The Whale and the Cupcake: Stories of Subsistence, Longing, and Community in Alaska

by Julia O'Malley, Kim Severson (Foreword), Julie Decker (Editor)

From fish and fiddleheads to salmonberries and Spam, Alaskan cuisine spans the two extremes of locally abundant wild foods and shelf-stable ingredients produced thousands of miles away. As immigration shapes Anchorage into one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the country, Alaska's changing food culture continues to reflect the tension between self-reliance and longing for distant places or faraway homes. Alaska Native communities express their cultural resilience in gathering, processing, and sharing wild food; these seasonal food practices resonate with all Alaskans who come together to fish and stock their refrigerators in preparation for the long winter. In warm home kitchens and remote cafés, Alaskan food brings people together, creating community and excitement in canning salmon, slicing muktuk, and savoring fresh berry pies.

This collection features interviews, photographs, and recipes by James Beard Award–winning journalist and third-generation Alaskan Julia O'Malley. Touching on issues of subsistence, climate change, cultural mixing and remixing, innovation, interdependence, and community, The Whale and the Cupcake reveals how Alaskans connect with the land and each other through food.

Genres: Nonfiction, Food, Book Club

176 pages, Paperback

Published December 10, 2019

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was born in Alaska, but we moved to Seattle when I was only three, so I have no memory of living there. As a result, I have been fascinated by Alaska since childhood and I hope to travel there post-pandemic. In the meantime, I loved learning about the food culture of Alaska through this book. It was almost like being able to visit places all over the state, from Arctic Village in the far north, to Adak in the Aleutians and many points in between, including Anchorage, my birthplace.

Many thanks to Melissa and David of the Strong Sense of Place podcast for their episode on Alaska, where I learned about this book.

[Steve Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julia O’Malley has been a favorite journalist and writer of mine for well over a decade, starting with the Anchorage Daily News, then later as a contributor to the New York Times and other publications on life and cooking in Alaska.

This book from 2019 looks specifically at the role of food and subsistence living across Alaska, from Anchorage to the northern-most Arctic villages and out on the Aleutian Chain to Adak. The need for adaptability is paramount. Grocery stores in Anchorage are commonly out of fresh produce in the winter, and when available a single piece of wrinkly fruit may cost five dollars! In the periphery, hunting and gathering is the only way to survive. Even then, the bounty is shared with the whole community. Freezers are stuffed with birds, whale, walrus, seal and bear meat to make it through the winter. Canned fruit, condensed milk, and pilot bread are shelf-stable, readily available items used as substitutes of necessity.

There are several recipes in the book that O’Malley has included to show how one adapts to what is readily available. Her cultural and personal insights were excellent. I was quite happy to finally find this older work of hers.

[Kristine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know it’s odd, but I’ve always enjoyed reading cookbooks, not for the recipes but for the stories of how food taste and preparation reflects our traditions and cultures. This book, while it has a few recipes, is not a cookbook but it fed my urge for learning about the importance of food in different regions and cultures.

These stories and interviews about subsisting in the northernmost US state were fascinating and informative. I have visited Alaska only once previously, and this book made me want to travel back with an eye on how food is sold and prepared in the state. It’s a quick read which I’d definitely recommend.

[Erin Alberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Made me reaaaaalllly miss Alaska, excited to try some of the recipes. Sweet interview towards the end with Carri, Jane’s mom. Ugh I just really miss AK.

[Alyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

4+⭐️

[Daniel Cornwall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing look at Alaska's many cultures and approaches to life by way of food. As someone who's seen more empty shelves in the past two years than the two decades before that, I felt comforted by O'Malley's message of "Alaskans always make do with what's around."

Also good if you'd like practical examples of how diverse Anchorage has gotten.

[Sadie Arneson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love it when journalists write books and this is no exception. Julia sews a beautiful thread through Alaska with her stories about food across the state. As an Alaskan I knew different pieces of these stories but she filled them out. I'll be giving this book as a gift to many.

[Steve Tompkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a treasure! Every single story and every single recipe resonated; I have lived in Alaska 32 years now, the last 12 in Unalaska, and everywhere you go Alaskans show love with food. Anyone who has lived here for awhile has a collection of food stories - some of mine are having moose chili with Joe Redington Sr. at an Iditarod checkpoint; commercial fishing for salmon and learning respect for a precious resource; grilling ling cod on the beach in Resurrection Bay; perfecting my salmon berry pie recipe; various wine/food pairings where foods are combined in new ways; cooking kelp greyling on a rock in Nikolski; and always love watching my wife putter in the kitchen, brow creased in concentration, as she turns out something delicious - sometimes for us, sometimes to give away - and always having to substitute one thing or another because part of living on an island is making do with what you have on hand. Julia O’Malley has sought out and documented these food stories, and you don’t need to be a lifelong Alaskan to appreciate the care and authenticity in her writing. If you have ever read and enjoyed one of her columns in the Anchorage Daily News, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this book!

[Leanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Alaska’s cuisine is one part wild, one part shelf stable, ever practical, seasonal, and inventive, marked by cultural contrast, with ingredients ranging from seaweed to sheet cake to pancit to Tang."

