Pass Tidbits by pschlo3663

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Week of March 10, 2019

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OF THE PASS AREA

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EDIBLE INSECTS

by Janet Spencer

Bee larvae are said to have a sweet nutty flavor. Fried wax moth larvae taste like bacon. Crickets are crunchy and tangy. In Thailand, they claim that dung beetles add a wholesome flavor to curries. (Never eat dung beetles raw.) Come along with Tidbits as we consider eating bugs! BUTTERFLIES IN YOUR STOMACH? • There are about 1,400 species of edible insects, and there are 113 different nations where bugs are routinely eaten. When locusts arrive in Algeria, people sweep them into baskets for consumption later. In Malaysia people sell the honey they find in a beehive but keep the bee larvae for themselves. In China, silkworm cocoons are separated from the pupae, and the cocoons are turned into silk, while the pupae are taken home for dinner. • The Old Testament states that locusts are kosher, and artwork dating to 700 B.C. depicts the Assyrian king being served locust-kabobs. • Most insects are high in protein, and yield more protein pound for pound than any type of animal protein. Crickets are high in calcium. Termites are high in iron. Many kinds of caterpillars and grubs are high in fats.

(Continued next page, if you dare)

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Vol 2 Issue 7

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Tidbits of The Pass Area

Vol. 2 Issue 7

RUSTLING UP SOME GRUB (continued): • A Utah state archaeologist was studying ancient human excrement in caves near the Great Salt Lake. He found insect fragments and wondered what bugs the Indians had been eating. One day, he saw a swarm of grasshoppers flying over the lake. A sudden downdraft of wind blew them all into the water, where they drowned. A few days later, the dead grasshoppers (by now thoroughly salted) washed up on shore where they dried in the sun. Curious, he picked one up and tasted it. It tasted like a roasted peanut, salty, crunchy, and full of protein. Mystery solved. • The Klamath Indians used to light fires beneath trees to smoke out the caterpillars of the Pandora moth which would be collected as they fell. Some Paiutes still eat Pandora caterpillars. When the U.S. Forest Service proposed a spraying plan to control the Pandora moth, the Paiutes sued, and won. • In Botswana, mopane caterpillars are relished. Named after the mopane tree which they feed off of, mopane caterpillars turn into the emperor moth, one of the largest moths on the planet. The caterpillars are huge, too, weighing about half an ounce each. The demand for these caterpillars is so great that their population has been drastically reduced. The one thing that has saved them from extinction is that the small, young caterpillars taste bad. It’s not until they get fat and ready to pupate that they taste good- so the smallest are spared to carry on the species. Researchers are trying to figure out a way to raise them in captivity on a caterpillar farm. BON APPETITE • Sound revolting? Well, you eat insect parts every day of your life without knowing it. In every sandwich you eat, there may be up to 56 insect parts in keeping with U.S. Food and Drug Administration standards. (continued)

Double Cornbread

Frozen corn enhances the texture and flavor of hearty cornbread without a lot of extra expense. Bake and freeze the cornbread, tightly wrapped, up to one month. Thaw; then, when ready to serve, reheat, covered, at 450 F for 15 minutes. Cut into 24 serving pieces. 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal 1/4 cup sugar 4 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 2 1/2 cups buttermilk 3 large eggs 1 package frozen corn 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted 2 jalapeno chiles 1. Heat oven to 450 F. Grease 13-by-9-inch metal baking pan. 2. In large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In medium bowl, with wire whisk or fork, beat buttermilk and eggs until blended. 3. Add corn, melted butter and jalapenos to buttermilk mixture; then add to flour mixture. Stir until ingredients are just mixed. 4. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 22 to 25 minutes, or until golden at edges and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cut lengthwise into 4 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 6 pieces. Serve warm. For thousands of triple-tested recipes, visit our Web site at www. goodhousekeeping.com/recipes/. (c) 2019 Hearst Communications, Inc. All rights reserved

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DRUNK WORMS (continued): • Why are there worms in the bottom of bottles of tequila and mescal? Tequila and mescal are made from agave plants, and the worms in the bottles are maguey worms, which feed exclusively on agave plants. The presence of the caterpillar in the bottle certifies authenticity. Also, tequila and mescal are usually double-distilled and are around 110 proof but they are sometimes watered down by greedy dealers. Caterpillar carcasses can’t stay in a state of perfect preservation for very long in watereddown liquor. So if the worm at the bottom of the bottle is in good shape, you know the liquor is pure. NATIONAL STINKBUG DAY • South of Mexico City near the town of Taxco at the temple on top of Mount Huizteco the residents celebrate the Day of the Jumil. The jumil is a type of stink-bug about halfinch long. Each year townfolk gather on the mountaintop to collect the insects, cook them, eat them, elect the Jumil Queen, and have a great celebration. These insects are a delicacy, suitable for serving to honored guests. Peter Menzel, author of “Man Eating Bugs: The Art and Science of Eating Insects” described their taste as, “Like an aspirin saturated in cod liver oil with dangerous subcurrents of rubbing alcohol and iodine.” The insects are indeed high in iodine, important in preventing goiter in an inland area far from the ocean’s natural sources of iodine. The locals say they taste slightly of apples.

RECIPES • If you’re interested in making a meal of mealworms, check out David George Gordon’s “Eat-A-Bug Cookbook” where you’ll find recipes for Termite Treats, Grilled Grasshopper, Three Bee Salad, Cricket Casserole, Cockroach a la King, and Pest-O, among others.

