Most outdoor folks that I know love to eat, especially this time of the year. So let’s talk food and family recipes. A couple of times in the past few years, my wife Diane and I have worked as camp cooks at some far-away-wonderful wilderness places in Colorado and Labrador. 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 taste. 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 package dry yeast

2-3 tablespoons warm water

5 cups flower

1/3 cup sugar

2 cups buttermilk

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon soda

1 cup shortening

Sift dry ingredients into mixing bowl and cut in shortening thoroughly. In a 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 cups deer meat

7 cups apples

1 cup suet

1 orange (skin and all)

2 1/2 cups molasses

3 cups sugar (part brown sugar)

3 cups cider

2 cups vinegar

4 teaspoons salt

4 teaspoons cinnamon

4 teaspoons Gloves

1/2 teaspoon 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 pounds ground lean venison

4 garlic cloves minced

1 big onion chopped

1 tablespoon 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 teaspoon Worcestershire

bayleaf, basil, fresh ground pepper, salt

1 teaspoon 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.

V. Paul Reynolds is editor of the Northwoods Sporting Journal. His e-mail address is [email protected].