Matthew Vercant, NYSFA Editor
Here at NYSFA we like to eat, and we like to get educated (or "schooled" as the young folks might have it). We're pleased to bring NYS and the broader North American Region issues of our journal, the Mews News, annually. We have fun with it, for sure. Sometimes it's even educational.
This year, we're doing something different - a contest for anyone in North America to enter! Our second issue this year will be entitled "The Falconer's Cookbook" and will be a collection of recipes from around North America, using common game animals as their base. Here's the kicker though; for that issue to happen you must submit your favorite recipes!
How to Enter
Submit your favorite game-meat or related recipe to the NYSFA editor Matt Vercant at editor@NYSFA.org. He and a panel of judges from our board and around NYS will review the entries, probably try eating quite a few of them, and select the winners based on a combination of perceived literary and culinary merit - e.g. "did it read well and stay down when we ate it?" We're joking about the second bit. Maybe.
Prizes
The top 10 entries (at least) will be published in the Fall 2023 Mews News, titled "The Falconer's Cookbook." The grand prize, as selected by our judges, will receive a $200 cash prize, and the runner up will get a $50 prize. Both grand prize and runners up will receive 2 complimentary copies of the Mews News they are featured in.
That sounds cool, how do I get a copy?
Folks who want to get a copy of the Mews News for Fall 2023 can pick up an Associate Membership in the NYSFA at https://nysfa.org/membership/ and get both copies of the 2023 journals.
Rules
The rules here on ingredients are loose, but the key thing is that the main ingredient has to be something that a raptor you have flown can take in North America. Submissions should take the form of a recipe, including specific measurements and quantities (e.g. not "Flour. Salt. Butter" but specific directions on how much and how to use it). Specify your geographic region (e.g. "Pacific North West" or "Montana" are both acceptable - ya'll don't need to give us your home address)
The following additions will be looked on favorably
- High resolution photos of your meal being cooked, prepared, etc.
- A narrative describing acquisition of your core ingredient, the raptor it was taken with, or any bits about the cooking process that an audience might find informative or amusing
- Bonus points for a sense of humor, hubris, or humility (or all 3)
- Using other foraged ingredients specific to your region
You can't win if you're a board member or employed by NYSFA in any capacity, or related to someone who is. Sorry, we love you all, but that would be pretty unfair. Also, some of you have eaten my cooking, so let's be honest; I won't be winning this contest.
Other upcoming events
We hope you'll join us for our annual field meet on November 3-5 2023, details TBA, or Green Chimneys Birds of Prey Day this summer. We'll also be hosting an annual summer picnic sometime in June, watch the Calendar page of NYSFA.org for details.