My Favorite Recipes May 12: Meet Allison Rockwell Tucker, formerly of Endicott Now living in Mundford, Norfolk, UK

Braden Tucker, Linda Marler, Allison and Sydney Tucker at Blenheim Palace, England.

Allison Rockwell Tucker grew up in Endicott and attended school in Spokane from sixth grade through high school. Marrying a military officer insured she would see more of the world as an adult than she did as a child. She has moved about nine times in 17 years.

Her husband, Sam, grew up in Caldwell, Idaho, and his family knew Allison’s extended family, although they met at the University of Idaho with no help from either clan. Allison graduated from Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics. Sam graduated in criminal justice and received his commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force.

Pensacola Naval Air Station, Fla., was their first move from Moscow, Idaho, where Sam attended flight school with U.S. Navy aviators and navigators, Air Force navigators and flight school students from Italy, Germany and Saudi Arabia. Life in the South offered a variety of new friends, foods and experiences. Mardi Gras season is huge in Pensacola, and they tried out Cajun dishes and beignets in New Orleans.

Careers in agricultural economics are difficult to build when moving frequently, so Allison worked in an insurance office before being hired at a law firm as a legal secretary and then legal assistant. Observing litigation convinced her that law school was not for her. Sam graduated from flight school and was privileged to select fighters. Nearly a year in Goldsboro, N. C., in the fighter training unit prepared him to serve as a Weapons System Officer, the back seater in F-15 Strike Eagles.

Their daughter Sydney was born in North Carolina, and son Braden was born in Idaho while Sam was assigned to Mountain Home Air Force Base. In 2004 they were assigned to Lakenheath RAF in the United Kingdom. Besides seeing England and Wales, and other destinations in Europe, they hosted many relatives from the U.S. and served as drivers and tour guides.

In 2007 they returned to Seymour Johnson AFB in North Carolina for three years. During this time, Sam completed a MS in aeronautical management, and Allison began work on a Master’s in education. Helping her children learn to read was so rewarding that she made a career change.

Sam was assigned to Air Command and Staff School in 2010, moving the family to Montgomery, Ala. All four of the Tuckers were in school, and life was quite busy. Allison completed student teaching in third grade and her Master’s that spring, and Sam completed his second Master’s degree. Sydney’s class was studying Alabama state history, receiving scant assistance from parents, so Allison chaperoned every field trip that she could.

Moving to the Washington, D.C., area was challenging and rewarding. They found a house in a suburb with great schools, friendly neighbors and a manageable commute for Sam, who was stationed at the Pentagon.

The Tucker kids were busy there with Sydney running track, and they played with a large group of kids in the neighborhood. The Washington Nationals and Redskins were their new favorite teams.

In 2013 they moved back to RAF Lakenheath and rented an old English cottage in the village of Mundford. The house was started in the 1500’s and finished in 1759, updated most recently in 1968. The gorgeous gardens and spacious rooms give it much charm.

Sydney is finishing her freshman year at Lakenheath High School, where she has run cross-country and had a lead in the high school play. Braden is completing seventh grade at Lakenheath Middle School, where he loves science. Allison works at the middle school in the moderate to severe special education program. These schools are Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DODDS), and they are organized to allow students to transition into and out of American schools with ease.

The Air Force is a relatively small branch of the military, so members and their families keep in touch with friends and have a circle of friends wherever they are. Allison’s high school friend, Summer Yarborough Clovis, a niece of Jill Pierson, Hay, has been stationed near them several times. Her high school friend who is a Navy pilot was in flight school with Sam.

Over the years, Sam has been deployed often, flying in the Middle East. He has been in demand, and his commanders say that he probably has the record for total hours of flying time and combat hours in USAF fighters. Email and phone calls help keep him in contact with his family, but they have loved the years when he was home for dinner.

Sam and Allison often cook together, frequently for large groups, such as barbecues and their now famous Guy Fawkes Day (British Gunpowder Plot of 1605) party imported from England. It’s a great excuse for a lot of food, a bonfire and fireworks in November. In the Air Force, entertaining the whole squadron is not uncommon. Allison resembles her grandmother, Peggy Rockwell, in that she loves to cook but doesn’t consider herself a great baker.

Baking, for Sam, is stress relief. A very healthy eater, he seldom eats what he bakes, sharing it generously with the neighbors and his office when the family has had all they need. His cupcakes and muffins are legendary, and he turns out “real” fudge, as he calls it, in huge lots at Christmas. He often bakes the kids’ birthday cakes, including a multi-tiered pink cake for Sydney one time, and a huge volcano cake for Braden.

While in England, the Tucker’s miss the great cell phone coverage and prompt customer service in the U.S. They really enjoy seeing new things and the opportunities they have had to travel while living in the UK.

