“I love the sweet aroma of squirrel, and I’m surprised at most folks’ inexperience with serving the little guys,” says chef Levon Wallace, who heads up the kitchen at Proof on Main in Louisville, Ky.

As the kitchen manager at the Odd Soul, a pizzeria and bar in Springdale, Arkansas, Addie Hayes is used to spending Saturday mornings in front of a stove. But today, she’s a little out of her element.

Squirrels seem to be everywhere until you need a few for your Buttermilk Fried Squirrel recipe. On stage at Smithsonian Food History Weekend, Chef Jason Flores and I shared Oklahoma-style cooking and ...