Next, because it’s peak farmers market season, I bought some fresh onions. Then I set about making soup.

The main labor of French onion soup is caramelizing the onions in butter. The process takes about an hour over low heat. I think the best flavor comes from mixing a couple types. After that, you add wine and sherry. You can add dry white or red wine but the menu description from Harry’s says red. Then you add beef broth and, because I like it, I add rosemary. I am not sure about how authentically Harry’s that is. At this point the soup can be taken from the heat and refrigerated for a few days or even frozen for a few months. I used sturdy, bakery-made French bread — note: the super light grocery store stuff will not hold up in this recipe — but you can also use a hearty sourdough, which is sometimes easier to find. Harry’s soup used a mix of Gruyere and Parmesan, but lots of recipes use Gruyere only. I think the best price you’ll find on a block of Gruyere is at Walmart. And you can, if you want to be really true to Harry’s form, finish it with some chives.

Harry’s Restaurant tribute French onion soup

Serves 8

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter

A mix of 3-4 large yellow, white or sweet onions, thinly sliced into half-moons

Salt and pepper

1/4 cup sherry

3/4 cups dry red wine

8 cups beef broth

2 sprigs fresh rosemary (optional)

8 1/2-inch slices good quality French or sourdough bread

1 1/2 cups grated Gruyere cheese

1/2 cup grated or micro-planed Parmesan cheese

Chopped herbs, like thyme, rosemary or chives, to garnish

Method: Over medium heat, melt the butter in a large, heavy-bottom 10- or 12-cup Dutch oven or soup pot. Turn the heat to medium low, add onions and sauté until they are softened and translucent, about 10 minutes. Turn the heat lower and carmelize, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes to an hour. If the onions are sticking or appear to be browning unevenly, splash a little bit of wine, stock or water in the pan and scrape the bottom. When the onions are done, they should be a rich brown and somewhat jammy. Add sea salt and pepper to taste. Now add the wine and sherry and bring to a bubble. Add broth and whole rosemary sprigs, bring to a simmer and allow to cook for 25 minutes. Remove the rosemary and remove from heat. You can stop at this point and refrigerate the soup, covered, if you’re making it ahead. About 15 minutes before you’re ready to serve, gently begin warming the broth over low heat, position your oven rack 6 to 8 inches from the heating element and preheat the broiler. Once the soup is warm, ladle it into oven-safe bowls. Place a piece of sourdough in each bowl and cover completely with cheeses. Place the bowls on a sheet pan — you may have to work in batches — and slide under the broiler, watching carefully, for 2 to 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown. Garnish with herbs or chives. Serve immediately.

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First recipe on the list: re-creating an unforgettable zucchini-blossom pizza I had while visiting family last summer in Italy, made with torn pieces of burrata, savory grilled zucchini, caramelized shallots and lots of fresh basil. This one goes perfect with a very cold Aperol spritz, a few friends and a sunny late-summer night.

I like to make a lot of pizza on the grill in the summertime, and I have to admit I often cheat, forgoing homemade dough and instead buying it at the Moose’s Tooth takeout counter. My second favorite local dough comes from New Sagaya, though it’s not always available. Both doughs handle really well, taste great and go for between $5 and $7 a ball. I get an extra ball and make the first pizza with just sauce and cheese for the kids to get the grill to the perfect temp. You can, of course, always make your own dough using your favorite recipe, just be sure to flour it well when you roll it out.

The main labor of this recipe is all preparation and can easily be done in advance. Grilling the actual pizza takes 10 minutes. I have been getting mini burrata balls for a very good price at Costco lately, but they are also often available at Fred Meyer and Fromagio’s. If you can’t find them, a good fresh mozzarella will do just fine.

Grilled zucchini flower-burrata pizza

Makes one 14-inch pizza

Ingredients:

One roughly 12-ounce ball of homemade or store-bought pizza dough (if buying it at a restaurant, this would typically be a dough ball for a medium pizza)

One medium shallot, thinly sliced into rings

One medium-size or two small-size garden zucchini — about 12 ounces total — cut lengthwise, 1/4 inch thick

1 tablespoon + 1 tablespoon + 2 tablespoons olive oil

Two tablespoons homemade or store-bought pesto

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Four small/”mini” burrata balls or two regular-sized burrata balls

Four large zucchini blossoms, cut in half, stamen removed

1/3 cup fresh basil cut into thin ribbons

Kosher salt

Pepper

Red pepper flakes and extra virgin olive oil to garnish

Instructions:

In a small frying pan, add a tablespoon of olive oil and begin to caramelize your shallots over medium-low heat until soft and brown, about 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, start the grill, aiming to get it to a medium temperature of about 350 degrees. Brush the zucchini with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place the slices perpendicular to the grill grates and grill for roughly three minutes a side, so that the slices are soft, cooked through, have grill marks and a little char on the edges. Remove from the grill, brush the grill clean, close it and allow it to return to 350 degrees.

