Monday, May 24, 2010

Rifles and Recipes

My old Montana friends John Barsness and Eileen Clarke, who run the site Rifles and Recipes, have two new projects worth your attention. John, who may be one of the best gun writers in the world-- what other former poet is also a world- class gunsmith?-- has started an online mag called "Rifle Loony." It comes out four times a year for $8, and stands to become the best gun mag out there, not to mention the cheapest.

And Eileen has a new and unique cookbook, Slice of the Wild, which may have more on practical meat processing than any book written, complete with useful pix. I have always bartered for butchery ( a quarter to the butcher for his work) but if my condition allows this book could change things. As Eileen says, "Buy this book and never pay a processor again." Even someone who already eats game as about 60- 70% of their meat, as we do, can learn a lot.

Slice also contains unique analyses of individual game animals to show how various factors influence taste, tenderness, and other meat characteristics, and a wealth of recipes for both game and side dishes that have me digging through our diminishing freezer stock. I should add that John and Eileen eat NO domestic meat and never have for the more than twenty years I have known them. She estimates they eat game 350 days a year-- a friend actually said "you treat it like real meat!"

Slice is $29.95-- details about it and Rifle Loony, and many more good books by both writers, at the site.

1 comment:

Rebecca said...

Hi Stephen,

Chris Paige suggested I get in touch with you with some questions about doing wolverine research in the western aimags of Mongolia. I don't have your email address but you could email me at rebecca(at)nrccooperative(dot)org - I speak Mongolian fluently and have contacts throughout the middle of the country but am looking for advice on folks to talk to in Bayan Olgii and Hovd.

Thanks so much!