I’ve never been a gourmet cook, probably because of my upbringing. Both of my grandmothers were simple country girls who prepared simple, country meals. Each had their strengths. My maternal grandmother was from Tennessee. Her fried chicken and green beans were delicious. My paternal grandmother’s home made cinnamon rolls, blueberry muffins, and fruit pies were spectacular. Beef, pork, chicken, and on rare occasions, fish were the entree choices. My mom never mastered the art of anything which resembled spaghetti sauce, but to this day, her banana cakes light up my life.
As a mom, I tried to introduce my kids to different foods. My youngest ate only micro-waved chicken fingers and hot dogs for years. The thought of ingesting a piece of lettuce, a slice of tomato, or a cooked vegetable gagged her. My eldest was a bit more daring. Bring on spaghetti and meatballs, stuffed peppers, cabbage rolls, prime rib, and baked potatoes smothered with sour cream. She also acquired a taste for sushi and Chinese cuisine.
Fortunately now, both my kids and I frequent Mexican and Chinese restaurants, for I can’t duplicate their culinary expertise. When we’re in NYC, we eat cheese cake. (Yes, we have compiled a list of best to so-so.)
Admittedly, I’ve never prepared veal, lamb, elk, javelina, deer, nor pheasant. My thought of preparing brains, liver, or mountain oysters gags me. So you can imagine how I reacted to a high-end magazine feature entitled, Welcome to the New World of Eating Insects.
Dragonflies, ants, grasshoppers, cicadas, water bugs, and..freaking scorpions and tarantulas! According to one source: “over 2 billion people regularly rely on one of the 1,900 edible species of insects as a source of protein.” Cricket-flour chips are becoming a rage.
And to those of you who’ve been invited to my party next week, please don’t come before dark, if you want fried moths and palmetto beetles.
Dr. Suze Espouses 