Wild game chef and owner of Game Girl Gourmet, Holly Hearn, recently released her first cookbook entitled, When Doves Fly: A Celebration of Hunting, History, and Flavors Without Borders.
Her self-published book is in a digital format, and can be viewed on a computer, smart phone, or just about any other smart device or tablet. It includes 12 wild game recipes featuring dove, as well as written story introductions for each recipe, a field care guide for dove, the history of dove hunting, some of Hearn’s favorite hunting memories, and full color photography.
“This book isn’t just a collection of recipes,” Hearn said. “It is a look into how hunting and food connect us to the land, to each other, and to something bigger than ourselves.”
Hearn said the recipes in the book trace her journey as a wild game chef and the creation and evolution of her business, Game Girl Gourmet.
“From my very first attempts at elevating dove beyond the popper, to creative, globally inspired dishes, it is a reflection of five years of pouring my heart and soul into creating and writing recipes,” Hearn said. “The book is dedicated with gratitude to the Texas Dove Hunters Association. They believed in me before I ever imagined building a business around wild game cooking and gave me the opportunity to share my very first dove recipes in their publication.”
Hearn’s cookbook does not contain a single popper or taco recipe. It provides readers with a different and unique take on dove.
One of Hearn’s favorite sections of the book focuses on the history of dove hunting.
“It touches on how deep the roots of dove hunting really are from a historical aspect, and highlights periods throughout history in which various peoples from all over the world were hunting doves and preparing them for the dinner table,” Hearn said.
The field care guide included in the digital cookbook can be significantly helpful to dove hunters. Hearn said it provides tips to ensure doves maintain their integrity and quality from the field to the table, and everywhere in between.
“You wouldn’t ever buy a ribeye steak from the store and leave it sitting in the back of your truck all day,” Hearn said. “Yet plenty of hunters do that with doves all the time, tossing them in a pile or leaving them in the sun until it’s time to leave the field. The field care guide explains a few simple habits hunters can practice in the field to keep their doves clean, fresh, and ready for the table.”
Hearn said proper field care isn’t just about food safety.
“It’s about respect,” she said. “Every dove in a cooler represents time, effort, shells, and memories made in the field.”
Hearn said taking proper care of doves harvested in the field honors the hunt and ensures the meat tastes as good as it should.
“Field care is the starting point,” Hearn said. “The recipes in this book are the reward.”
According to Hearn, the atmosphere and camaraderie that go hand in hand with the sport of dove hunting played a large role in inspiring her cookbook all about doves.
“I just love the togetherness dove hunting promotes with those you share it with,” she said. “I feel like it’s the exact same feeling and atmosphere experienced when you share a delicious meal with close friends. To me, dove hunting and excellent food go hand in hand.”
Hearn’s digital cookbook can be purchased from the shop on her website at gamegirlgourmet.com. She hopes to be able to offer a printed version of the digital cookbook in the future.
