The Art of Cooking Venison I am a California native who had never eaten venison. That changed when we moved to Upstate New York and my son Michael went hunting, bagged a deer, hung it in a tree in our backyard, then butchered it himself and packaged it. He filled our freezer leaving me no room for anything else. Now what was I to do? I began with something very basic, but I didn't want to taste it. I dragged myself to the dinner table, watched the others fix their plates and then it was my turn. I begrudgingly took my knife and fork in my hand, cut a slice of the venison that was on my plate and put it in my mouth. I knew I was just going to hate it. The thought of the rest of the venison in packages in the freezer filled my mind. Well, I took that first bite and...WOW! I realized this wasn't going to be so bad. I was going to have fun coming up with different ways to prepare this wonderful meat. Since then I have had fun playing and creating many distinctive recipes. Some of the recipes in the book are very basic and are great for the beginner. Others are very artful, geared toward the more sophisticated cooks that may want to show off their culinary skills. No matter which recipe you choose to try there are suggestions for side dishes and they are all perfectly paired with just the right wine for your dining experience. Have fun, be creative, and above all encourage your husbands and sons to go hunting. If you are lucky enough and they come home with deer change your attitude about eating it and dig in! You will be glad you did. Jerilyn Zaveral