The annual Alaska State Fair is held in the fertile Matanuska Valley, where cabbages can grow up to 70 pounds in the short summer season. The rugged Chugach Mountain range that rises above the valley gives the whole fair a travel-poster look. As at any state fair, quilts, rabbits, and big zucchini are on display, but do-it-yourself log cabins and fur shoes add a distinctively local touch. The food is hearty, and barbecued ribs, served fresh off the fire out of a big metal tub, are a popular favorite. Corn on the cob, a big serving of beans, and two paper napkins are the embellishments. Carefully, you carry your plate over to the "Sluice Box," a Quonset hut with long tables, beer, and a neighborhood Western band. Everyone there is chomping on ribs and having fun.

3 to 4 pounds beef or pork spareribs
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon mustard
Salt
Pepper to taste

To make the barbecue sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan, add onion and garlic, and cook just until limp. Add remaining ingredients. Stir and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Barbecue the ribs on a grill over charcoal, basting with sauce.

The ribs may also be baked in the oven: Place ribs on a rack and bake for 30 minutes at 425 degrees F. Pour off fat carefully. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F and cook ribs an additional 30 minutes, basting several times with sauce.

Serves 4.

2 (18.25 ounce) boxes white or yellow cake mix
Strawberry or raspberry jam
Fresh strawberries or raspberries
Prepared white icing
1 pint blueberries

Prepare two 9 x 13-inch layers white or yellow cake.

Spread strawberry or raspberry jam on one layer, then stack the second layer on top. Frost with white icing and make stripes, using halved strawberries or whole raspberries. Leave room for field of blueberries. Make field of blueberries and use miniature marshmallows or whipped cream for the stars.

Democracy in action: Please everyone by pouring the spicy hot sauce over the wings at the last minute, or not.

2 to 2 1/2 pounds chicken wings
10 tablespoons hot sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
Olive or vegetable oil

Sauce
4 tablespoons melted butter
4 tablespoons honey
2 jalapeno peppers, minced
1 tablespoons hot mustard
2 tablespoons tomato paste

Coat wings in hot sauce, soy sauce and oil and let marinade for 1 to 2 hours.

When grill is hot, barbecue wings for 30-40 minutes or until joints can be easily separated.

Boil sauce ingredients until thickened and pour over wings.

1 (18 ounce) package Nestle Toll House Refrigerated Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
20 fresh medium strawberries, sliced
3/4 cup fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons Nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Morsels

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Roll cookie dough to 1/4-inch thickness between two pieces of wax paper. Remove top piece of paper. Cut cookie dough into stars with 3-inch star cookie cutter. Transfer cookies to ungreased baking sheet. If stars have softened and are too difficult to remove from wax paper, refrigerate stars for 10 minutes. Roll remaining dough to 1/4-inch thickness; cut out additional stars.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown. While hot, reshape and pat edges of each star back into shape with knife. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Beat cream cheese and sugar in small mixer bowl until fluffy. Spread onto cooled cookies. Place strawberry slices onto each cookie pointing outward. Place 5 to 6 blueberries in center of each cookie. Top with mini-morsels.

Makes about 20 cookies.

Source: Savor The Moment – Junior League of Boca Raton

1 cup crushed tortilla chips
3 tablespoons melted butter
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles
2 fresh jalapenos, chopped
4 ounces Colby cheese, shredded
4 ounces Monterey jack cheese, shredded
1/4 cup sour cream

Garnish
Chopped green scallions
Chopped tomatoes
Sliced black olives

Mix the crushed tortilla chips and melted butter in a bowl. Press over the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake at 325 degrees F for 15 minutes.

Beat the cream cheese and eggs. Mix in the green chiles, jalapenos and cheeses. Pour over the baked layer. Bake at 325 degrees F for exactly 30 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes.

Place on serving platter, loosen the sides of the pan with a knife and remove. Spread the sour cream over the pie and garnish by mounding the chopped tomatoes in the middle, the olives on top in the middle and scattering the chopped scallions around the perimeter of the chopped tomatoes. Arrange regular tortilla chips all around with points out and scatter a few red tortilla chips around.

Serves 8 to 10.

3 tablespoons melted butter
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 (4-6 ounce) salmon steaks\

Combine the butter, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, lemon peel, garlic salt and salt; stir thoroughly. Generously brush both sides of the salmon steaks with mixture.

Grill on a well oiled grill over hot coals. Make a tent of foil or use barbecue cover and place over salmon.

Grill 6-8 minutes per side depending on the thickness of salmon steaks. Baste frequently. Turn once, brushing with sauce. Steaks should flake easily when tested with a fork.

Serves 4.

Serves 3.

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted and cooled
1/4 cup drained sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
3 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
2 3/4 pounds chicken breast halves

Preheat grill or broiler.

For Garlic Butter: In blender, combine butter, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, oregano and pepper and process, scraping sides occasionally, until blended. Grill or broil chicken, turning occasionally and basting with Mediterranean butter, 30 minutes or until meat thermometer inserted in center registers 170 degrees F.

NOTE: Do not baste during the last 5 minutes of grilling.

2 fresh lemons (about 1/3 cup juice)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 quart water
Sprigs of mint
Ice cubes

Squeeze lemons; add sugar, water and mint. Shake well and refrigerate for flavors to mellow (1/2 to 6 hours).

Pour over ice cubes and serve.

This will make 4 large glasses. If desired, a few strips of lemon peel may be added at the beginning for a more intense flavor.

4 beef T-bone or boneless beef
    top loin steaks, 1-inch thick
4 ears fresh sweet corn, in husks
3 tablespoons butter

Pull back husks from each ear of corn, leaving husks attached to base. Remove corn silk. Fold husks back around corn; tie at end of each ear with string or strip of outside corn leaves. Soak in cold water 30 minutes; drain.

Place corn on grid over medium, ash-covered coals; grill, uncovered, 20 to 30 minutes, turning often.

Meanwhile, combine glaze ingredients. Reserve 1/4 cup for chili butter. Place beef steaks on grid and grill beef T-bone steaks 15 to 18 minutes (beef top loin steaks 14 to 16 minutes) for medium rare to medium doneness, turning once and brushing with glaze.

In a 1-cup glass measure, add butter to reserved glaze and microwave on HIGH 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, stirring once. Stir to combine and melt any remaining butter.

Remove steaks and corn from grill. Carefully peel away corn husks and brush with chili butter. Serve beef with corn; pass remaining chili butter.

Glaze
1/2 cup Heinz? 57 Sauce
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Rich, buttery biscuits make these shortcakes extra special! You can make the shortcakes ahead of time and even freeze them.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
2/3 to 3/4 cup milk
Additional sugar
6 cups fresh strawberries, quartered lengthwise
1/4 to 1/2 cup granulated sugar
Slightly sweetened whipped cream

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).

In a medium-size bowl, combine flour, the 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder and salt. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in butter until it is in pea-size pieces. With a fork, toss mixture as you add enough milk to make a moist dough. On a lightly floured board, turn out dough. Pat or roll out to 3/4 inch thick. Cut into 6 (3-inch) rounds. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Sprinkle with additional sugar. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden.

In a medium-size bowl, combine berries and 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar.

To serve, split shortcakes. Spoon berries onto bottom of shortcake for each serving. Place top half of cake on top of berries. Add more berries. Top with sweetened whipped cream.

Makes 6 servings.