This is a very special book, which I purchased at the anchorage museum and that I will treasure forever. The writing is so lively and engaging and the book is so beautifully produced! It opens with a really evocative chapter on box cake mixes (!!) I bet you didn't see that come? Talking about how in Alaska people rely on cake mixes, O'Malley engagingly describes how people love to pimp up their cakes--like Betty Crocker cake mixes adorned with salmon berries and dolce de Leche. You can imagine how hard it must be to cook without all the ingredients were so used to in the lower 48 --and imagine midwinter in Alaska, especially outside of Anchorage! That was the first chapter and from there it goes on to fishing in the Kenai River-- the most democratic fishing spot in the US-- to spam musubi which I was so surprised to read about! I loved everything about this book--and will treasure this one forever!

[Shelley Carr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. It's a story of alaskan subsistance and survival though the foods that people in different parts of Alaska cooks. There is a good amount of reality, as the story touches on the struggles of indigenous people trying to survive in an extremely expensive place while keeping their culture alive, as well as climate change. There is also a great chapter on Pho in Anchorage, which made me crave Pho for a few days. A delightful missive on the complex food culture of Alaska, with beautiful photos and lovely-looking recipes.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has amazing insight into the many cultures in Alaska. When I first came up here I was given advice to pack all my own food, options were scarce. I'm not sure I ate all of those powdered soup packets but I do remember one of the best meals of my life that summer when someone drove a truck filled with crabs to a backyard party. Foodie culture is reframed from restaurant-based to a more global appreciation of how scrappy folks can eat exceptionally well despite not having all the "conveniences" of the Lower 48. Beautiful book, highly recommend.

[Lara Vehar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this one for a storygraph challenge and I really, really loved it. It's a nice book about Alaskan cusine and how they managed to become really thrifty and how they adapted to how hard food is to get in the stores- and what you can get is expensive so people had to adapt and this book is pretty much about that. It also contains some interesting adapted recipes so you can cook alongside reading and I enjoyed that a lot - overall a pretty decent book that I surprisingly liked way more than I thought I would.

[Jeffrey Herrmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I lived in Alaska for 8 years and I think this book beautifully captures the spirit of the place through the prism and language of food. It’s a quick read, but beautifully and incisively written and shot through with gorgeous photos. I’m excited to try some of the recipes, too. The book is also beautifully printed on heavy-stock paper. Very glad I got this and looking forward to reading more of Julia’s writing.

[Alix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this tour of Alaska through the lens of food. As someone who lives here many topics and recipes were familiar, but O’Malley managed to teach me new things about many Alaskan communities and foods. This book would make a great gift for anyone who is curious about what Alaska is like. And I’m looking forward to trying the recipes next.

[Lynn Lovegreen]

If you're into food and cooking, or you're an Alaskan (or both!), you need to read this! I really enjoyed O'Malley's thoughtful writing about food in Alaska, and the interviews and recipes were fun. Plus, the photos and layout were beautiful--definitely a well-crafted book.

[Sheri S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a really interesting look at Alaska's food culture. I enjoyed learning about different parts of Alaska and the subsistence perspective. I've always wanted to visit Alaska and this book continues to fuel my interest!

[Bethany Buchanan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A local book about food and culture in Alaska. I love Julia's writing and it was a pleasure to read this book- I definitely learned more than I thought I would and especially enjoyed the chapter about Alaska Sprouts (my bias in that he is one of my better friends).

[Liling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growing up in Alaska, so many of the chapters are filled with beautiful familiarity. Living in Oregon now, I pick this book up anytime I am feeling homesick. For me, I t’s like a love story for rural, subsistence, Alaskan living.

[Elise Noorda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy culture and history of food, to really know a place better, so this was fun to learn more about Alaska in this way. Beautiful photos (and I loved the tactile feel of the book - always a plus)

[Ariane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never thought I’d read a book that had recipes in it cover to cover, but this was such an enjoyable read. Mixing community, Alaska food, culture, and history together. Really lovely & it makes me hungry for someone else to make the recipes for me.

[Aksnowgirlknitter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alaskans will relate well to Julia’s essays, and hopefully Outsiders who read this may come away a bit enlightened about why we love Olive Garden and moose chili.

[Melissa Joulwan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating subject. Evocative but restrained writing. Made me hungry and made me daydream about having my own Alaskan food adventures.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

lovely!

[Jenny Blanchard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A greatbook to get to know Alaskan food culture

[Kate Belt · Rating 5 out of 5]

very enjoyable fascination descriptions of Alaskan food culture. The paper quality and inks used for the photos make the book a work of art itself.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting book about food culture in Alaska. Fun read and easy book to read when you have the time put it down and pick up later. Enjoyed it very much!

[B Zimp · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the stories (previous articles?) on Alaskans, communities, and the unique local food relationships. The recipes were sparse, but good.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

The history of food and recipes from Alaska.

[S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Alaska and Julia O’Malley loves Alaska—you can tell by her journalistic and considerate stories of it’s people. Bonus: recipes!

[Bookwoman67 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my usual type of book but interesting. Very niche type of thing. Definitely not in a hurry to move to Alaska now.