Plains native receives prestigious culinary award

As the co-creator of a series that shares stories of food on the final frontier, a Plains native and former local newspaper reporter has received top honors in the world of culinary journalism.

Jessica Stugelmayer and a team of reporters from Anchorage, Alaska, TV station KTVA were recently recognized with a James Beard Foundation Award for their series “Harvesting Alaska.”

Beating out entries from national heavyweights such as CBS This Morning and ABC News in Chicago, Stugelmayer and her colleagues won the category for Best Television Segment at what many refer to as the Academy Awards of the culinary world.

“I was so surprised. We were this weird little spec on the map,” said Stugelmayer, who grew up in Plains and graduated from the University of Montana School of Journalism before moving to Alaska.

Originally envisioned as a side project, Stugelmayer co-created the show with KTVA’s Gina Romero and Heather Hintze (who also happen to be UM journalism school alumni) as well as Carolyn Hall, Megan Edge and Lauren Maxwell. She said the team wanted to share the personal stories behind Alaska’s surprisingly rich culinary culture.

Segments included visiting a yak farm in Alaska’s remote interior, growing impressive produce through the use of “hoop houses” and, Stugelmayer’s personal favorite, traveling to the Aleutian Islands to pick wild berries with three generations of Alaska Natives.

While most Alaskans now have the luxury of supermarkets, many retained the “homesteader” mentality and still harvest their own fish, meat and produce. Exploring this intimate connection with food, Stugelmayer said, gave the show particular appeal.

“We’re telling real stories of real people, and all these weird ‘Alaska’ things that people do here,” she said.

Although she has cultivated a life-long enthusiasm for food and drink, Stugelmayer said her foray into the field of culinary writing came by chance after the Anchorage Press, which she freelanced for at the time, lost its restaurant critic.

“They asked me and I thought, ‘I like to eat and drink beer, so why not?’” she said.

The reality of critique set in, however, during Stugelmayer’s very first review at a popular Anchorage Italian restaurant.

“I received poor service and couple lousy meals,” she said. “I had to be honest, they had fallen from grace.”

Stugelmayer said the statement stirred up controversy among local restaurateurs, but her editor provided reassurance, applauding her for being honest but not cruel.

Stugelmayer said she left her television station job shortly before Harvesting Alaska won its award, however she attended the ceremony in New York City nonetheless.

Commonly described as the biggest night in the food world, Stugelmayer said the affair featured the likes legendary food personality Martha Stewart and musician Questlove.

“It was amazing,” she said. “Real celebrities were coming up to me and acting like I was a celebrity.”

The exposure was a welcome surprise for Stugelmayer, who is now pursuing a career in freelance food writing.

“Like any true freelancer, I have a day job,” she said.

But if the success of “Harvesting Alaska” is any indication, foodies may continue to eat up Stugelmayer’s in-dept, personal approach to storytelling.

“My social profile has blown up,” she said. “The possibilities kind of feel limitless.”