Cooking with Pumpkin the Uncanny Way - Anchorage Press

With Halloween this week and Thanksgiving up ahead, it is officially pumpkin season. From pumpkin pies to pumpkin lattes, pumpkin bread, cake, and other dishes, it’s everywhere. Of course, in the U.S., it’s almost always from the can. 

Pumpkin from the can is like anything from the can; it’s easier. But haven’t you ever looked at a pumpkin like it’s something you might want to eat? Or do you, like many, think of pumpkin as a food that comes from the can, because there is a can opener but not a pumpkin opener?

It’s true: looking at a pumpkin is like looking at a coconut, trying to find the way in and the best method to get what you want out of there. But it’s probably easier than you think.


So, if you, like me, prefer to be a culinary MacGyver than to eat it from the can, here are some simple tips on how to cook with that heavy orange gourd.

Read Ash's full article on cooking with pumpkin the "uncanny" way in this week's Anchorage Press here. And if you're in Anchorage, pick up a hard copy to get Ash's AMAZING Uncanny Pumpkin Pie with Uncanny Whipped Cream recipe. (It is honestly the best pumpkin pie I've ever eaten in my life.)

Laura

Photos © 2012 Ash Adams

Summer is definitely gone for now in Alaska, so last week I was thrilled to develop a roll of images that were taken at the very end of the season. Above are three of my favorites, all of my dear friend, Laura, the stunning model who was my muse and subject for a late-summer late-afternoon shoot in her parents' garden.

In my mind, I've always seen Laura like this. We, as friends, come together in two very specific ways; we are both advocates for political and social change but also dreamers who like to escape to nature regularly to regroup and reconnect. Photographing Laura in this fun, funky (but also vulnerable) way in this natural-but-man-made setting was a work of collaboration. In part, it is how I see Laura and also how I believe Laura sees herself, but the other part was all Laura, bringing out a favorite shirt and some new underwear she bought on a whim, picking berries, and hanging out with her dog, Chino. She is a complex, multi-faceted individual, though; this is just one afternoon of Laura.

Laura was one of the first people to hold Elliott after he was born. She has been a true friend and is always up for anything. She is the fastest rock-jumper I've ever seen. She is working tirelessly to bring awareness to people about violence in rural Alaska and protect women's rights. I am continually finding new things out about her.

Laura, thanks for being such a great sport and beautiful person, inside and out.

Laura & Bonnie

© 2012 Brian Adams

This week, Brian posted some really great work on his blog here, so you should definitely check out the photos. (They are amazing.) But, we just had to share one of them on Brian & Ash because it's pretty significant to the story of us.

The photo above is of the two midwives that helped bring Elliott into the world. Laura, on the left, was my pretnatal caregiver for all of those weeks and months prior to delivery, the one who listened to Elliott's heart with me, answered all of my questions, and worked with me to create the natural birth plan Brian and I wanted for our son. Bonnie, on the right, is the absolutely phenomenal midwife who delivered Elliott into the world. I will forever be indebted to her for her skillful hands and wisdom. (You can read our detailed birth account here to see what I mean.)

It was strange for all of us to be together again for this photo in the way that it's strange to meet with a teacher or professor who meant something larger than life to you. We knew these women for such a brief time--we only knew Bonnie for those 4 hours of our labor and birth!--and yet they were present for one of the most memorable events of our lives. They have each delivered over a thousand babies and helped so many women, so we were so touched that they agreed to get together for a photo session. We're among the many that they've helped, so we don't expect to be nearly as important to them as they are to us.

But for our part, Brian and I will always remember them as larger than life people. And we like it that way.

In the Press: Dining Without

Food allergies have become a hot topic in recent decades, especially among the parents of children with food allergies. A Centers for Disease Control study showed the prevalence of reported food allergies for children increased 18 percent from 1997 to 2007. According to the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network, scientists have estimated that about 15 million Americans have a food allergy, including about 6 million children. Many parents of these children are trying their best to find substitutes for classic American dishes, especially comforting kid foods like pizza, mac n’ cheese, birthday cakes, pudding, cookies, and the like.

Obviously, some foods are more difficult to substitute for than others (for example: wheat, eggs, and dairy) and some have easy substitutes but are unfortunately present in everything (like peanut and soy). And some cities are more allergy-friendly than others.

Anchorage’s dining scene is not, if I’m honest, allergy-friendly, but the community as a whole is becoming more aware that there is a need for, and business in, catering to dietary restrictions.

So where can you go and what can you do to feed your food-allergic children and their friends?

Check out Ash's cover story in this week's Anchorage Press!

Cancer Survivors

Photos © 2012 Brian Adams

In addition to the Rarefied Light opening tonight, there will also be two full shows of Brian's work opening at the Huffman and Wasilla Kaladi locations. The show features portraits he's made of healthy, fit cancer survivors--some are active climbers, some are runners--who are doing all they can to keep on living and loving life after cancer. Cancer is behind these men and women--far behind--and they are determined to keep it from catching up.

Photographing for this project been an inspiring and humbling experience, to say the least. These survivors have had to believe in themselves and make a constant daily effort to push on, all while staring down the barrel of impossible failure. If only in this, this project was inspiring to me. And it was a humbling; these men and women know what it is to achieve something so great but keep pushing on, even after surviving. These people do not give up, do not let up. They are active, alive, and here. We can all learn from them.--Brian Adams

2012 Rarefied Light Show - TOMORROW!

Ash and I are both honored to have pieces in this year's Rarefied Light show at the Anchorage Museum, the opening for which is tomorrow! There are a lot of really great artists in the show, including some pieces from our closest friends. We are honored to have our work hang with theirs and especially because this year's judge, Cig Harvey, is a personal inspiration to both of us.

The show will be up from tomorrow, October 5th, through November 25th, so if you find yourself in Anchorage, you should stop in the museum to see some really great work.