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Saturday 20 July 2019

Pass the Pickled Porcupine & Other Wild Food Stories

Pass the Pickled Porcupine & Other Wild Food Stories is a new book from Graham Chalmers who is an expert hunter, fisherman and food forager.

Born in Zimbabwe in 1957 he was privileged with access to wilderness areas in Africa.

He eventually moved to South Africa and whilst earning degrees in business and law, he continued to develop his skills as a food expert and game cook.

In 2000 he moved to Britain and continued his interest in wild-sourced food i not only the UK but also Europe and America.

This book is a series of essays about a staggering 50 different types of wild foods, which also contains information about Graham's abilities as a forager,a hunter, a fisherman and a cook.

You'll learn about collecting hedgerow blackberries in Britain, and hunting Cape buffalo in South Africa.

Learn how to make Mopane Worm Stew, using dried mopane worms), how to make a delicious traditional biltong, learn that aardvarks are not, generally, eaten in Africa (despite what some books might try to claim), learn how to prepare an abalone, how to make impala chops teriyaki, how to cook bass, freshwater or Texan black.

You'll learn how to cook medallions of wild boar with banana, (ripe bananas are specified) how to fry crocodile steaks, and even more interesting meals besides.

The book contains some cautionary tales, including how mussels can kill you, even should you not eat one. Scary stuff, mussels!

The book makes a fascinating read for the amateur or the professional cook who will now know how to cope if the owners of an eating establishment comes into the kitchen with a mysterious delivery shouting: "I've just got a load of Ostrich meat. Do something with it, OK?" The recipe for Ostrich Stroganoff is on page 181.)

I feel that the book would have greatly benefited from illustrations (either line drawings or photographs) but there are none. A pity, but it's still a very interesting book that you should add to your collection of culinary books.

It's published by The Book Guild at £9.99.

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