Do you want to know a secret? In the past, I never liked to eat fish.

There, I said it. The cat - err, salmon I guess - is out of the bag now. However, one day a few years back a friend was barbecuing salmon wrapped in foil and covered with butter, brown sugar and an African spice mixture named Beta. "Just try it," she said, "It's awesome."

I have turned my nose up plenty of times to such statements before, but this time I did exactly as she asked. I tried it. And you know what, she was right: it was awesome. My love for eating fish began at that moment, born in the knowledge that it can be delicious when properly cared for and utilized in a tasty recipe.

I also know that I wasn't alone as a non-enthusiast. If you are in the same boat, and have yet to find that magic recipe, a great option for giving salmon another try is the "Simply Grilled Salmon" from Simon and Seaforts on L Street in Anchorage. The dish is aptly named, featuring a fresh piece of salmon rubbed with fresh ground pepper and a coarse salt. I can't help but order it 90% of the time I dine there, even though their menu is well-stocked with other splendors.

For those of you who are already in love with eating seafood, the four recipes from the finalists of our magazine's annual contest are worth every bit of effort to prepare. And moving forward, our third year of this popular contest will kick off next month, with hundreds of amateur chefs from around the country filling out the recipe-contest entry form at fishalaskamagazine .com and hoping that they will be one of four finalists chosen by our judges. Each month from February through May a recipe is selected. Then at the end of the contest, the four finalists get together at the Kincaid Grill in Anchorage for the annual cook-off. Sponsors are present, along with our judges and friends of the finalists. It is a fun party with everyone in attendance trying the dishes prepared by the finalists. This year with the meals we enjoyed wine as well, which was graciously supplied by Bill and Dorothy Fry, owners of the Bear Creek Winery in Homer.

For 2006, the judges included Chef Al Levinsohn, owner of the Kincaid Grill; Larry Csonka, host of Napa's North to Alaska; Chef Kellie Thompson from the Allen & Petersen Cooking School; Jackie Purcell, Chief Meteorologist at KTUU Channel 2 and myself.

The judges and finalists.

The first finalist chosen in February of last year was Louis Cusack of Anchorage, a returning finalist from the previous year, this time winning a slot in the finals with his Cajun Coho Grill. In March, Christy Johnson of Homer took the finalist spot with her Fall Harvest Halibut. April's finalist was Elaina Spraker of Soldotna with a recipe called Honeymoon Salmon. May introduced us to Frieda Byars of Anchorage, who prepared an Oriental Halibut Salad. Each finalist took home a prize package valued at over $800, and this year they competed to win the grand-prize package worth over $10,000, including a trip to Rainbow King Lodge in Iliamna with airfare provided by PenAir.

One of my favorite parts of the cook-off is to watch the finalists in their own element, in the kitchen at the Kincaid Grill, but of course my absolutely favorite part is when they start bringing out their dishes for us to taste! The recipes are judged on taste, visual appeal, nutrition and originality. By this stage of the contest, each is outstanding, and our judges had a predictably difficult time in selecting a winner. Finally, after much deliberation, the delicious Oriental Halibut Salad, prepared by Frieda Byars, was selected as this year's winning dish.

With that, I'd like to issue an enormous thanks to our contest sponsors and judges, as well as to the people who took the time to enter the contest. You are what make this a truly special event.

-Melissa Norris is publisher of Fish Alaska. She has an obsessive relationship with food.