Most outdoor folks that I know love to eat, especially this time of the year. So let’s talk food and family recipes. For most of October, my wife Diane and I worked as camp cooks for an elk outfitter in the mountains of Western Colorado. We learned a few things, sometimes by trial and error. For one thing, we learned that good biscuits will make up for a multitude of culinary sins and shortcomings. I’ve been playing around with biscuit recipes for years. For a long time, Bakewell Cream biscuits were the creme de la creme – until we discovered Angel Biscuits. I know, the name just doesn’t have an outdoors ring to it. So change the name to suit your tastes. But don’t mess with the recipe. It’s as good as biscuits get. The other two recipes are special, too. Nana’s mincemeat was a recipe handed down by my mother’s mother, and Diane’s Deerburger Soup (my wife’s creation) is the best cold-weather repast I have ever tasted.

Don’t forget the biscuits!

Angel Biscuits

1 pk dry yeast

2-3 tablspns warm water

5 cups flower

1/3 cup sugar

2 cups buttermilk

1 tblspn baking powder

1 ts salt

1 ts soda

1 cup shortening

Sift dry ingredients into mixing bowl and cut in shortening thoroughly. In separate small bowl mix yeast, warm water and buttermilk. Add to dry ingredients and stir into dough. With floured hands, shape into ball and roll out on bread board about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Cut out biscuit size and place on baking tin. Brush on beaten egg yolk to top of uncooked biscuits. Bake in oven at 400 degrees about 15-20 minutes, or until brown on top.

Nana’s Mincemeat

5 C. deer meat

7 C. apples

1 C. suet

1 orange (skin and all)

2 C. molasses

3 C. sugar (part brown sugar)

3 C. cider

2 C. vinegar

4 t. salt

4 t. cinnamon

4 t. Gloves

t. pepper

2 pounds raisins

Cook deer meat first and remove from bone. Grind deer into deerburger.

Cook deer meat, apples, suet, and orange until apples are soft. Add remaining ingredients and cook till browned up and glazed over (about three hours). Place hot into sterilized jars. Makes about 11 pints.

Diane’s Deerburger Soup

2 lbs ground lean venison

4 garlic cloves minced

1 big onion chopped

1 tbs. olive oil

1 cup diced celery

1-2 cups diced carrots

corn cut from 4 frozen ears ( or 1 can whole kernel corn drained)

4-5 whole frozen garden tomatoes ( or 1 large can of whole tomatoes)

half can of beef broth, or 2 beef bullion cubes

1 tsp. Worcestershire

bayleaf, basil, fresh ground pepper, salt

1 tsp. sugar

To prepare, heat olive oil in large sauce pan. Add garlic, onion and meat. Cook on low heat for few minutes until meat is browned and onion is transparent. Then add broth and small amount (cup) of water. (You might need to add more water later). Add remainder of recipe and simmer until carrots are tender. Diane suggests experimenting with your favorite herbs. She believes that the herbs and veggies from the home garden and freezer really make the difference.

Happy Thanksgiving.

The author is editor of the Northwoods Sporting Journal. He is also a Maine Guide, co-host of a weekly radio program “Maine Outdoors” heard Sundays at 7 p.m. on The Voice of Maine News-Talk Network (WVOM-FM 103.9, WCME-FM 96.7) and former information officer for the Maine Dept. of Fish and Wildlife. His e-mail address is [email protected].