The description of the new cookbook "Pheasants, Quail, Cottontail" states: "Pheasants, quail, rabbits, doves, grouse and more -- these are singular species with grand culinary traditions that offer the cook an unmatched range of flavors. Many cooks fear the fowl, however." The April release is the fourth and latest book from award-winning food writer/chef/forager/fisher/hunter Hank Shaw, and also happens to serve as the inspiration for The Hive chef Matthew McClure's four-course Wild Game Dinner, happening Sept. 7.
"I, myself, grew up hunting and fishing, and I'm very much connected to the rural landscape of Arkansas," McClure shares. "It's definitely one of the [most] positive memories I have growing up. So to apply that with my developed skill set and cooking now, and then how Hank draws inspiration, too, there's a lot of similarities."
FAQ
Wild Game Dinner
With Author Hank Shaw
WHEN — 6:30 p.m. Sept. 7
WHERE — The Hive at 21c Museum Hotel in Bentonville
COST — $75
INFO — 286-6517, thehivebentonville.…
FYI — Price does not include beverages, tax or gratuity, but each guest will receive a signed copy of the book to take home, included in the ticket price, to cook their own inspired dinners.
With Shaw in the middle of promoting his new book -- and the annual World Champion Squirrel Cook-Off happening in Bentonville that same weekend -- the collaborative dinner fell together naturally after the festival organizers invited Shaw to town to judge the competition. Now, The Hive chefs have the opportunity to stretch their wings, as it were, with a culinary challenge while guests at the Wild Game Dinner will hear Shaw discuss recipes and experiences, and come away with a signed copy of the cookbook.
"I'm not afraid of a little bit of spice. I'm very interested in flavor bombs -- dishes that just grab your attention," McClure says of his cooking style at The Hive. "And, you know, wild game can be like that on its own. Wild animals, they have more flavor. And they want to be treated a certain way [in the dish].
"This is a great example of what's going on in Bentonville and Northwest Arkansas, where we've got a great relationship [between] the past, the present and the future. And it's really exciting to be a part of that."
-- Jocelyn Murphy
NAN What's Up on 09/02/2018