Wild Duck Hot Dogs

    I didn’t set out to make a wild duck hot dog. All I wanted to do was make an all-duck sausage, and that means you need to emulsify it, like a hot dog. Who knew my spice mix was the secret of hot dogs?

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Upcoming Events

Pheasant Fest 2012

17 February 2012
Kansas City Convention Center, Kansas City, MO

It'll be all upland, all the time at the Pheasant and Quail Classic. I will be teaching several wild game classes at the convention. Click here for details.

Wild Game Cooking at ISE

23-25 February 2012
University of Phoenix Stadium, 1 Cardinals Dr., Phoenix, AZ

I will be talking about how to get the most out of your wild game at the International Sportsmen's Expo. More details on timing to come. Got a question on what to do with your ducks or deer or upland game birds? Ask away.

More Events

Recent Posts

Lies, Lust and a Golden Treasure

When a passerby asked recently if I’d found any chanterelles, I casually told him no, even though my pack was full of them. Hiding your secret spots is all part of living off the wild.

Crab Risotto

We’re in the thick of our Dungeness crab season here in California, and crab risotto is one of my favorite things to do with them.

Konigsberger Klopse, Wild Boar Meatballs

Who doesn’t love meatballs? Konigsberger klopse is a classic German meatball recipe that historically uses veal, beef or pork. I made them with wild boar.

Pheasant and Dumplings

I never used to think chicken and dumplings was worth making. But I was wrong, and the dish is even better with pheasant or grouse.

A Hopeful Endeavor

Nothing is quite so driven by hope as the act of gathering food from the wild. Anyone who has ever hunted, fished or foraged knows the feeling that the bonanza could come at any moment.

A Teasing Taste

Wapato, arrowhead, duck potato: Sagittaria is an aquatic tuber of American marshes said to be the equal of a potato. I have never found it. But a friend sent me some, so I got my first tantalizing taste.

Eating Everything But the Quack

Duck season is winding down, and we’re in our groove: Hunting, plucking, dressing and cooking the waterfowl we bring home. Over the years I’ve found uses for every part of the bird.

Snow Geese, Lords of the Air

Snow geese rule the winter skies in Northern California. They are among the hardest birds to hunt — and are among the most challenging to cook.

Of Trumpets, Hedgehogs and Yellowfeet

The winter mushrooms of California’s North Coast are popping in earnest: Hedgehogs, black trumpets, yellowfoot chanterelles and candy caps!

Buy the Book

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Rabbits, Hares Squirrels

Photo by Holly A. Heyser

Stifado, Greek Rabbit Stew

Stifado, the iconic Greek rabbit stew, is a beguiling mix of sweet, spicy and savory. Sweet wine and lots of olive oil make this dish, as does a good brace of cottontails.

Photo by Holly A. Heyser

Sichuan Rabbit with Peanuts

I love Fuchsia Dunlop’s Chinese cookbooks, in no small part because she includes game recipes in them. This is my version of Sichuan Rabbit, which I made with a cottontail Holly brought home.

Photo by Holly A. Heyser

Calabrian Rabbit with Red Peppers

Rabbit is my chicken, my white meat. I eat it whenever I can, and am always in search of new and interesting rabbit recipes. This one from Calabria is especially good.

Photo by Holly A. Heyser

How to Cut Up a Rabbit

I get a surprisingly large amount of queries about how to cut up a whole rabbit or hare. So here you go: Step by step instructions, as well as a recipe for Buttermilk Fried Rabbit!

Photo by Holly A. Heyser

Buttermilk Fried Rabbit

If you are blessed with a young cottontail rabbit or very young snowshoe hare or jackrabbit (look for white teeth and ears that tear easily), you can do what anyone who buys a domestic bunny can do: Fry it like a chicken. This is a fried rabbit recipe based on a buttermilk fried chicken recipe [...]

Photo by Holly A. Heyser

Hare Stew, Hard Times

Hares and jackrabbits are almost always poor man’s meat, and this Sardinian hare stew takes simple ingredients and makes them special. It’s good cold weather food that can stretch a long way in tight times.

Photo by Holly A. Heyser

Braised Rabbit, and a New Way to Look at Food

I made braised rabbit last night, and it was good. But the dish was also something more: I made it up. No cookbook involved, although I did get a little help from a very different kind of book that offers was a new (at least to me) way to look at food that is changing the way I [...]

Photo by Holly A. Heyser

Braised Squirrel Aurora

I you have an old squirrel, which you can tell by the teeth, which are yellowy and separated, or by the ears, which are tattered, or by the feet, which look well-worn, braising is a must. Squirrels can live several years, unlike cottontail rabbits, which typically only last a year or so. This makes their [...]

Become a Hunter

Photo by Hank Shaw

Want to Learn to Hunt? Start Now

Want to learn how to hunt but haven’t the faintest idea how? This should help get you started – but you need to begin your journey soon, as hunting season will soon be here…