Put grilled zucchini in a bowl and place it on a topping tray you’ll eventually carry with you to the grill to assemble the pizza. Mix the pesto with olive oil in a small bowl and put it on the tray with a pastry brush. Prep your zucchini blossoms, add them to the tray, along with your Parmesan, burrata, basil and salt and pepper, red pepper flakes, extra virgin olive oil and a large grill spatula. Set your prep tray near your grill.

Next, on a piece of parchment paper, roll or hand press your pizza dough so that it’s about 12 to 14 inches in diameter and 1/4 inch thick. Set that on a cutting board and carry it to the grill. Open the grill, pick up the parchment and carefully flip the dough onto the center of the hot grate. If you need to, gently pull it or reposition it with your hands so it keeps its round shape. Close the grill for three minutes and then check for doneness on the bottom side and cook a little longer if needed. The grill-facing side should be hard-cooked and slightly charred in places and the other side will have lots of bubbles. If there are super large bubbles on top, pop them with the spatula; otherwise, once the dough is cooked on the grill side, flip it over. Working quickly, brush the cooked side with the pesto oil, sprinkle with Parmesan, arrange zucchini and zucchini flowers, tear burrata balls into semi-equal pieces and distribute, sprinkle with basil and close the grill. After three minutes, check for doneness — the cheese should be melted, and the edges of the crust should be crisp. Importantly, lift the bottom with a spatula, it should be hard and starting to char. If it isn’t, leave it for a minute or two more, but be careful. Your nose will tell you if it’s starting to char too much.

Using a spatula, pull the pizza off the grill onto the cutting board. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with red pepper flakes, lash with olive oil, slice and serve immediately.

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This recipe is made for using only leftover salmon or adding cold rice or potatoes, depending on what you’re working with. I like using chives and chive blossoms from my garden when they are in season, but you can use any fresh herb. The trick, if you’re using rice or potatoes, is to let them fry for long enough to get a little crispy before you add the salmon. I use a little water to steam the eggs and watch the time to cook them to my desired doneness. I have used Frank’s hot sauce and Barnacle Foods Bull Kelp Hot Sauce with the sour cream, but I like Tabasco best because it’s a classic.

Salmon hash and eggs with Tabasco cream

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tablespoons + 1 tablespoon butter

1 shallot, minced

1 1/2 cups leftover roasted potatoes, finely chopped, or leftover rice (optional)

3-4 cups leftover cooked salmon, bones removed, broken into bite-sized pieces

Garlic salt or other seasoned salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives, divided

Four eggs

Sea salt

2 tablespoons water

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon or more Tabasco or other hot sauce + more for garnish

2 chive blossoms, small flowers separated or 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs of your choice

Method: Melt a tablespoon and a half of butter in a large non-stick frying pan or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Saute the shallot until it is translucent and then add the potatoes or rice, if using. Do not disturb the rice or potatoes for 3 minutes or so, so the bottom begins to brown and crisp. Add salmon and saute, mixing with the rice or potatoes. Season with garlic salt and pepper and mix, scraping the pan bottom, for a few minutes until the salmon is warmed through. The fish should be further broken up and there should be some crispy bits from the bottom distributed throughout. Create four holes in the hash, so the bottom of the pan is visible in each. Divide the tablespoon of butter into four and melt a piece of butter in each hole. When the butter is melted, crack an egg in each hole and sprinkle it with salt. Now drizzle water over the pan and place a lid on it. Leave the lid on for roughly 2-3 minutes for an egg with a runny yolk. For over-medium, try roughly 6 minutes. For hard eggs, try about 8 minutes. While the eggs are cooking, stir the hot sauce into the sour cream. To serve, dot each egg with spicy sour cream, splash with extra hot sauce and sprinkle the pan with reserved chives and chive blossoms or herbs.

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When reality hits, and I finally roll into the weekend with a vague sore throat, buried in a pile of laundry that I will never finish folding, lasagna has become a hazy dream. That is, until I figured out this sheet-pan recipe, which for an exhausted, overly ambitious cook is 100% A WIN. It comes together so quickly you could make it on a weeknight. A novel thin lasagna that requires no noodle-boiling, it can be made with store-bought ingredients or homemade. And, most important, it delivers a little bit fewer carbs, a little more protein and a double dose of crispy-edged, toasted cheesy lasagna goodness versus a traditional lasagna.

