Passport to Texas

Preparing red snapper at Central Market Cooking School in Austin. Image: Bruce Biermann

"Gulfstravaganza" Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

If something smells a little fishy, it might be the next Wild Game & Fish Cooking collaboration between Texas Parks and Wildlife and Central Market Cooking Schools. It’s coming up May 14 and features goodness from the Gulf. It’s a “Gulfstravaganza!”

Whether you’re a beginning cook or a seasoned pro, it’s always fun to learn new preparations for old favorites. And if shrimp, crab and fin fish from the Gulf top your list, then you’re in luck. Here’s what you have to look forward to in the May 14 hands-on class:

Shrimp Queso Flameado with Ranchera Salsa; Gulf Crab Enchiladas with Herbed Pumpkin Seed Mole; and Gulf Fish with Achiote Rub, Pickled Red Onions & Chipotle Mayonnaise.

A Central Market Chef Instructor will guide you as you cook, while a Texas Parks and Wildlife volunteer will fill you in on the agency’s mission as well as wildlife and fisheries management. They also fill you in on the protein gracing your plate. And if you have questions about fishing and hunting and enjoying the outdoors—they can help you there, too.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife and Central Market wild game and fish cooking collaborations offer an evening of camaraderie, learning, good food and fun. Find a link to register for the May 14 class at passporttotexas.org.

We receive support for our show from RAM Trucks: Built to Serve.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

A past dish prepared at Central Market Cooking Schools.

Fish and Game Cooking with a Tropical Twist Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

Learning to cook can be fun, especially when you attend a Texas Parks and Wildlife / Central Market Cooking School wild game and fish class.

We joined forces to introduce non-hunting and fishing food enthusiasts to the joys of wild proteins, and to help hunters and anglers learn a few new culinary tips and tricks to get the best flavor from the animals they harvest.

We hold classes the second Tuesday of every other month; we have one coming up in March. The recipes will have a tropical twist this time around, and feature crab, wild boar and shrimp with the flavors of coconuts, plantains and luscious fruits, like pineapple.

At each class a TPW volunteer shares information about wildlife management and conservation in Texas.

Classes take place in Austin, Houston, San Antonio, Fort Worth, Dallas, Plano and Southlake.

Find a link to the locations, full class description and menu, as well as how to register at passporttotexas.org.

And you can also find wild game and fish recipes on the Texas parks and Wildlife website.

We record our series in Austin at the Block House, and Joel Block engineers our program.

We receive support for our show in part from RAM Trucks: built to serve.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife, I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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Here’s the menu for the March 12 class:

• Cornmeal (polenta) with Crab, Tomatoes & Bell Peppers served with Green Plantain Chips
• Oven-roasted Wild Boar with Jamaican Seasonings, Pineapple Salsa & Sweet Potato Mash
• Coconut Shrimp with Lime

Class registration is simple. Just go the Central Market Cooking School main page, find the school in your area, click on the link, and then search the calendar for the TPWD class.

Follow the directions and you’ll be all set.

Redfish is on the menu for the August 14, 2018 Central Market Wild Game & Fish Cooking Class. Photo: Cecilia Nasti

Take Your Kid to Class (Cooking Class) Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

Here’s something fun to do before school starts: take the kids to the August Central Market Wild Game and Fish cooking class.

The kids will be back in school soon, so this would be a tasty bonding opportunity. The August 14 cooking class is a collaboration between Texas Parks and Wildlife and Central Market, and takes place at Central Market Cooking Schools in Austin, Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth, Plano and Southlake,

Learn alongside your child as a Texas Parks and Wildlife biologist, hunter education specialist, game warden or angler education instructor joins the class to explain the importance of managing and conserving our natural resources, including wildlife and habitat. They also share interesting trivia about what’s on the plate that night.

Meanwhile, the Central Market Cooking School instructors will guide you as you chop, sear, grill, stir and bake your way to a delicious meal of wild game and fish.

You’ll leave the class with memories, a deeper connection to nature, full bellies and copies the recipes you made in class to try again when you get home. Tasty homework.

Menu for the August 14 Class:

• Grilled Catfish with Hatch Summer Succotash;
• Striped Bass Poached with Hatch Chiles & Soy Sauce; and
• Baked Redfish with Hatch-Tomato Sauce.

Find registration information for the Tuesday, August 14 TPW/Central Market Wild Game and Fish cooking School Class at passporttotexas.org. [Click on the link above, and locate the cooking school closest to you and then click on the date of the class.]

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Learning to cook wild game and fish at Central Market Cooking Schools

What's for Dinner? Game and Fish! Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

Every other month, Texas Parks and Wildlife teams up with Central Market Cooking Schools statewide to offer classes on wild game and fish cookery.

The next class is Tuesday, March 13.

Why do we do it? The reason is multi-faceted. We want to introduce folks to the wide variety of healthy, sustainable and delicious native proteins available in Texas.

We also want to let people know that hunting and fishing needn’t be scary, difficult or costly. Plus, if you want to know where your food comes from, there’s no doubt when you harvest it yourself.

And, of course, we want to let everyone know how Texas Parks and Wildlife works to conserve and manage species and habitat throughout the state for all Texans. That’s why in each class we have a Texas Parks and Wildlife representative on hand to talk about the agency and answer your questions.

The March 13th Central Market / Texas Parks and Wildlife fish and game cooking class takes place in Austin, Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth, Plano and Southlake.

This month’s menu: Crawfish Etouffee with Bacon; Roasted Prosciutto-wrapped Red Fish with Basil-Parsley Pesto; and Venison & Bacon Sausage with Red Pepper & Rosemary.

Find registration information at passporttotexas.org.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration program supports our series.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

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• Austin
• Houston
• Dallas
• San Antonio
• Fort Worth
• Plano
• Southlake

Preparing red snapper at Central Market Cooking School in Austin. Image: Bruce Biermann

Learn to Cook Fish that Everyone Enjoys Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This is Passport to Texas

If one of your resolutions for 2018 includes catching, cooking and eating more fish, we’re here to help.

Freshwater and saltwater fish and shellfish are a great source of omega 3 fatty acids, something most of us lack in our Standard American Diet…the acronym for which is SAD.

In Texas, we have fishing opportunities statewide. But once you’ve caught them, then what? Some of us don’t have much experience preparing fish. So we steer clear.

However, this month’s Texas Parks and Wildlife cooking class collaboration with Central Market cooking schools, will help get you past this aversion. It’s a hands-on class that will have you preparing fish like a pro—with a citrus twist.

The menu for this class includes Fried Oyster Tacos with Citrus Salsa; Roasted Red Snapper with Citrus & Pistachios; & Blackened Redfish with Quick Cabbage & Lemon Butter. Happy New Year, right?

Classes are Tuesday, January 9 in Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Plano and Southlake. Historically, fish and seafood classes tend to fill fast.

Find registration information at passporttotexas.org [click on the links above to the school closest to you].

The Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.