Steven Rinella grew up in Twin Lake, Michigan and learned to hunt and fish at an early age. This love of hunting and the outdoors has now become quite a career as an author, television personality, podcaster, and conservationist. He breaks the stereotype we have of the “American hunter” – when he explores a subject, he nerds out so spectacularly that I have come to appreciate his level of intellect and extensive research.
The Scavenger’s Guide to Haute Cuisine (2006) – The first book in the Steven Rinella canon. Steven sets out to recreate the recipes from master chef Escoffier’s classic 1903 Le Guide Culinaire to get back to where the history of modern food got its start.
American Buffalo: In Search of a Lost Icon (2009) – After tripping on a buffalo skull in Montana, Steven stumbles into an obsession that leads him to explore the iconography and history of this magnificent animal. From the story of buffalo nickels to the curious Oxford scholar giving away a free refrigerator with any skeleton you’re willing to take from her, his reportage rings with respect, humor, and hard facts. I highly recommend the audiobook – read by the author himself!
In 2012, Steven started MeatEater on the Sportsman Channel, which moved to Netflix in 2018. He also wrote a few more books during that time:
- Meat Eater: Adventures from the Life of an American Hunter (2013)
- The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game: Volume 1, Big Game (2015)
- The Complete Guide to Hunting, Butchering, and Cooking Wild Game: Volume 2, Small Game and Fowl (2015)
- The MeatEater Fish and Game Cookbook (2018)
- The Meateater Guide To Wilderness Skills and Survival (2020) – One of our favorite birthday gifts for our hiking and climbing pals. It offers techniques and tips from folks who have logged the miles.
MeatEater’s Campfire Stories: Close Calls (2021) – The newest addition is only available as a downloadable audiobook, but truly this is the best way to experience these stories because they are told from the survivors themselves. Download it to your cell phone, and play it round the campfire.
In so many different ways, Steven guides you through this primal world, but not at all uncultured. Enjoy the ride!
My kiddo’s recommendation: Buffalo Music by Tracey E. Fern
~posted by Kara P.
Shelf Talk 