Marcia Miller never intended cooking and baking to be her particular gift, but the gift chose her. She is the new cook at the Senior Center, a position that fits her well, more than she expected.

“I’m surprised at how much I do look forward to coming in and doing it,” Miller said.

She was considering opening a pop-up bakery, but kept thinking about the position at the Senior Center. She tried to push it aside, reminding herself of a friend who cooks for a senior center in the Lower 48. “I did not envy her.”

One day, however, her husband said he thought she should apply, and that was the nudge she needed. “Now I am helping the community, feeding people and sharing love.”

Miller has a long history of feeding people in Wrangell. Three daughters had food booths as Fourth of July royalty contestants, where her sweet-and-sour chicken became her specialty. She prepared it and other menu items for high school fundraisers, and eventually for her restaurant, Big Mama’s.

The restaurant, which opened in 2001, specialized in Asian dishes, with some Mexican specials and several desserts too.

There is also a unique family thread that may contribute to her culinary gifts. Her great-grandfather, John Eyon, opened a bakery in Wrangell in 1926.

Like her great-grandfather, Miller is not professionally trained. She learns by experimenting and reading cookbooks. At one time she had accumulated more than 1,500 cookbooks

“This job actually keeps me reined in,” Miller said. “It’s good to have a set menu.”

The Senior Center menus are planned in advance across Southeast Alaska communities and follow particular dietary guidelines to create healthy meals for senior citizens. Juneau-based Catholic Community Service operates 14 senior centers in Southeast.

Nearly everything is made from scratch every day in Wrangell. The center provides meals to approximately 33 people every day, a mix of in-house dining and delivered meals. “It’s a tricky balance to make enough but not create a lot of waste,” Miller said.

Solvay Gillen, Senior Center manager, said it’s a pleasure having Miller on board. “She’s reliable and she cooks with love. As a bonus, she makes amazing biscuits.”

There is one recipe in the works that Miller is looking forward to accompanying those famous biscuits: fish head soup. “The recipe uses salmon heads, eyeballs and all. When we get the ingredients, I want to try it,” she said, her voice a mixture of curiosity and excitement.