There are a ton of versions of this recipe out there. Mine uses no-boil noodles, but you can also boil noodles until they are al dente, if you need to. Once you get the hang of it, you can really riff — sub in a cream sauce with roasted butternut squash or sundried tomatoes or spinach and mushrooms. If you are making a homemade marinara or some homemade pesto, make extra, measure it, and tuck it in the freezer for an extra homemade touch next time you’re short on time and energy but long on lasagna needs. Because now you have the perfect recipe for that.

Quick Sheet Pan Lasagna

Serves 6, generously

1 9-ounce package “oven ready” no-boil lasagna noodles

1 tablespoon olive oil

One yellow onion, finely chopped

1/2 pound of Italian sausage

1/2 pound of ground beef or wild game

3 cups or 24 ounces jarred or homemade marinara sauce

1 cup of ricotta cheese

1/4 cup of homemade or store-bought pesto

8 ounces or 2 cups of shredded “Italian blend” cheese or a mixture of shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan cheese

Finely chopped fresh basil for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease a 13-by-18 inch sheet pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, break noodles with your hands, going for mostly long, triangular shards, roughly 2 inches wide at their base. There will be smaller and larger pieces. Cover the noodles with boiling water and set aside. In a skillet, saute the onion until it begins to soften. Add meat. Brown it until it’s no longer pink. While it browns, stir pesto into the ricotta and set aside. Once the meat is close to done, drain the noodles and return them to the big bowl. They will still be somewhat hard. Add the browned meat and sauce to the bowl and gently stir until the noodles are well coated. Pour the noodle mixture onto the prepared sheet pan and distribute it evenly with the back of a spoon. Scoop 8 evenly spaced dollops of the ricotta mixture on top of the noodles. Sprinkle the cheese on top. Bake for 30 minutes. You can increase the bake time a few more minutes if you’d like the cheese a little more brown. Sprinkle with fresh basil and serve.

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Salmon loaf recipes date back to when the Alaska Packers Association (APA) introduced canned salmon to home cooks at the St. Louis World’s Fair of 1904. The APA cookbook from that year, “How to Eat Canned Salmon,” contained not one but three salmon loaf recipes. All of them combine canned fish with a “panade,” or rich batter made of cracker or breadcrumbs, milk or canned milk, and eggs. The loaves are steamed or baked and served cold. Same for “Out of Alaska’s Kitchens,” another central part of the state’s spiral bound culinary canon. (That book, from about 50 years later, actually has four versions of loaf—all served hot.) The loaves appealed to Catholics looking for meatless meals during Lent, and thrifty Depression-era cooks because canned salmon was a cheaper meat.

This recipe riffs on APA’s “Salmon Loaf #3”—which is a very basic salmon meatloaf with eggs, breadcrumbs, and some chopped parsley. Only I didn’t use canned salmon—though you could. I used some older frozen salmon I had and tossed in a little smoked salmon to add flavor. You can skip the smoked fish if you don’t like it or don’t have any. The recipe is pretty forgiving and can tolerate a little more or a little less fish, depending on what you’re working with. Compared to the old school versions, I upped the fat, using cream instead of milk, along with melted butter. I added a little lemon zest and Parmesan cheese for salt and tanginess, along with hot sauce for vigor.

I landed on a recipe that is totally delicious—kind of like eating a slab of smoky, rich salmon burger with a buttery, crumbly top. Though it’s easy, it could work for a special occasion if you’re serving pescatarians. I highly recommend dunking a bite or two in tartar sauce.

New school old school salmon loaf

Ingredients:

16 −20 ounces frozen salmon thawed, bones and skin removed, finely chopped

¼ −⅓ cup smoked salmon finely shredded

¼ cup shallots very finely diced

1½ cups Saltines finely crushed, + 2 tablespoons for topping the loaf

½ cup Parmesan cheese grated, + 2 tablespoons for topping the loaf

2 teaspoons lemon zest

3 eggs, beaten

¾ cup cream

3 tablespoons melted butter + more for the pan

1 −2 teaspoons Frank’s hot sauce or other vinegar-based hot sauce

2 teaspoons fresh dill or parsley minced, for serving (optional)

Slices of lemon for serving

Tartar sauce for serving

Method: 

Preheat the oven to 350° F degrees. Butter 5×9-inch loaf pan. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl with a fork, working to break up any big salmon pieces. When the mixture is well combined, spread it into a loaf pan and sprinkle with cracker crumbs and Parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes until firm and crispy on top. Serve immediately with fresh herbs, lemon slices, and tartar sauce.

