PhoebusGroup
11-07-2002, 03:03 PM
Hi iFishers,
I stopped yesterday at Karla's Smokehouse in Rockaway to pick up another copy of her new book, "I am Karla's Smokehouse" and ended up getting a copy of her video (of the same name) as well.
The book is a marvelous autobiography of Karla's life on the coast. With the help of some co-authors, there are excellent chapters on the fishing history of the coast showing vintage fishing craft from the 1940s onward.
Karla's techniques and recipes for smoking fish are illustrated with her own hand drawings and the book includes a scrapbook of pictures and correspondence from happy customers. "Homespun" in a single word.
I wasn't sure what to expect in the video. It turns out that over half the film is about filleting fish and the video is very well done. Karla starts with a rock cod, moves on to a salmon, then an albacore tuna, and finally a sturgeon.
Those fish, plus a mess of oysters, continue their journey through Karla's curing with her universal salt-and-sugar rub, then a rinse and an overnight rest, onward to her custom smoking oven.
I watched the video while nibbling on Karla's lemon/pepper smoked steelhead, and so perhaps this tainted my opinion, but I do believe that her book and video would be invaluable aids to beginners and that her book is an entertaining reminder of days past, our Northwest coast's wonderful fishing traditions, and a woman who is passionate about what she does. Karla is "Karla's Smokehouse."
I stopped yesterday at Karla's Smokehouse in Rockaway to pick up another copy of her new book, "I am Karla's Smokehouse" and ended up getting a copy of her video (of the same name) as well.
The book is a marvelous autobiography of Karla's life on the coast. With the help of some co-authors, there are excellent chapters on the fishing history of the coast showing vintage fishing craft from the 1940s onward.
Karla's techniques and recipes for smoking fish are illustrated with her own hand drawings and the book includes a scrapbook of pictures and correspondence from happy customers. "Homespun" in a single word.
I wasn't sure what to expect in the video. It turns out that over half the film is about filleting fish and the video is very well done. Karla starts with a rock cod, moves on to a salmon, then an albacore tuna, and finally a sturgeon.
Those fish, plus a mess of oysters, continue their journey through Karla's curing with her universal salt-and-sugar rub, then a rinse and an overnight rest, onward to her custom smoking oven.
I watched the video while nibbling on Karla's lemon/pepper smoked steelhead, and so perhaps this tainted my opinion, but I do believe that her book and video would be invaluable aids to beginners and that her book is an entertaining reminder of days past, our Northwest coast's wonderful fishing traditions, and a woman who is passionate about what she does. Karla is "Karla's Smokehouse."