Eat-a-bug Cookbook: 33 Ways To Cook Grasshoppers, Ants, Water Bugs, Spiders, Centipedes, And Their Kin Download Free (EPUB, PDF)
The Essentials of Bug Cookery…From Soup to Gnats “Waiter, there’s a fly in my soup!” Or wait…maybe it’s a katydid, a silkworm, or a tasty young bee. Anything’s possible at the Eat-A-Bug Cafe, otherwise known as the kitchen of naturalist David George Gordon, entomological epicure extraordinaire. Gordon has gone to the ends of the earth, to his backyard, and under the refrigerator to find culinary inspiration, and now, after years of experimentation with entomophagy (that’s bug-eating, for those of you in the cheap seats), he presents the results with relish…or at least a light cream sauce. Now you too can tantalize and terrify your family and friends with Gordon’s one-of-a-kind recipes, including Really Hoppin’ John (grasshoppers add that little extra kick), Pest-O (common garden weevils get their comeuppance in a delicate basil sauce) and Fried Green Tomato Hornworm (the Whistle Stop Cafe was never like this!)Anecdotes, insights and culinary tips (such as the right wine to serve with scorpions) make this truly a book like no other. Follow the detailed instructions, and your guests will ask for seconds, just like folks at David’s notorious cooking demos. Open your culinary horizons. Buy this book. Eat a bug.
Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: Ten Speed Press; 1st Ed. edition (June 1, 1998)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0898159776
ISBN-13: 978-0898159776
Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 0.3 x 9.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #457,748 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #220 in Books > Science & Math > Biological Sciences > Animals > Insects & Spiders #2919 in Books > Science & Math > Nature & Ecology > Fauna #16751 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine
While I originally bought this as a gag gift for my wife (no pun intended), once we tried some of the recipes we found that we really enjoyed it. Even our son has taken a liking to the recipes (so far, crickets are his favorite). If you can get past your initial apprehension, you'll really enjoy the recipes. Oddly enough, I've also found that I'm no longer asked to bring in dishes for our carry-ins at work.
I had the pleasure of assisting Mr. Gordon at the Pacific Science Center here in Seattle, where he prepared Orzo with Crickets for an audience of stunned adults and captivated kids (not to mention animal-rights protesters--forget the Makah whale hunts, let's keep people from eating insects!). I was skeptical at first--and it *was* disconcerting to see "bugs" in the sample that I ate--but the bottom line is any dish with orzo, peppers, garlic, and butter will taste good! The crickets add a mild flavor and interesting texture. Try it. You might squirm at first, but you'll like it.Maybe this will be the next Seattle craze to sweep the nation. Move over, Starbucks!
When British scientist J.B.S. Haldane was asked what could be inferred about the Almighty from a lifelong study of nature, he replied (given that there are 400,000 species of beetles, compared with only 8,000 species of mammals) that God must have Òan inordinate fondness for beetles.Ó If beetles and other insects are so abundant, why doesnÃt everyone eat bugs instead of plants, fish, birds, and chemically-fattened mammals? As explained in this prankish yet valuable guide to entomophagy (Latin for Òbug-eatingÓ), we already eat insects, inadvertently, in the sense that the FDAÃs food safety regulations allow up to 60 aphids in 3 1/2 ounces of frozen broccoli, 74 mites in 100 grams of canned mushrooms, and so on. They canÃt be completely kept out of our food, and, so long as we donÃt know weÃre eating them, theyÃre not only tasty, theyÃre rich in nutrients (a grasshopper, for example, is more than 20 per cent protein, and crickets are an excellent source of calcium). This parody of a typical cookbook concludes with a 3-page list of suppliers of edible anthropods (whether live or ready to serve), manufacturers of exotic toothpicks, and organizations that sponsor bug-eating extravaganzas. The author, who has a weakness for bad puns (among his recipes are ÒParty Pupae,Ó ÒThree Bee Salad,Ó ÒPest-O,Ó and ÒFried Green Tomato Horn WormÓ), has written such earlier popular books as The Compleat Cockroach and Field Guide to the Slug (which the New York Times described as ÒgrippingÓ). (Review from Ballast Quarterly Review, Vol 14 No 2 Winter 1998-99)
This is a great book! Gordon uses the grossness of the topic to suck the reader into an informed discussion of science, history, anthropology, popular culture, and culinary arts. He does an excellent job of providing engaging "factoids" on every page. You can pick up this book, turn to any page, and find a lively, hilarious discussion.
I find this book to be delightful, as well as the good recipies. Of course, that view is not shared by all of my family members (very few in my family have ventured to test my creations.) I was lucky enough to be present at a demonstration by Mr. Gordon at a Bug Fest, so I have tasted the way the author himself prepares them. It might not be suitable for the pickier members of your family, but I have quite enjoyed the book and the recipies.
As someone who cooks and serves insects frequently (to rave reviews!), I can not say enough good things about this book.It is the perfect primer for the beginning bug-eater, and a wonderful compilation of information even for the informed entomophagist. I refer to, quote, and am inspired by this book on a regular basis. It is a great combination of broad knowledge and the author's own brand of snappy, humorous writing and great selection of illustrations and photos.Beyond all of this, the recipes actually work. Regular people who've never knowingly eaten a bug in their life will take a bite and say, "Huh, that's pretty good, actually!"With the world currently opening its eyes to the benefits of edible insects, this book will prove to be a significant contributor to the evolving foodscape.Get it so you can say you read it first!
Beautifully and profusely illustrated, as well as well written, this book should be on every coffee table and would make an excellent gift for any occasion. Everybody (no matter how much they protest) is fascinated by the undeniable fact that almost all those creepy crawly creatures are edible, and often nutritious and delicious. As an author and a very curious traveler, I have gone out of my way on four continents to find and to sample various strange foods. Mr. Gordon's recipes are clear and appealing and if you can't catch them yourself, he tells you just where you can buy these tasty little morsels. Bon Apetit.
The ideal gift for your mother-in-law
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