By David Draper

On the Thanksgiving table, the centerpiece turkey and potatoes—both sweet and mashed—get all the glory. Sure, there are some green things scattered here and there, maybe a tossed salad and the ubiquitous green bean casserole, but they’re mostly footnotes to the dynamic meat-and-potato duo. Still, there are those of us who appreciate a good green vegetable, and one of my favorites this time of year is that cabbage-in-miniature: Brussels sprout.

Even as a kid I loved these little crunchy orbs, and I willingly ate them when my mom put them in front of me. Mostly they were just steamed or boiled, seasoned with nothing more than salt and pepper, but I loved the crunch and cabbage-y taste then, and still do today. Now, I dress them up a bit and generally cook them in a very hot oven for a relatively short time. This adds a rich, roasted flavor, especially when tossed with bacon grease and honey and sprinkled with crunchy bacon, as detailed in this simple recipe.

By David Draper

There are many things to love about Alaska, but what I think I love about it the most is the state offers up some of the best food on the planet for anyone willing to put in a bit of hard work. I’ve hunted and fished the Last Frontier several times and each trip was special, as much for sweat and toil as the sweeping vistas and plentiful game. I shared this last trip with a friend who also happens to be the editor-in-chief of Field & Stream—Anthony Licata. Each of us returned from the hunt with a box overflowing with food, so Anthony offered up a challenge: a Kodiak surf-and-turf Food Fight.

By David Draper

In hunting camp, my mouth starts watering whenever I see pancakes on the breakfast table, but not for the reason you might think. Sure I love a short stack slathered with butter and maple syrup (or better yet, homemade jelly), but what really gets me excited is the thought of peanut butter and jelly pancake sandwiches for my hunting pack. On several occasions I’ve been known to forgo a flapjack for breakfast just so I can have leftover cakes to make a sandwich.

There’s just something about pancakes that blow standard white bread out of the water when it comes to making a PB&J, especially when they’re really good. In addition to the sweet, eggy flavor they add to peanut butter and jelly, pancakes stay firmer than standard bread, and don’t get overly soggy from soaking up all that jelly.

By David Draper

With Spartan accommodations and a small galley, Ninilchik Charters’ 50-foot Sundy would be hard-pressed to get a Michelin rating. However, despite the limitations, we ate pretty well during our recent blacktail deer hunt aboard the seaworthy craft. A dinner of still steaming backstraps was one of the best I’ve ever had, and our first mate Tyler was a wizard with both fish and game, cooking up a fine Halibut Olympia. Below, I’ve taken Tyler’s recipe, which was somewhat limited due to the lack of a pantry on Sundy, and adapted it for home by including a couple of additional ingredients, namely the sliced onions and white wine. Other than, this is a pretty accurate take on what we ate on the boat.

Note: Don’t judge this dish by the thought of slathering a halibut fillet with mayonnaise. It may sound repulsive, but even the mayo-haters on the boat claimed this dish was their favorite of the trip.