This cozy soup is my Polish-inspired take on kapuśniak, a traditional soup made with sauerkraut, potatoes, and smoked sausage. My version keeps the spirit of Slavic culinary traditions but relies on minimal, everyday ingredients. As a hunter, I almost always have venison in the freezer, so that’s what I like to use in place of…
One of the things I love most about recipe development is that you can start a recipe off with one idea and end up with something very different. This soup, for example, began as a riff on Olive Garden’s chicken gnocchi soup, but somewhere along the way nostalgia hit. The aromatic smell of leeks cooking…
These venison and mushroom meatballs are deeply savory and rich with earthy, umami flavor. They’re tender, aromatic, and so flavorful that even my one-year-old devours them. (He’s a serious little meat eater—if it tastes meaty, he’s all in.) What I love most is how versatile they are: serve them over creamy polenta, toss them with…
Between Easter and Mother’s Day across the state of Texas, you’ll find dewberries growing wild along fencelines, in ditches, and in sunny pastures. These low-growing, thorny vines produce berries similar to a blackberry, although they are an entirely different subspecies within the Rubus genus. Though they are smaller, they taste comparable. As they grow, they…
For many of us, chicken-fried steak is imbued with nostalgia. This iconic Texas dish satisfies a rumbling stomach, and it hits the spot when you crave something comforting. It was designed to transform tough, cheap cuts of meat into something delicious. Its humble roots epitomize scratch cooking and harkens back to a time when people…
It’s human nature to root for the underdogs. I see it time and time again in movies, books, and sports, but somehow we overlook the unsung heroes when it comes to food. The internet goes crazy for ramps and morels each spring, but what about the humble radish? Or flank steak, a cut of beef…
Easter is just around the corner, and when I think of Easter in Texas, I think of three things that I hold dear: Jesus, wildflowers, and barbecue. After church, we get together with family to enjoy smoked brisket, chicken, ribs, or beef tenderloin. It’s been an unspoken tradition for many years, and I love the…
For an easy weeknight meal the whole family will love, try this spicy pasta dish with hot Italian venison sausage and vodka sauce. It’s a recipe I keep on repeat and even make in bulk to freeze for those busy nights when I don’t have time to cook. You can make it with loose pork…
This recipe might as well be called “the hangover cure” because that’s exactly what it does. It’s a shatteringly crispy turkey cutlet that’s been marinated in dill pickle juice and served with buttermilk ranch. It definitely made me feel better after a night with one too many glasses of wine. I like to use turkey,…
I didn’t think steak au poivre could get any better than it already is until I added mustard! Steak au Poivre is French for peppercorn steak. The meat is dredged in coarsely ground peppercorns and cooked in a hot skillet to create a delicious golden crust. I’ve taken it a step further by adding mustard…