A Quick Look Back at 2012

Every year I like to take a look back at what I have done in my cooking adventures and put together a pictoral review.  2012 was an awesome year, I had one of my recipes published in a cookbook and I did some writing for another food blog about hunting and cooking wild game.  Simple, Good and Tasty is a food blog based out of the Twin Cities. They contacted me about writing a series of articles about hunting and cooking wild game. So far I have written articles on squirrel hunting, duck hunting, pheasant hunting and deer hunting. I also wrote an article about a family tradition Called Glug.  I think the highlight of my year however was taking my mom hunting for the first time and my mom shooting her first deer. 

Mom and I after her first squirrel hunt.

Fried Squirrel and waffles with a rum maple syrup.

snails I found in one of the lakes near my house.

Pasta I made with the sanils.

I got some fishing in.

I planted my first garden and it flourished, we got pickles and zucchini galore this year.

wild boar pancetta

Pickled Deer Heart

Maple Braised wild turkey thighs

One of my favorite dishes this year, Wild boar and squash curry. I made this several times.

Brussels sprouts from my garden with a roast venison loin

My trip to Wyoming for antelope helped me make this antelope liver pate

Fried deer heart for breakfast

Catfish boudin inspired by a meal at the Butcher and the Boar

I was lucky enough to be given some Sandhill Crane breasts and made a tasty Schnitzel

I revamped my families swedish sausage recipe

Mom's first deer, she made a perfect 175 yard shot and is already planning her hunts for next year

My first wild Boar head, I transformed into Coppa Di Testa

Squirrel Stew, one of my daughters favorites

Squirrel Confit, one of my favorites

Some of the Charcuterie I made this year, wild boar lonzino, Coppa Di Testa, and duck prosciutto

Duck neck sausage, It was amazing, to bad I didn't write that one down, so I won't be able to replicate it.

My first try at Piroggi's

Page 46, Ramp and shaved aspargas salad, thats mine

St. Patty's day appetizer

Duck confit Bahn mi, I will be improving on this sandwich in the upcoming year, thanks to the sandwich I had at Cafe Maude

I finally found some Fucking Morels

the Perfect Irish Coffee

Grilled Deer Heart with Stinging Nettle Chimichuri

Gooseberry Crumble made with berries I foraged in a park near my house

Duck Heart tartare, another first for me, I will be making this many more times in the future

Maple soy  roast duck, was featured in one of my articles for Simple, Goood and Tasty

Chinese style duck parcels

Dry cured venison loin

Juniper Roasted venison with a rye whiskey cream sauce One of my new favorites.

Fried Fish balls with a curry cream sauce

Corned antelope roast was hands down the best thing I made this last year. It will be my new St. Patty's day tradition.

Crawfish ravioli, My New Years Resolution is to catch and eat more crawfish

WIld Boar Lonzino

One of the highlights of my year, was shooting my first Wild Turkey

I got a lot of canning done

My buddy Rick Edwards and I each shot one Mourning Dove this year and I was the lucky one who got to cook and eat these delicious little morsels.

For the most part 2012 was a great year, there were a lot of firsts for me and my family.  In the upcoming year I am finally going to get to try my hand at some hog jowls. It took a while but with the help of the folks over at Specialty Meats and gourmet I now have 22 pounds of jowls to make guanciale and anything else I can think of.  Hopefully I will be able to continue doing some writing for Simple, Good and Tasty but if not I will have plenty of fun writing on here.  Happy New Year to every one and don't forget to try something new.