This summer the Tucker family will be moving back to the U.S., as Lt. Col. Tucker will be stationed at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia. The pets have their pet passports (yes, there is such a thing), and the house hunting and arrangements for shipping vehicles have begun. And all the relatives have a new place to visit with cheaper airfares!

Recipes:

Ginger Glazed Salmon

1 pound salmon fillet

salt and pepper to taste

seasoning salt (I like Johnny’s)

1 knob of fresh ginger (about the size of a thumb)

1 stick butter

1 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Season salmon with salt, pepper, and seasoning salt. Place in oven for approximately 30 minutes.

Peel skin off ginger with a sharp paring knife. On the stove, melt 1 stick of butter in medium saucepan. Add brown sugar and, while whisking, add lemon juice. Mixture should become syrupy, not caramel-y. If it looks too much like caramel (too thick), add more lemon juice.

Grate ginger with a microplane or very small grater into mixture. Spoon mixture over salmon and put it back in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and serve. Salmon is done when it flakes easily with a fork.

Chicken Enchiladas

5 chicken breasts or 10 chicken thighs

3 cloves garlic, divided

pinch salt

3 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

olive oil (to saute with)

1 package taco seasoning

1 cup water

1 cup sour cream

Cholula hot sauce

20 flour tortillas (approx.)

red enchilada sauce (preferable Hatch Enchilada Sauce)

shredded cheese

Boil chicken breasts or thighs in large saucepan with two garlic cloves and a pinch of salt. Saute jalapenos, onion and 1 clove of chopped garlic in olive oil. Once chicken is cooked through, remove from water and shred.

Add the shredded chicken into the saute pan with jalapeno mixture. Add taco seasoning and water, bring to a boil, then simmer until water is completely evaporated. Remove chicken mixture from heat and place in a large mixing bowl. Add sour cream and mix thoroughly. Taste mixture and add salt or Cholula Hot Sauce as desired.

Fill and roll tortillas. This part is extremely inexact; it depends on how large your tortillas are and how full you like them. I put approximately 2 1/2 Tablespoons per tortilla. Place tortillas in a large, greased serving dish. Pour enchilada sauce over the top, almost completely covering tortillas. Place shredded cheese over the top.

Bake at 350 degrees F until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling.

Carne Asada

10 limes (approximately 1 1/2 cups fresh lime juice)

1/4 cup olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

6 jalapenos, seeded and chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 Tablespoons Kosher salt

1 teaspoon cumin

1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 teaspoon oregano

2 flank steaks

salt and pepper to taste

Squeeze lime juice (use fresh lime juice as it is much better). I use a fork to juice the limes and get as much out as possible. Do not worry about pulp; just squeeze as much as you can out of the limes. Whisk in about half as much olive oil as lime juice. It helps to pour olive oil in a thin stream and whisk as it emulsifies the mixture.

Add onion, jalapenos, garlic, kosher salt, cumin, cilantro, and oregano. Score the flank steaks diagonally and salt and pepper them. Put flank steaks into plastic bag and pour in mixture. Roll them around in the bag and seal it tightly. Throw it into the refrigerator and marinade for 24 to 48 hours. Roll the bags around when you happen to open the fridge.

The flank steaks will turn a grayish color, but that is a good sign. Throw onto a very hot grill and sear for approximately 5 minutes per side. We prefer to grill them over lump charcoal, but a gas grill is fine. Take off the grill and let them stand for 10 to 15 minutes. They will be pink or red in the center. Slice at an angle so they will be more tender. We usually have them with warm tortillas with sauteed peppers and onions.

Chocolate-Kahlua Cheesecake

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

1 cup + 2 Tablespoons sugar

3/4 cup cocoa

1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened

2 eggs

1/4 cup strong coffee

1/4 cup Kahlua (or Bailey’s)

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup sour cream

6 or 8 chocolate curls, optional

Combine cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup of the sugar, 1/4 cup of the cocoa and the butter and mix well. Firmly press mixture onto the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake at 325 degrees F for 5 minutes. Cool.

Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually add 3/4 cup of the sugar, mixing well. Beat in remaining cocoa. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in coffee, Kahlua (or Bailey’s) and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes. Filling will be soft but will firm up as cake stands.

Combine sour cream, remaining 2 Tablespoons sugar, and remaining vanilla. Spread over hot cheesecake. Bake at 425 degrees F for 5 to 7 minutes. Let cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Chill 8 hours or overnight. Remove sides of springform pan.

To garnish, place 3 chocolate curls in center of cheesecake. Gently break remaining chocolate curls, and sprinkle over cheesecake, if desired.