by David Draper

Pan Fried Catfish and Potatoes vs. Maple Syrup Lake Trout

I was hoping for an all fish Food Fight this week, but no one informed the guest of honor. I’ve been out fishing three times in the last week with nothing to show for my efforts—despite emptying several tanks of gas in the process, not to mention using up plenty of cutbait. Because the fish weren’t cooperating, I had to dig deep into my archives for a fish pic. Luckily, Wild Chef reader Will Fulmer (a.k.a. nuclear_fisher) helped me out with a suitable opponent for my tasty, albeit tired, fried catfish photo.

by David Draper

Mongolian Elk vs. Turkey Curry

What I like about Wild Chef readers is they’re not afraid to get creative in the kitchen. It’s good to know there are some wild-game cooks out there playing hooky from the cream-of-mushroom-soup school of wild game cooking. We’ve got a couple great examples this week, as readers Chris Johnson and Levi Banks weigh in with a couple of mouthwatering dishes, both which offer some international flair.

Personally, I’m a bit torn on which to vote for, but I can probably predict how readers are going to swing this. That turkey curry looks and sounds delicious. Plus, any photo featuring both a bottle of Sriracha and a sippy cup of milk has got to be a winner. Still, you love your venison, which is usually a lock on Food Fight Fridays. But maybe you’ll surprise me this week.

By David Draper

It seems like every November, we outdoorsmen and women get bombarded with all-deer, all-the-time. Heck, I admit I’m spending all of this week on stand and am blogging about deer over at the Great Plains Rut Report. But, we should remember there are still a lot of folks who haven’t given up fishing for the season. Methinks they’re the smart ones, because they’ve probably had the water all to themselves while the rest of us are climbing trees. So, in honor of all the hardy anglers out there, here’s a cool cooking tip from Wild Chef reader Shawn McCardell of Frederick, Maryland.

by Colin Kearns

I don’t know about you, but I love Italian food. So when chef Mark Leslie offered to share a few of his wilder and fishier recipes from his new cookbook, Beyond the Pasta, with The Wild Chef, I jumped at the chance. Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll be sharing recipes from his book. Today’s recipe calls for trout, and it looks delicious enough to make me wish I could call it a day and go fishing.

Along with the recipes, Leslie also donated two copies of his book to give away. Here’s how you can win: Every Friday on The Wild Chef we publish an edition of “Food Photo Friday.” We always welcome shots from readers, and this week we’ll send a copy of Beyond the Pasta to the two readers who send the most delicious-looking photos. (E-mail your shots to fswildchef@gmail.com). We’ll announce the winners on Friday afternoon. Good luck!