Recipe

Irish Colcannon with Wild Greens

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, here is my take on an Irish classic: Colcannon, basically mashed potatoes with green things. In this case, the green thing is cow parsnip.

Fish

White Sturgeon and Fine Dining

Fine dining is a high-wire act, a balance between art, technique and flavor. Miss one element, and the dish fails. This dish, I am proud to say, did not fail.

Ducks and Geese

Wild Duck Jerky or Goose Jerky

Who doesn't love jerky? Good jerky - dry but not brittle, spicy but not overpowering - is God's gift to road food. Once made, this wild duck jerky will keep for months.

Recipe

Venison Medallions with Gin and Juniper

This was one of the first venison recipes I ever made, and it's still one of the best, as the flavors of gin, juniper and venison are meant for each other.

Recipe

Scandinavian Nettle Soup

Even though NorCal has not had a rough winter, I am longing for the green of spring. And this nettle soup was exactly what I needed right now.

Pheasant, Grouse, Quail

Greek Preserved Quail

The Greek way to preserve quail is a cousin to confit, and results in a tender, silky bird that is spectacular served with pickles, bread and ouzo.

Pasta, Risotto, Gnocchi

Nettle Pasta

It's nettle season here in Northern California, and as I am on a pasta jag lately, I thought I would make pasta dough with stinging nettles. Seemed like the right thing to do.

Charcuterie

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?

Mushrooms

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.

Italian

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.