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[Smithy]

The dam has burst, and I've added yet another pair of cookbooks to my collection.

 

What happened was, Hank Shaw (he of the blog Hunter Angler Gardener Cook) was wrapping up a nationwide book tour at last weekend's Chick of the Woods Holiday Forest Fair in Chaska, Minnesota. He was also selling cookbooks. Here's what he wrote on his blog about the presentation:

 

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I’ll be demonstrating my recipe for Tarahumara mushrooms, roasted green chiles and wild greens — served on corn tortillas — at the fair. Obviously, I’ll be signing copies of all my books, too.

 

I missed the presentation. It was -16F here that morning, and I took a long time to get going, and I arrived too late. But the greenhouses were still packed with foragers and crafts, and he was still there signing and selling books when I arrived. He seems like a lovely man. I enjoyed chatting with him, to the degree I could: the table was busy, and everyone was chatting -- with him, with each other. It was a good time.

 

I came for his latest book:

 

 

Those of you who have read any of the Camping, Princess Style topic know that my darling and I spent a lot of time in the southwestern United States, especially at this time of year. (If he were still alive, we'd have been long gone from Minnesota.) I do like the food. I like the cultural mix. I like the idea of "borderlands" where everything is mixed and shared, and lines are blurred. (Well, it's supposed to be. 'Nuff said.)

 

Besides, I like Hank's writing. I've checked out some of his earlier books from the library. If I were a dedicated hunter, angler, gardener or forager I'd probably have bought some of them before now. This book is the first I've seen that looked like I could use it a lot...starting with making tortillas!

 

 

The book is broken down by region, with stories.

 

 

It's beautifully photographed (of course) and I love the inscription he wrote for me.

 

 

Well. As I said, the dam had burst by that time. He was discounting the books. I looked at all four that were available, and decided that I probably could get good use from this one as well, given my love of fish and seafood:

 

 

 

An example of a recipe I want to try:

 

 

It will all make good reading, and teach me good techniques (I hope), and give me some good ideas.