October 27, 2008
My Chefly Charms
October’s been a busy month, capped by an appearance on October 19th at Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks in Vancouver, BC. I spent an evening in this excellent bookstore, sharing the limelight with Meeru Dhalwala, co-owner of Vij’s Restaurant. Together, we showcased our respective bug-based delicacies.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with Vij’s, let me tell you: the New York Times says this is one of the best Indian restaurants in the world — and, having eaten there on three occasions, I believe them. In April, I was asked to consult with the Vij’s staff in developing dishes for their restaurant’s summer menu.
With my help, Meeru and her husband Vikram created a new item, Cricket Parantha, for their menu. The dish features chapattis made from baked and ground-up crickets, served with a filling made from spiced turnips. Meeru told me that her restaurant fills about 12 to 15 orders per evening — pretty good for a turnip dish!
For my part of the program, I prepared my recipe for Orthopteran Orzo — a warm cricket and past salad. In their July 7, 2008, article on bug fare, Time magazine called this my “signature dish.” Believe me, after 10 years of making this dish in mass quantities (primarily at museum and science center programs), I’ve gotten pretty good at it. The audience at Barbara-Jo’s was appreciative and included a photographer from the National Post and the editor of Edible Vancouver, a marvelousmagazine for foodies like me. Everyone who registered and paid the $90 fee received an autographed copy of my Eat-a-Bug Cookbook. How civilized!
Here are two photos from the evening. A tip of my chef’s hat to Barbara-Jo for hosting this delightful event.