Archive for March 2009

HAGC Radio Interview

Mar 31st, 2009 | By | Category: Out & About

Had my first radio interview in many years yesterday. The local public radio talk show wanted to talk with me about Hunter Angler Gardener Cook and the James Beard Awards, and of course I said I would go on the air. Topics ranged from how I got into this to whether using nitrites in cured [...]



An Allium Obsession

Mar 30th, 2009 | By | Category: Cooking Basics, The Garden

I have been faithful to my first love for all of my years. Others have entered my life, diverted my attention for a while, caused me to swoon and wax rhapsodic about their supposed virtues. But I can never leave what first set me on the path I have been walking since I was able [...]



Corned Antelope, Anyone?

Mar 26th, 2009 | By | Category: Charcuterie, Northern European, Recipe, Venison, Wild Game

I’ve always loved corned beef and its cousin pastrami, especially in Reuben sandwiches. As a child I always wondered how in the world they got the beef that pretty red color. And what in hell was with the “corned” part? Years later, when I began to make my own sausages and salami, I occasionally came across [...]



James Beard Awards

Mar 23rd, 2009 | By | Category: Uncategorized

Well this is pretty cool. It seems the folks at the James Beard Foundation like Hunter Angler Gardener Cook enough to nominate me for an award for Best Food Blog. I am a finalist in the category, along with Andrew Knowlton’s blog over at Bon Appetit magazine and a crew of writers over at Sunset [...]



On Cooking Wild vs. Domestic Meat

Mar 23rd, 2009 | By | Category: Cooking Basics, Wild Game

I get so many notes from visitors who read this space and enjoy the recipes, but who have never picked up a gun and have little or no access to hunters generous enough to share some true wild game. So I get questions like, “Can I substitute chicken for pheasant? I can buy domestic ducks at the [...]



Pheasant and Pomegranate

Mar 19th, 2009 | By | Category: Pheasant, Grouse, Quail, Recipe, Wild Game

Pheasants and pomegranates just seem to go together; the bird’s mild flavor is nicely offset by the tangy flavor of the juice. It’s part of that whole connection between game and fruits: Duck and orange, venison and prunes, wild boar and apples. I had no real foreknowledge that I would make something with pheasants and [...]



Repaying a Debt – In Blood Sausage

Mar 16th, 2009 | By | Category: Charcuterie, Recipe, Spanish

I’m from New Jersey, and much of what I learned about how to interact with others I learned from my stepfather Frank. Frank’s main rule was, “always have favors you can collect on, and don’t be afraid to do other people favors.” I do something for you, you return the favor — scratching each other’s [...]



Antelope, Salmon, Duck – Works in Progress

Mar 11th, 2009 | By | Category: Cooking Basics, Wild Game

There is a truism in any endeavor: If you are afraid to fail, you will never achieve true success. I’ve made no secret of the fact that, more than  just being a decent home cook, I am trying to delve deep into fish and game cookery and return with nuggets of wisdom that I can [...]



A Mushroom Hunt

Mar 8th, 2009 | By | Category: Foraging, Hunting & Fishing Stories, Out & About

Holly and I went mushroom hunting in the Sierra Foothills yesterday, guided by our friend Evan, who lives in the area. Evan wanted to help us find two kinds of delicious mushrooms he calls “pinks” and “buckskins,” which we hoped to gather by the bucket given the torrential rains we had last week. I couldn’t wait [...]