Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-24
A UNIQUE BANQUET!
The EntOmolOeical Society to Dine on
Bugs and Other Things.

The chronological Society of Washing
ton is a successful organization conipris-
ing some thrty-fve resident ard 100 cor
responding members. and which has been
holding regular monthly meetings since
1854.
The date of the one hunlredth regular
meeting of the society is rapidly approach
ing, and the members propose to celebrate
the event by dinner, at which some en-
tirely new dishes will be ser.cd.
A Star reporter gained an inkling of the
matter from a scientific friend and hunted
up a prominent member of the society," who,
after some persuasion, said:
I'VE are reasonably sure. from our own
individual experience and rom the writings
of prominent entCmolCgistS, not only that
certain insects may become staple articles
of food in times of famine. hut that certain
deiicacies fit for the table of the epicure,
vet TO be found among this group OF
creatures. You remember, without doubt,
the efforts which Prof. Riley made in 1876
10 introduce SraSshopperS rs a diet among
the starving farmers of Kansas and Colo
RADIO, ard YOU recall the stock stories of
travellers In the West Indies and South
America about the palm weevil and how it
is fried in oil and eaten as d lelicacy by the
natives
Some Original Dishes.
I'VE intend to follow up whatever sug-
gestions have been made, so far We can
get the material. and some entirely orig
inal dishes will be attempted. 1t will be a
little early in the season for grasshop-
pers. but corresponding member of the
society in Texas has promised to send a
supply of an early Texas variety to Wash
inYton. From these it is proposed to make
a bisque by slowly stewing them until all
the strength is extracted and then thick
ening with finely minced forcemeat.
Just what to use for this forcemeat is I'M
decided and the committee is hesitating
between wood lice and bark-boring grubs
Experiments will probably have to be
made in advance, as the exact flavor of
neither of these ingredients is accurately
known
Another corr espondng member, who
lives in Florida, has been requested to To-
cate at once a large number of weevil-in-
Tested palms so that at just the right time
a large numbe- of juicy. Ueevil larvae may
be secured and sent to Washington in sec
tions of the wood. Here they will be scald-
ed in hot water and fried in olive oil and
served with peas in place of sweetbreads.
Fortunately the SeVenteen-year locust is
due in Virginia and the District of Column
bia this year. and about the 10th of May
just about the time of the meeting-the
appetizng grubs will be coming up from
the ground and transforming to pupae by
the thousands on the tree trunks about
Washington. Prof. Riley made number
of experiments with this insect as a food
in 1885, ard found that while it lacked
substance, its flavor was good and 1t might
in fact be called delicacy. Here then
we have precedent to guide us, and these
| insects Will be parched over a quick fire
and will be served cold as a substitute for
sailed almonds.
Substitute for Terrapin.
"An interesting dish, which will be serv-
ed very thick stew and which will, at
least on the menu of this dinner, take the
Mace of fprrapin will "a of
and bee grubs. These plump and clean in
sects will be treated just like terrapin meat
and will be favored in just the same way.
Honey, that well-known insect product
will be used as much rs POSSIBLE and what
ever pastry and confections are needed will
be composed largely of this delicious sub
stance. The place of lemon in the punch
will be taken by the juices OF crushed ants
since it has long been known that the for
mic acid of ants is as well adapted to this
purpose as the citric acid of lemons.
If possible to secure them in sufficient
ly large numbers, spiders eggs will be pre-
pared in two ways; cooked into a bread in
the same wav that the Mexicans use the
eggs of little water bug which abounds
in the lakes near the City OF Mexico, and
picked and spread like cavare on crack
ers or thin slices of bread.
"A large number of other dishes have
been suggested to the committee in charge
by the members interested, but l need not
mention Them as for one reason or another
most of them have been decided to be I'M
practical"
The reporter asked if the society had not
found 1t difficult to get caterer to under
take the preparation Of such a dinner
Yes, he said; lin fact, at two or three
prominent cafes at which We have cautious
ly preached the subject We haze been told
that 1t would ruin the reputation oe the es-
adjustments forever if 1t lecame know n
that they had served such a meal
Why said one veteran, VINO keeps a
coy place near the Treasury Department,
here I've been struggling all my life to
keep flies and reaches and thouSand-lcgs
out of the dishes which l put before my
customers, and do you suppose thai Just to
oblige set of cranks l will upset tie pei
udices of lifetime?
1--WE are now looking for m icoroclas.lc
cook Of ability-some young man with Iro-
gressive. end-of-the-centu fury IDEAS, who,
struggling in unmerited obscurity up 20 the
present time, is anxious to make L lasting
reputation for himself at single stroke
We hope to find such a man, but IL we do
not succeed the committee in charge will
do the cooking themselves"
Conversation.
From. Truth.