Ledis said she enjoys hunting and cooking with wild game, making use of as much of the animal as possible. She has even hauled hunted roe deer meat home from the forest herself.

"I like lean meat," she said. "Some cooks may add wild boar or fat to moose meat at home, but I rarely do."

Other commitments have kept her from hunting as often in recent years, but Ledis still gets caught up in the excitement whenever she heads into the woods, whether as a driver or with a gun.

She added that everything they bring home also gets tested. "When you hunt wild game, the meat all gets tested before it's prepared for food," she said.

Ledis said a good game pâté starts with liver and heart, but a splash of Vana Tallinn liqueur adds a distinctive touch.

"It's excellent seasoning," she added.

From snout to tail

The chef said other hunters will even sometimes leave boxes of meat at her kitchen door, asking her to put it to use. Her friends then reap the rewards as she shares whatever she cooks up, including moose liver pâté.

Next week is Game Meat Week in Estonia, with the tagline "From Snout to Tail."

Ledis admitted she hasn't mastered absolutely everything from snout to tail, but she enjoys cooking with a range of less conventional cuts.

"I really like tongue, heart and liver," she said. "Kidney, not so much."

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