By David Draper

A few weeks removed from my first trip to South Africa, there are many things I miss: the incredibly friendly people, the beautiful and varied landscape, and, of course, the abundant wildlife. But perhaps surprisingly (and perhaps not), one of the things I find myself thinking about most often is the food--and not just the flavorful game meat (I’m saving that for a later post). At nearly every meal, there were two things I invariably found myself reaching for: Mrs. H.S. Ball’s Original Recipe Chutney and Nando’s Peri-Peri Sauce.

Chutney had mostly been a foreign concept to me. The few times I had it prior to Africa, I’d enjoyed it in restaurants, but it just wasn’t something I considered using at home. Well, that’s all changed after my first taste of Mrs. Ball’s. Made with peaches and apricots, the condiment delivers the perfect blend of sweet and spice. (The Hot version is even spicier, though not what I’d consider overly so.) I used it on rice, vegetables, eggs, and even (blasphemy!) backstrap. I didn’t think to smuggle any home, but luckily Mrs. Ball’s is so popular you can buy it here in the States, which is what I just did, ordering two bottles.

By David Draper

I think most of you have heard of Hank Shaw, the man behind the inspiring and informative blog Hunter Angler Gardener Cook and author of the book Hunt, Gather, Cook. If you haven’t taken a look at either, you owe it to yourself as a wild-game cook to do so. As I’ve mentioned before, Hank is at the forefront of fish and wild game cookery, and he does a brilliant job of bridging the gap between hunters who cook and cooks who may or may not hunt, but are at least intrigued by the idea of locally and humanely sourced foods. He’s one guy I would love to share a dinner table (and duck blind) with someday.

Earlier this week Hank dropped me an e-mail asking for my help. Well, more accurately, asking for your help. He recently inked a deal to write what he hopes will be the definitive guide to cooking waterfowl, including both wild and domestic ducks and geese, and wants to know what you think should be included. Here’s what he’s looking for, from his blog post announcing the book deal:

By Jonathan Miles

Ceviche (seh-VEE-chay) is a South American staple in which chunks of fresh, raw fish are marinated in citrus juices, then tossed with a variety of ingredients into a salsalike mixture that makes for a dazzlingly refreshing lunch. Sushi-phobes, relax: The citric acid firms up the fish so that, while still raw, it tastes and feels cooked.* Best of all, you can prep this the night before your trip: Squeeze the limes and lemons into one zip-seal bag, and put the chopped ingredients into another. All you’ll need to do then is catch the fish.

By David Draper

We’ve run a couple of killer recipes lately from Field & Stream’s Wild Chef columnist, Jonathan Miles, including a cool Salt-Crusted Fish technique I’m dying to try. (Though I have to admit, using that much salt in one recipe really grates on the Scotch-Irish skinflint in me.) Still, what a unique way to fix up a whole fish for a great tableside presentation.

One technique we haven’t covered much of lately is grilling fish. I admit this is my fault, as I haven’t been able to get on the water in what seems like ages. Still, let’s go over a few tips for cooking fish over the coals, just in case someone takes pity on me and sends me a few fillets.