If you love fish, let us introduce you to Sitka Salmon Shares, a wild-caught Alaskan seafood delivery service.

Similar to a CSA—Community Supported Agriculture—which supports local farmers by prepaying for a set schedule of fruit and vegetable deliveries, Sitka Salmon Shares is a CSF—Community Supported Fishery.

The program supports small-boat family fishermen. You sign up in advance, and a box of magnificent, sustainanbly-caught fish appears on your doorstep monthly during the fishing season (April through December).

Sitka is a port city in southeastern Alaska, near Juneau, the state capital, which is inland.

Sitka sits on the west side of Baranof Island, on the Gulf of Alaska.

It’s there that a collective of local fishermen set out to sea, pull the catch into their boats and quickly bring it to port.

There, it’s filleted, blast frozen to -50°F and individually vacuum-sealed, locking in the fresh-caught flavor.

We received our first box of fish more than a year ago. It was so delicious that as soon as we had finished our catch, we signed up for membership.

We’re a very happy member. The fish is as good as it gets.

Now that it’s gifting time for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, consider it for gifting.

Don’t forget to gift yourself with a plan.

It’s a wonderful gift for anyone who:

 
 
HOW GOOD IS IT?

Fish doesn’t get better than this.

Don’t worry for a second that the fish arrives frozen. Once you defrost and cook it, it tastes like it was just pulled out of the water.

We put two-thirds of our catch in the freezer, and one-third in the fridge, to slowly defrost.

The vacuum-packed seafood can sit in the fridge, defrosted for more than a week (we’ve had excellent results with salmon that spent two weeks in the fridge).

Sometimes we’ll eat our catch night after night, until it’s gone. We can’t stop eating it, and have seriously thought about adding a second membership so we can have even more fish.

The only thing that stops us is that we live in an apartment with one 42-inch refrigerator-freezer. We have not yet summoned up the strength to throw out all the ice cream, croissants, muffins and artisan breads to make way for the fish.

But we seriously consider it every time a new shipment arrives.

When we won’t be dining in for a week or so, some of the fish stays goes into the freezer for later in the month. It maintains its fresh taste without degrading.

 
 
HOW DO THE FISH TASTE?

The company’s motto is “from boat to doorstep.” The fish tastes like it was just pulled out of the water.

When we test fish or meat, we cook it simply, with no seasonings. The true test of flavor is how good they taste when they’re “naked.”

The Sitka Salmon Shares salmon and cod we tasted were so good, just steamed, that we had no need to add salt, pepper or lemon juice to the cooked fish. (We cooked it “medium rare.”)

We felt so good eating great fish for dinner, that we ordered a premium share in addition to our regular share.
 
 
WHAT YOU RECEIVE

You choose the species and quantity of fish for your monthly delivery, ranging from 3 to 9-month intervals (you can cancel at any time).

The 2020 catch is based on what’s seasonal and best in the sea. It typically includes:

 
 
A FEEL-GOOD PURCHASE

[1] Freshly caught and skinned wild salmon (all photos © Sitka Salmon Shares).

[2] Line-caught salmon.

[3] After they’re caught, the fish are quickly processed.

[4] They’re blast-frozen, and shipped by FedEx to your doorstep.

[5] The are sustainably line caught.

[6] Fresh-from-the-water salmon.

[7] Fresh-from-the-water Pacific Cod.

 
 
SIGN UP TODAY

Head to SitkaSalmonShares.com and pick a plan.

Then, relish each box of fish you receive.

If you’re not a skilled cook, remember: No fish-cooking skills are required. A simple steaming is marvelous (and very low in calories).

Your fish-loving friends and family will be thrilled with a gift of Sitka Salmon Shares.

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Give a gift of fish and you provide a number of memorable meals.

NOTE:

Memberships are open now, and available year-round except for one transition week.

There is a one-week period in late September/early October when you cannot purchase a membership.

That being said, if you hit the website during that week, just come back the following week!

[1] “Mexican” Meatloaf, with south-of-the-border ingredients (photo © Pampered Chef.

[2] Tortilla chips get crumbled and added to the chopped meat. But you can serve whole chips on the side—with salsa or guacamole (photo © Good Eggs.

[3] Poblano (photo courtesy Rio Luna Peppers | Facebook.

[4] A deep covered baker is a versatile kitchen pan—for baked chicken, casseroles, cakes and more. Get this one from Pampered Chef.

This south-of-the-border meatloaf couldn’t be easier. It’s easily cooked in the microwave; or the oven, if you prefer.

Crushed tortilla chips, poblano chile peppers, and other common Mexican ingredients: bell peppers, onion, chipotle, shredded cheese.

A can of black beans—topped with the extra cheddar—and some rice make a festive Cinco de Mayo dinner.

Add a green salad with a lime vinaigrette: Just substitute fresh lime juice for the vinegar).

Serve the extra whole chips on the side with salsa or guacamole.

Thanks to Pampered Chef for the meatloaf recipe.
 
