Closing Out Winter with a New Book and a Warm Helping of Gratitude

These last weeks of winter, my plate has been full of not only wild-caught seafood (that’s par for the course in the Kallenberg household) but also a warm helping of gratitude. 

In case you missed my last letter, I officially announced the launch of my cookbook Eat Wild: Cooking at Home with the Seafood of Alaska. And in response, the WAC inboxes have been flooded with notes from you, dear members. There have been so many of them — kind, generous, thoughtful reflections on Eat Wild — that I’ve felt utterly overjoyed.

As a writer, there’s a particular kind of vulnerability in sending something like a book out into the world. You hope it resonates, but you never quite know how it will land. But reading your messages has reaffirmed to me that, indeed, WAC has never only been about the fish or the recipes. It’s that — plus everything else that orbits around the fish. The legacies of family and fishing, the terroir and texture of place, the shared experiences that are created with every meal. Hearing that those interconnected elements resonate with you, too, means everything to me.

As much as anything, this past week has reminded me that the art of letter writing isn’t gone after all. Your emails — thoughtful, personal, often beautifully written — feel like small windows into your kitchens and your lives. And I’m so grateful that you’ve taken the time to share them with me. While I’m not always able to respond personally to your notes, please know that they do find their way to me through our Member Experience team. So this week, I wanted to share a few notes that have stayed with me:

“My copy arrived yesterday, and I haven't put it down yet. What a fascinating love story, wrapped up in a journey of miles and years, and culminating in the amazing events that have led to this book. More than recipes, more than a romance with the ocean and its bounty, it is a take of depth and breadth that is truly amazing.”
 — Kevan C., WAC member

“I received my copy of your cookbook and sat down with it midafternoon yesterday. I couldn’t put it down, until my dog was impatiently waiting for his predinner walk. It is so well written and personal. Haven’t tried the recipes but I did learn a lot about the fish, how to defrost and the different attributes of each variety.”
 — Susan B., WAC member

“This book is really wonderful. I opened it and then I felt compelled to sit on the couch and read the stories and look at the glorious pictures. I look forward to many more years of eating your Wild Alaskan salmon.”
 — Gayle R., WAC member

The idea that the book might be read not just in the kitchen, but on the couch  — that the stories hold their own alongside the recipes — feels incredibly meaningful. As to the culinary nature of this project (I’ve been calling it a cookbook, after all), here are a couple of responses that speak to that:

“I have always wanted a dedicated fish recipe book but whenever I think of getting one it feels overwhelming. I already know that I like so many of your recipes. Congratulations!!”
 — Rachel L., WAC member

“I received my copy of the cookbook a few days ago. It is by far the most comprehensive and beautiful cookbook I have ever had. Years ago, when The Joy of Cooking came out, we all thought it was the best — but it had very little to do with cooking seafood. This book will be my ‘mainstay’ for many years to come. Monica, thank you, your husband, and staff for a great seafood cookbook.” 

— Chris M., WAC member

I’m truly blushing, but if this book can make cooking seafood feel a little more approachable, a little more intuitive — then it’s doing exactly what I hoped it might do. Thank you for reading, for cooking, for writing, and for being such a vibrant part of this fish family.

Eat Wild: Cooking at Home with the Seafood of Alaska is available here on the WAC site.

Live Wild,

Monica

P.S. Happy spring equinox!

Pictured above: A snapshot of me with an early proof of the Eat Wild cookbook in December, when publication still felt like a faraway figure on the vast horizon of life and accomplishment.