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FAIRBANKS — A walk-in guest at the Inn arrived requesting a room for five nights for himself and a room for two nights for his companion. Filling an empty room at the last minute is always a thrill for an innkeeper. Rooms are like milk, perishable at the expiration date. To fill two rooms a the last minute was double happiness.

Over breakfast the next morning we learned that the two fellows were floating the entire Yukon River over a three-summer time span. They had divided the trip into three segments and had just completed leg two of the trip. The boat was in Fairbanks for repairs and storage over the winter. Their plans were to return the next summer, retrieve the boat, and finish their quest. The guest asked if he could park the boat in at the inn for the winter; he would be glad to pay us a little something. For insurance purposes, the response was sorry but no. He then asked the housekeeper if she might be willing to store the boat at her home for what turned out to be a very handsome sum. She agreed and was happy to have the very generous bonus. When the guest departed the same housekeeper was again excited to find a big tip as well. This guest was henceforth referred to as Daddy Warbucks.

The next summer, Daddy Warbucks returned to Fairbanks and requested four rooms with staggered arrival and departure dates. He and the same companion arrived, picked up the boat, and loaded it with gear and supplies. The next day, two more fellows arrived to join him on the journey down the river. The companion as it turned out was an employee of Daddy Warbucks. His job was to drive the three men and the boat to the launch site on the Yukon River. The driver returned to Fairbanks a number of days later enroute to Seattle with the Suburban and the boat trailer. The boat was to be abandoned at the end of the trip.

Sometimes at breakfast the cook will serve a double entrée, one of the items being a trial run for a new dish. Daddy Warbucks’ last morning was a double entrée day. The trial dish was a smoked salmon quiche. He was especially interested in our guest’s reaction to the new item. Unbeknownst to the staff, he owned a floating salmon processing plant and wanted everyone to serve and eat salmon. Not only was he pleased with the quiche, he must have been pleased with the staff as well. Without disappointment, Daddy Warbucks lived up to his newly derived title. At check-out, the housekeeper once again overjoyed with her reward for a job well done.

Smoked Salmon Quiche

1 prepared (frozen) 9” deep dish pie shell

7 ounces smoked salmon, crumbled

5 eggs

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup mozzarella cheese

Pre-heat the oven to 500 degrees. Fit the pie shell into a glass or ceramic quiche or pie pan; do not cook in the aluminum pan. Cover the shell with aluminum foil molded to the pan (foil should be flat in the center). Fill the pan with dried beans and bake for 5 minutes. Remove the beans and the foil and bake five minutes longer. Remove the pan from the oven and reduce the heat to 350 degrees for the quiche.

Wisk together the eggs and cream. Add the smoked salmon and cheese and pour mixture into baked pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes. Serve hot. Makes 4-6 servings.

Inn Tips: Save the beans for the next pie shell. To make individual quiche, divide mixture into 6 eight-ounce ramekins. Omit the crust.

Mary Richards is the owner of All Seasons Inn, a bed and breakfast in downtown Fairbanks. Contact her at www.allseasonsinn.com or 451-6649.