 
RECIPE: MEXICAN MEATLOAF

Ingredients For 6 Servings

 
Preparation

1. FINELY CHOP the bell pepper and onion. Place the chips into large resealable plastic bag and very finely crush using a rolling pin or meat tenderizer to measure 1/2 cup (125 mL) crumbs.

2. COMBINE the ketchup and chipotle rub in small bowl; stir. In a large (6-quart) mixing bowl, combine pepper, onion, tortilla chip crumbs, 3/4 cup of the ketchup mixture, beef, egg and 1 cup of the cheese; mix well.

3. PLACE meat mixture in Deep Covered Baker; form into an 8-1/2 x 4-1/2-in. (22 x 12-cm) loaf. Microwave, covered, on HIGH for 14-17 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into center of meat loaf registers 145°F (63°C).

For oven cooking: the meatloaf can be baked, uncovered, in a 400°F (200°C) oven for 65-70 minutes. Brush with the sauce 15 minutes before end of bake time.

5. REMOVE the baker from the microwave or oven. With a basting brush, brush the remaining ketchup mixture over the meatloaf. Microwave, covered, on for HIGH 3-5 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F (71°C) in the center.

6. SPRINKLE the remaining cheese over the meatloaf; cover and let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. Garnish with the cilantro.
 
 
MORE CINCO DE MAYO RECIPES

 
Drinks

We love a good cocktail: something special crafted with care.

We typically have them at restaurants, not at home; and in our neck of the woods they’re $15, $18, even $20.

Ha! We now have a great solution for home.

Two Chicks makes sparking cocktails in cans—only 5% alcohol, so you have flavor without the buzz.

They’re great for home, great for gifting—for Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, as a hostess gift or an anytime gift. We also like them as party favors.

The flavors are:

 
We’re not the only ones who like it. All the reviews we’ve seen have been 5 stars.
 
 
IT’S COCKTAIL TIME!

Drink a Two Chicks cocktail with a straw from the can, or from your cocktail glass of choice.

The cans are sold in single-flavor for-packs, nicely decorated in a vintage-style floral illustration (as are the cans).

Individual cans are SRP $3.99; four-packs are $13.99. Prices vary by retailer.

There’s a store locator on the website.

Or, head to these e-tail sites.

Visit the Two Chicks website.

[1] Three flavors of Two Chicks (photos © Two Chicks).

[2] Floral four-packs.

[1] A slice of Belle Chevre cheesecake (both photos © Belle Chevre).

[2] It’s delivered in this box. Yum.

We are in love…with a cheesecake.

Every cheesecake lover (brownie lover, chocolate chip cookie lover, etc.) has his/her own ideal recipe.

Belle Chevre’s is ours.

It’s dense, magnificently creamy, and redolent of fresh lemon flavor from lemon zest in the batter. It has a graham cracker crust.

It has everything we want in a cheesecake. It’s even a medium size, so if you eat the whole cheesecake (over three days, of course!), you haven’t gone overboard.
 
 
A SECRET INGREDIENT

Well, it’s not exactly secret. Belle Chevre cheesecake is made with the company’s heavenly chevre cream cheese (also a must-try, in Original plus Cinnamon, Coffee, Fig and Honey).

Those who don’t like goat cheese will never know that the cream cheese isn’t cow’s milk. There’s no goat cheese flavor whatsoever; just the palate pleasure of a great piece of cheesecake.

Think of what a slice of cheesecake costs at a restaurant. Belle Chevre’s 6″ diameter cheesecake, 27 ounces, is $34.95 (and worth every penny).

The year it debuted (2013), Belle Chevre cheesecake was the winner of the two of the food industry’s highest honors: the Sofi Award for Best Baked Good and the Dairy Innovation Awards Best Dairy Dessert.

The winners were chosen by buyers at top retailer stores. These people taste everything, so they should know!

For Mother’s Day, Father’s Day or anytime gifts—or for you because you deserve it—we can’t recommend this cheesecake highly enough (and we’ve had cheesecakes from at least 10 leading cheesecake websites).

Get the cheesecake at BelleChevre.com.

Find them here.

To tell the truth, they’re delicious frozen, too, perhaps with a dab of fudge sauce or fruit purée.
 
 
CHEESECAKE HISTORY

For a cheese lover, this Cheese Tower made of slate and oak is an elegant and fun alternative to a cheese plate or tray.

Just place the cheese—sliced, cubed, whatever—on the layers and place it on the buffet or pass it around the table.

The presentation will delight your guests. The Party Tower gives you three layers of beautiful slate that looks great on the dining table.

They’ll look even more tasty on the tiered tower than on your favorite serving plate, whether it’s just two of you for dinner or a whole dinner party.

The oak wood handle has a compartment to hold your party picks or toothpicks.

You can write the name of each cheese or other bite on the slate with chalk.
 
 
IT’S FOR MORE THAN CHEESE

It’s not just a Cheese Tower. It’s a Party Tower that you can also use for:

 
 
Having fun yet?
 
 
GET THE PARTY TOWER AT BOSKA.COM.

Party on with this Party Tower (photo © Boska).

[2] Use the tower for hors d’oeuvre, mini desserts, whatever (photo © Wisconsin Dairy).