Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 27, 1991 TAG: 9102270310
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: E-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RENEE TAWA LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS
DATELINE: LOS ANGELES LENGTH: Medium
At Iowa State University, students staged an Insect Horror Film Festival, which included a tasting event, according to the Food Insects Newsletter of the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
There also was a petting zoo with hissing cockroaches, drone bees, tarantulas and a giant water beetle.
Cynthia Lidtke, an entomology student who helped plan the September 1990 festival, is quoted as saying people should appreciate insects more.
"I hope they won't just step on them anymore and say, `Well, there's another one.' "
Entomologists, including newsletter editor Gene DeFoliart, say insects could be a valuable food resource - if only people could overcome their squeamishness.
To tempt the palate, entomologists have developed insect recipes.
Chocolate covered crickets
This recipe was featured at Iowa State University's Insect Tasting Event.
2 squares of semi-sweet chocolate
25 dry roasted crickets and/or grasshoppers with legs and wings plucked
Melt chocolate as directed on the box. Dip insects in chocolate, place on wax paper and refrigerate until party.
Insect preparation: To clean insects, place in a colander or fine mesh strainer, rinse and pat dry. Dry roast in a 200-degree oven, until crispy. They can be ground into flour, cut into pieces or used whole.
> Grasshopper fritters
This is from Ronald Taylor's book, "Butterflies in My Stomach" and reported in the Food Insects Newsletter.
3/4 cup sifted flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup grasshoppers
Sift flour, baking powder and salt together into a bowl. Slowly add milk and beat until smooth. Add egg and beat well.
Pluck off grasshopper wings and legs, heads optional. Dip insects in egg batter and deep fry. Salt and serve.
Six legs surprise
This recipe is from the San Francisco Zoo's Insect Zoo.
8 hard-boiled eggs
3 tablespoons onion juice
2 tablespoons sour cream
4 tablespoons sauteed mealworms, chopped, with minced garlic to taste
Remove yolk from eggs and mash with onion juice, sour cream and mealworms. Fill egg halves with mixture.
Crispy Cajun crickets
A recipe from the Cajun Cricket Monthly, reported in the Food Insects Newsletter.
1 cup healthy crickets
2 tablespoons butter
Salt, garlic, chili or hot sauce to taste
Place crickets into a large, clean and airy container (add a pinch of oatmeal for food). After one day, remove sick crickets and freeze the remainder.
Wash frozen crickets in tap water, spread on cookie sheet and roast in oven at lowest setting.
Melt butter and add salt, garlic, chili or hot sauce.
When crickets become crunchy, sprinkle them with butter sauce and serve.
by CNB