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Sasha Kliman works at the Redoubt Lodge in Crescent Lake, Tyonek, Alaska. She started as a guide, evolved to cook for the staff, and eventually transitioned to the lodge chef. Eight seasons later, she's still there and loving every minute.
With her partner, Keegan (who works as a guide), Sasha arrives at the lodge each year at the end of May. All supplies must be flown in via float plane and hiked to the property (or foraged and hunted locally). Salmon fishing is prevalent.
At Redoubt, Sasha manages the front of the house and cooks for their guests. They serve three meals daily, between outdoor excursions such as fishing, guided bear tours, and kayaking. Salmon is a core resource in this area of Alaska. This season, over 150,000 salmon swam through the Crescent River. With the salmon come bears, and the property hosts three dogs who help to keep them away from the property.
Sasha utilizes imported foods, fresh-caught trout and salmon, and an array of locally foraged goods such as spruce trips, fireweed, fiddleheads, and mushrooms in her meals.
"It's all about providing a happy medium that everyone will want to eat. I often ask myself, 'What will all 15 people love?."
Outside of the lodge in the summer, Keegan & Sasha live in Lake Tahoe, CA. She spends a mixture of her "off-season" catering, ski coaching, and substitute teaching. Her passion is experience-based outdoor adventures.
"Keegan & I work as a team. We do everything together. A woman being out there in the wilderness...it’s great. But, it’s also helpful to have the dogs or another person. It makes it easier to get out there. I'm definitely spoiled to have my significant other to do this with."
Explore three signature recipes curated by Sasha based on foraged goods found in Alaska below.
How to Make
Fiddlehead Pickles
Ingredients
- 1 pound (or however many you have) fresh fiddleheads
- 4-5 garlic cloves, sliced
- Fresh dill (or any fresh herbs available)
- 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
- 2 teaspoons peppercorns
- 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes or garlic chili paste
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup distilled vinegar
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons salt
Materials
- 1 Mason Jar
- Enamelware Stock Pot
Instructions
- Scrub and wash the fiddleheads in cold water. Remove all brown chaff bits and cut the ends off.
- Place garlic cloves, fresh herbs, mustard seeds, peppercorns, and chili flakes into a mason jar.
- Simmer some salty water and blanch fiddleheads for about 2-3 minutes. Strain and stuff into the mason jar.
- Boil water, vinegar, salt, and sugar until everything dissolves. Pour into mason jars.
- Let the mason jar sit for at least 3-4 days. Pickles will last for about two months in the fridge.
How to Make
Spruce Tip Whipped Cream
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup fresh spruce tip, ground
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons confectioner sugar
Materials
- Mortar & Pestle
- Food Processor
- Enamelware Mixing Bowls
Instructions
- Using a mortar and pestle or food processor, grind down the spruce tips into a paste.
- Make whipped cream and add 1/4th teaspoon ground spruce. (Taste and add more depending on how spruce-y you want it.)
- Serve with chocolate cake or a spoonful on top of hot chocolate.
How to Make
Fireweed Simple Syrup
Ingredients
- 6-8 cups fireweed flowers
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 12 quarts of water
Materials
- Enamelware Stock Pot
- Enamelware Mixing Bowls
Instructions
- Boil about 12 quarts of water in a stock pot. Take off the stove.
- Blanch the flowers by putting them in the water for 1-2 minutes.
- Strain and add 1 cup of ice-cold water to the flowers.
- Set the bowl in the refrigerator overnight.
- If you want the syrup pink, add a little squeeze of lemon juice. If you prefer purple, leave it as is.
- Remove flowers and boil fireweed water with 1 cup of sugar. Reduce down to a syrup.
- Use for cocktails or drizzle on a cake.
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Stop The Johnson Mine - A Note From Sasha
Eight miles away from Redoubt Mountain Lodge, a Canadian resource company is drilling 8,000 meters to mine for gold, copper, and other natural resources inside the Park. The impact on this area would be catastrophic.
They plan to build a deep water port and a road to the ocean, cutting right through the National Park as an easement. The road goes directly through lush sedge meadows where Brown bears feed before the salmon start running up the river. With our helicopter program, we see firsthand how essential these meadows are for the bear’s survival. Tuxidni bay is where they go when they leave their dens to mate and find food. In June, we see up to 50 + bears flying by. This area is critical for their survival.
The mine is still in the beginning phases, so this is the time to make our voices heard and protect the land home to many National Parks bears and salmon.
We need to try our best to keep the last strongholds for bears and salmon healthy. This story is something we have heard over and over again, but this one is close to home for me.
We are currently trying to create a platform to make it easier for people to make their voices heard. The best way to make an impact is by emailing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Jennifer.A.Mercer@usace.army.mil to express our concerns with the project.
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More About Redoubt Lodge
Redoubt Mountain Lodge is exclusively located on the glacier-fed waters of Crescent Lake in the heart of Lake Clark National Park, Alaska. Named after the 10,197-foot peak, Redoubt Volcano, in clear view only 8 miles away. Accessible only by floatplane or helicopter and being the only lodge or privately owned property in the area, Redoubt Mountain Lodge offers a truly remote Alaskan experience.
A wealth of activities await at Redoubt Mountain Lodge. Guests can choose from bear viewing, hiking, kayaking, fishing, paddle boarding, photography, water sports & exploring the surrounding area. Dedicated guides and personalized service will greet guests daily. Whether searching for adventure or relaxation, Redoubt Mountain Lodge accommodates every Alaska vacation.
As responsible business owners & operators, we all must work within a sustainable area of social, economic & environmental impact. Redoubt Mountain Lodge believes very strongly in maintaining this balance which is evidenced in our intimate size and close attention to minimizing our footprint. Learn more about the lodge here: https://www.redoubtlodge.com/
About
Sasha Kliman has developed a life with a passion for food, nature, and adventure. Growing up in Northern California and graduating with a psychology degree from The University of Colorado at Boulder she found the importance of incorporating the outdoors into every aspect of her life. In her free time, you will find her split boarding in the backcountry and fly fishing every chance she gets. Her love for the outdoors and food naturally pulled her out of the kitchen to forage and cook over coals and flame.
Learn more about her here: https://kliman-kitchen.squarespace.com/
