Show Notes
What happens when a professional chef, hunter, and angler sets out to make wild game cooking easier for everyone? This week on Huntavore, Nick welcomes back Jeff Benda of Wild Game and Fish to talk about his journey from professional chef and Uber driver to full-time wild game recipe developer and cookbook author. Jeff shares the story behind his new Wild Game and Fish Cookbook, a resource designed to help hunters and anglers turn their hard-earned harvests into delicious, approachable meals.
Jeff explains how years of experimenting in the kitchen, drawing inspiration from international cuisines, and cooking with whatever ingredients were available helped shape his approach to wild game cooking. His cookbook focuses on practical, family-friendly recipes with accessible ingredients, clear instructions, and meals that fit into busy schedules. With more than 100 recipe testers helping refine the dishes, Jeff has worked to ensure that home cooks can confidently prepare everything from venison and waterfowl to freshwater fish.
The conversation also explores the challenges of building a business around a passion, the importance of perseverance, and why supporting independent authors by purchasing directly from their websites matters. Jeff discusses the value of trustworthy, thoroughly tested recipes in an age of AI-generated cooking content and encourages listeners to visit the original creators for reliable instructions and inspiration.
Whether you're looking for new ways to use what's already in your freezer, hoping to introduce your family to wild game, or searching for a cookbook to give a fellow hunter this holiday season, this episode is packed with ideas to help you make the most of your harvest.
In This Episode
- From passion to profession: Jeff's journey from chef and caterer to building Wild Game and Fish into a full-time business.
- The story behind the cookbook: How years of recipe development, experimentation, and inspiration from other cuisines led to the Wild Game and Fish Cookbook.
- Wild game cooking for busy families: Simple recipes designed for weeknight dinners, with many taking around 30 minutes or using a slow cooker.
- Making ingredients accessible: Why Jeff tested recipes using ingredients available at everyday grocery stores.
- Cooking with what you have: Adapting recipes to the species, cuts, and quantities of wild game and fish in your freezer.
- The importance of recipe testing: How feedback from more than 100 testers helped make the recipes detailed, reliable, and approachable.
- Preserving the art of recipe development: Why Jeff encourages cooks to visit original recipe websites instead of relying solely on AI-generated summaries.
- Supporting independent creators: The impact of purchasing cookbooks directly from authors and helping them sustain their work.
- A cookbook built for real kitchens: Hardcover construction, full-color photography, one-page recipes, and practical instructions designed for everyday use.
About Jeff Benda
Jeff Benda is a hunter, angler, former professional chef, and the creator of Wild Game and Fish. Through his website and new cookbook, Jeff helps people discover approachable ways to prepare wild game and fish using accessible ingredients and dependable recipes.
Find Jeff and His Recipes
- Website and cookbook: wildgameandfish.com
- Instagram: @wildgameandfish
- Direct link: Wild Game & Fish Cookbook – Wild Game & Fish Media
Visit Jeff's website for the cookbook, hundreds of wild game and fish recipes, and a newsletter featuring new recipes and hunting stories.
Takeaway
You don't need complicated ingredients or professional kitchen skills to make great wild game meals. Start with what you have in the freezer, find a recipe you can trust, and make wild game a regular part of your family's table.
Thanks for listening to Huntavore! Whether you're filling the freezer this season or figuring out what to cook from last year's harvest, keep exploring new ways to enjoy wild game—and remember to keep those knives sharp.
