The Eat-A-Bug Cookbook

The ideal gift for your mother-in-law

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!

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.

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.