Cooking the Magnificent Matsutake
Matsutake mushrooms are popping all over California’s North Coast now. If you’ve never heard of them, matsutakes are one of the most prized mushrooms in Asia. Firm and clean-tasting, they have a beguiling aroma – like earthy cinnamon.
General Tso’s Pheasant
There are a few must-have dishes in Chinese-American cuisine. General Tso’s chicken is one of them. Eating a plate of this is like eating crack: You will find yourself doing whatever it takes to eat more. You have been warned…
Hmong Squirrel Stew
Few cultures love to eat squirrel more than the Hmong, a group of Southeast Asian immigrants who arrived here in the US after the Vietnam War. This is a pretty standard stew loaded with fresh, vibrant ingredients: Lemongrass, ginger, chiles and lots of herbs. It’s like a squirrel pho.
Chinese Char Siu Boar
Ah, Matilda. She is the boar that just keeps giving. Ever since my boar hunt in March, I have been working my way through every piece of this feral hog, who was nearly as fatty as a domestic pig. So fatty I saved the whole belly and made French bacon, as well as a spicy [...]
Salmon Head Soup
In case you hadn’t noticed, I actually like the rest of the salmon as much – if not more – than the fillet. This is salmon head soup, done Japanese style. And don’t worry, there will be no eyeballs staring back at you: You only use the salmon heads to make the broth.
Grilled Salmon Collars with Ponzu Sauce
This has been a memorable year for salmon fishing in California. I’ve caught quite a few chinooks already so far, and the first thing I cook on each one is the collar – the part behind the gills and head. Grilled like Japanese hamachi kama, it is spectacular.
Thai Green Curry with Fish
One of the best things to make when you have firm fish such as shark, swordfish or sturgeon is a stew. And in summer, I love me some Thai green curry when I catch sharks and sturgeon.
Thai-Style Massaman Curry with Venison
I almost never make curries, but when I found fresh turmeric root at Whole Foods, I was compelled to give it a go. A Thai massaman curry is perfect for venison.
Sichuan Stir Fry Puffballs
Puffballs are basically the tofu of the mushroom world, so I normally avoid them. But when I found lots of little puffballs recently, I decided to make Sichuan ma po tofu, only with puffballs instead of tofu!
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.
