Mushrooms
Sparassis, the Elusive Cauliflower Mushroom
One of the greatest prizes in all of mushrooming, the cauliflower mushroom is both elusive and mesmerizing. It is the ultimate soup mushroom. Here's how to find and eat it.
Foraging
Contemplating Hopniss, the American Groundnut
Apios americana, the hopniss or potato bean or American groundnut. It's a plant that has fascinated me for some years, so much so that I began growing it in my garden in 2011. Since then I think I have a handle on growing, harvesting and eating these native American tubers.
Appetizers and Snacks
Homemade Energy Bars
I hit the road again on Saturday for the final leg of my "Duck, Duck, Goose" book tour; I'll be tour the Southwest and Deep South this time, and I will be carrying with me a stack of these homemade energy bars. In honor of my next book dinner, in Santa Fe, these are Desert Style "Clif" bars.
Fish
Crispy Fish Skin Chips
Yep. You heard right. Crispy, light as air. Chicharrons, a/k/a pork rinds. Only these are made from fish skin. Once you learn how to make them, you will never throw away fish skin again. Ever.
How-To (DIY stuff)
The Best Way to Make Acorn Flour
I've made acorn flour for years, in several different methods, and I've settled on this particular method -- a cold process that takes a few days to leach out the bitter tannins in the acorns, but leaves them with more flavor and preserves some of the key starches in the nuts.
Wild Game
How to Cut Up a Squirrel for Cooking
Cutting up a squirrel for cooking is a lot like cutting up a rabbit, but there are enough differences to warrant these step by step instructions. Never eaten squirrel? Think chicken thigh... if the chicken had been eating nuts its whole life.
Preservation Recipes
Smoked, Roasted and Preserved Jalapenos
This is one of the most awesome things I've ever made: Jalapenos, fire-roasted, then smoked, then preserved with a little vinegar and oil. Put that on a taco and you will absolutely not be sorry!
Foraging
The Myth of the Poison Pea
The Lathyrus clan, which most of us know as wild peas, get a bad rap. But I am here to tell you that wild peas are indeed edible, contrary to what you may have heard. Here's the science behind why.
How-To (DIY stuff)
How to Make Green Salt
How to make green salt, salt from salicornia (sea beans, sea asparagus, pickleweed, saltwort) at home. It's easy with a dehydrator.
How-To (DIY stuff)
How to Clean a Frog
If you have bullfrogs near you -- and chances are you do -- you could do a lot worse than gigging yourself a bunch of frogs for dinner. They actually do taste a little like chicken. But how to go from slimy frog to yummy frog's legs? Here's how.
Berries and Fruits
Foraging for Gooseberries
Ah, the gooseberry, an unloved berry if there ever was one -- especially here in North America. We have more than 100 varieties here, yet few people, even foragers, both with them. Pity. Here's what you need to know to gather ye gooseberry in style.
Fish
How to Butterfly Fish
Butterflying, also known as splitting or kiting a fish, is a basic skill you will want to know, especially when dealing with smaller fish. It keeps the fish whole but largely debones it. The technique is ideal for either quick pan frying or for stuffing the fish, in this case a trout.
