I don’t really have “four seasons” in my life; instead, I have duck, turkey, mushroom, fishing, berries and big game seasons. This abundance in the Pacific Northwest is rare; It is one of the only places in the world rich enough in wild food to support a sedentary society without agriculture. Think about that: tribes in the Northwest did not need agriculture to be self-supporting. Nor did they need to move. They could forage, hunt and fish for everything they needed.  The forager and the ...

If I had to pick between eating crappie and bluegill, I’d choose bluegill every time. I think crappie tastes bland, whereas bluegill are sweet and firm. The downside, this sunfish family member tends to grow on the smaller side. Bluegill fillets resemble “chips,” and few anglers venture beyond frying them because there’s not much else you can do. Those thin, small pieces can’t hold up to too much handling, let alone any amount of marinating. My solution, prepare and eat the fish whole on ...

I was introduced to carpaccio about a year ago while doing prep work in a commercial kitchen. At the time, we used beef eye of round from steamship rounds we butchered in house. This is an exceptional cut for carpaccio, but in the back of my mind I had a feeling that venison loin would be even better. It turns out I was right. Carpaccio first arrived on the culinary scene in 1950, dreamt up by Italian restaurateur Giuseppe Cipriani. Cipriani was the owner and founder of Harry’s Bar in ...

My mother always kept store-bought Vietnamese fish paste on hand. Sold in plastic containers, fish paste freezes well and its uses are versatile: Form the paste into balls and drop into boiling soup; shape into patties and fry; slice and serve over white rice, noodles or inside a bánh mì sandwich; or eat as a snack. A less obvious way to use fish paste is to stuff it into jalapenos and then sear them golden brown. Mom often called upon this recipe when she was too tired to cook a complicated ...

Whether a grizzled veteran hunter or relatively new to pursuing sustenance from the backcountry, we share a common desire for comradery and to impart our experiences to others. While some endeavors are best undertaken in solitude, the foundation of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation is reliant on the efforts of sportsmen and women in passing along their experiences to ensure the future of hunting, and thereby assure the continued support for our wild places and wild creatures. ...

Like most other chefs, I enjoy reading and talking about food almost as much as I enjoy cooking and eating. In fact, I definitely spend more time thinking about food than cooking the dishes I prepare. That may seem odd to some, but there is a great deal of behind-the-scenes work that goes into the creative process of developing a dish. This recipe is a fine example of just that. This meal is not uniquely my own. The concept of a Scotch egg has been around for a very long time. I have seen ...

Nothing makes me feel richer than eating foods historically made by the poor: soups, stews, organs, ferments, sinewy cuts of meat, unrefined grains and fats and sugars. Most peasant foods are born from a combination of necessity, accessibility, and a little of what we in Maine call “redneck ingenuity.” You take what you have and use what you know to turn it into something more. The ancestral need to feed ourselves in lean times has led to methods of preparation and preservation that yield ...

There seems to be a trend in wild game meals on social media and blogs; the photos are  America’s Test Kitchen quality and the ingredient lists include things I didn’t know existed. There is the potential that we may be giving the impression with this practice that cooking up a deer, elk or quail takes a degree in the culinary arts, and it’s not for the average family or novice cook. We all know nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to wild game preparation. Sure, some care ...

Connective tissues are what separates OK stew meat from excellent stew meat. It’s the element that will give your braised wild game dishes richness and contrasting texture. This is why venison shanks have become one of my favorite cuts on a deer. Allow moisture, time and low heat to do its magic, and all that silver skin and tendon will soften and fall off the bone. Unfortunately, the majority of hunters still don’t know what to do with venison shanks, shoulders or other sinewy parts on a ...

In September our Arizona chapter held its 1st annual Dove Cook-off and Pint Night to celebrate the opening of dove season. Held in Yuma, the event brought together BHA members and supporters from across the region to celebrate our public lands, raise awareness of the Land and Water Conservation Fund and engage with likeminded hunters and anglers. The chef who prepared the best dove-based dish received a prize package from Traeger Grills. Here, I've complied one of the winning recipes we've ...