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Thai-style squash curry

Ingredient:

1 tablespoon grated ginger

2 shallots

2-3 tablespoons Thai-style yellow curry paste

A 16 ounce box or 2 to 2 1/2 cups chopped butternut squash

1 15 ounce can of coconut milk (you can use light, but it’s not as good)

1 to 2 cups chicken broth

2 teaspoons fish sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 kaffir lime leaf (optional)

1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped

Method: In a medium dutch oven or pot, saute shallots and ginger over medium heat until shallots are soft. Add squash and curry paste and stir until the paste is distributed throughout the squash pieces. Add coconut milk, a cup of broth, fish sauce, brown sugar and lime leaf. The liquid should cover the squash. If it doesn’t add more broth. Bring to a boil and then simmer on medium-low for 15-20 minutes until squash is cooked through, but not mushy. Add more broth along the way if you’d like it on the brothy side. Stir in cilantro. Serve immediately with lime wedges and warm short grain white rice.

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Hear me out. Potatoes are likely one of the earliest foods successfully cultivated here and have always been good quality and valuable because they can be stored. Tlingit potatoes, a fingerling type, were grown by Tlingit and Haida people in Southeast and used as a trade item for at least 200 years. Since we started writing recipes in Alaska, local potatoes have been a point of pride. The very first newspaper recipe I could find — published in the Anchorage Daily Times, Anchorage’s first newspaper — ran on Oct. 28, 1917. It was written by a “Mrs Oscar Plowman,” a teacher from Hope, giving advice on cooking Alaska-grown potatoes — likely one of the few fresh foods available.

“Pare, wash and put on in boiling water,” she wrote. “When done, pour off water, salt and shake kettle. You will find the potatoes will be nice and dry.”

And then there’s ranch. Work camp cooking is another big influencer on Alaska’s food culture. Steve Henson, a plumber from Nebraska, created ranch dressing in the 1950s using pantry ingredients while cooking for crews working out of Anchorage. He and his wife moved to California and bought a property they called “Hidden Valley Ranch,” and thus, the global ranch dressing phenom was soon born. But the original recipe comes from our practical-minded, remote pantry-driven cooking tradition. Could ranch have been invented somewhere else? I don’t think so.

Fries and ranch remain the food of the cool. Living with my tween/teen boys, we are in our fries and ranch period. They have shown me how a simple jar of homemade ranch in the fridge is a real treat. And it entices kids to eat salad and raw vegetables. Fries-wise, we have been working through a very affordable bag of russets from VanderWeele Farm. And, like Mrs Oscar Plowman (her first name was Edith), I have found that the secret to a crispy oven fry is controlling the moisture. I soak them to remove starch and then dry them really well before I toss them with oil and local garlic salt. Then I do a two-temperature roast in the oven. First to cook them through, then to crisp. And I don’t crowd the pan. You can absolutely fancy it up. Spend some money, use real garlic, fresh herbs and buttermilk instead of milk. But the lo-fi, work-camp-inspired version using dried herbs, that one is ours — practical, cheap, easy and delicious.

Crispy Alaska potato oven fries

Serves four

Ingredients:

2.5 pounds (four to five) Alaska-grown #1 russet potatoes, scrubbed, unpeeled

1/4 cup avocado or canola oil

1 1/2 teaspoons local-made garlic or other seasoned salt.

Method: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a large 17-by-12 sheet pan or two smaller sheet pans with parchment paper. Cut the potatoes into fries, roughly 1/4 to 1/2 inch in thickness, depending on your preference, or use a fry cutter. Put the fries in a large bowl and cover them with cold water. Allow to soak for about 20 minutes. Remove from the water and dry thoroughly. (I lay them on some layers of paper towel to absorb the moisture. The internet suggests a salad spinner.) Return to a dry bowl and toss with oil and seasoned salt. Lay them in a single layer on the prepared pan(s), taking care that they don’t overlap. Bake for 20 minutes. Flip them with a spatula, shaking the pan to make sure they settle back into a single layer. Turn the oven up to 425 degrees. Bake for 20 minutes more. Serve hot with ranch.

• • •

Alaska pantry ranch dressing

Yields about 1 1/2 cups dressing, or five to six 1/4-cup servings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip)

3/4 cup full fat sour cream or Greek yogurt

1/4 cup plus up to 1/4 cup whole milk

A tablespoon fresh lemon juice or white vinegar

1/2 teaspoon dried dill

1/2 teaspoon dried chive

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Cracked pepper

Method: In a bowl, whisk together all ingredients until smooth. Add up to 1/4 cup additional milk if you want a thinner texture. Pour dressing into a jar and let sit at least 20 minutes in the refrigerator for flavors to meld.

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