COOKING TIPS • Interested in raising your own grub? Try mealworms, crickets, or termites, which are some of the easiest ‘microlivestock’ to grow. All you need is a tank or aquarium, some grain to provide food, and a few slices of fresh fruit for moisture and you’re in business. • The official term for insect-eating is “entomophagy.” • Deep-fried tarantulas, two for 20 cents, are consumed by Cambodian men who think it will boost their virility. • Most kinds of caterpillars are edible, but don’t eat the brightly colored ones which may contain toxins. According to the rule of thumb for insect eating in the “Eat-a-Bug Cookbook”: “Red, orange, or yellow / forgo this small fellow / Black, green, or brown / Go ahead and toss him down.” • In general, avoid eating any insects that have a strong odor. • If you’re allergic to shellfish, avoid eating insects because the two are closely related. • Scorpions are eaten just like shrimp. • Boil slugs in vinegar to remove mucus, then stir fry in butter and garlic. • Boil wasps and bees before eating to neutralize the poison in their stingers. • In Colombia they enjoy ant paste, which is spread on bread. • Canned ant eggs, available in Thailand, goes best when spread on toast. • Grasshoppers and crickets are edible at all of their life stages: larvae, pupa, and adult. Like lobsters, grasshoppers turn red when cooked. • A cup of crickets has about 250 calories and only 6 grams of fat. (We are done discussing insects now)

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To Your Good Health By Keith Roach, M.D.

In Hydration Game, Coffee Counts DEAR DR. ROACH: I drink a lot of coffee, about 80 ounces per day. I feel no ill effects and have no stomach discomfort, but my wife says water is better. A kidney specialist basically said, "fluid is fluid" and that as long as I am hydrated, coffee is fine. With studies showing that coffee has antioxidants and reduces certain cancers, what should I do? -- M.K. ANSWER: People with long memories may recall that in the early 1980s, coffee was linked to an increased risk of pancreatic cancer. However, the study has become a textbook example of poor design, and further studies have suggested that coffee drinking may be associated with lower risk of breast, prostate and oral cancers. I wouldn't recommend drinking coffee just for this reason, as the effect size, if it really exists, is pretty small. As far as hydration goes, your kidney specialist is completely right. The caffeine in regular coffee is perceived as a diuretic (a substance that makes you urinate excessively), but that turns out to be myth as well, at least in regular coffee drinkers. One potential ill effect of caffeine is that it minimally decreases calcium absorption. However, this amounts to the equivalent of calcium in a tablespoon or two of milk, so it is unlikely to affect overall calcium balance significantly. Eighty ounces of coffee is a lot of caffeine, and some people will get jittery or have sleep disturbances. It also can have variable effects on gut motility (that's a delicate way of saying that it

Tidbits of The Pass Area

Vol. 2 Issue 7

commonly causes diarrhea, but it also can cause constipation). All that said, if you aren't having any ill effects from drinking so much coffee, coffee is fine -- though I still think that, as your wife says, water is better for many people. DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 64-year-old male. I had a stroke and lost vision in my right eye in 2005. I am right-handed. I had very high blood pressure at the time, and it's now under control with drugs. Since then, I can no longer wear polarized sunglasses. I have light-sensitive eyes, but most over-the-counter sunglasses are polarized. My ophthalmologist and other eye specialists tell me they've never heard of my problem occurring. With polarized glasses on, I see in 3-D. Blue lines in the roadway and sewer lids or any metal covering appear to be 3-D to me. I have to be careful stepping over the handicap space lines because they look like curbs. Have you ever heard of this, or am I unique? If I can locate nonpolarized lenses, then I have no problem. Thank you. -- J.O. ANSWER: While everyone is unique, this is a condition I have heard of before. In fact, I know people who deliberately watch television with one eye in order to enhance the 3-D effects. Polarized light does tend to accentuate lines and edges, so it doesn't surprise me that with your one working eye you have an accentuated 3-D sensation -- your brain has learned to use cues that people with two working eyes might miss. In your case, the brain has interpreted things so strongly that you are having some optical illusions. Sadly, I don't have any practical advice beyond finding nonpolarized lenses. Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible. Readers may email questions to ToYourGoodHealth@ med.cornell.edu. (c) 2019 North America Synd., Inc. All Rights Reserved

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3.3 x 2

Don't be Seduced by Romance Scams Romance can be lovely ... except when it isn't. Disaster can be part of the package if the new "perfect match" is a scammer. There are far too many ways for thieves to con seniors. Online Dating Sites -- You can't really know who's on the other end of the ads you view, but there are some warning signs that a potential date might not be honest. He or she might profess love all too quickly, or send photos that don't look real. You might be encouraged to delete your profile and instead exchange direct email. Maybe you'll be told you can't meet yet because the other person is out of the country, and there are excuses about why you can't talk on the phone. Eventually there will be an "emergency," and you'll be asked to help by sending money ... and then more money.

Drug Mules -- Many seniors have been conned into sneaking drugs into other countries. A new love will ask a senior to travel overseas, even making the arrangements. Unfortunately, those arrangements include taking along an extra piece of luggage. It could contain anything, but it's often drugs. If the senior gets caught, claiming innocence doesn't help when stuck in a foreign jail. Financial Assets -- Co-mingling of assets or accounts in another red flag. Don't do it, especially if intend to leave money to your heirs. The more assets you have, the more you're at-risk of having your money stolen. Be careful how much financial information you give out about yourself. Setting up a senior to be scammed doesn't have to happen overnight. Sometimes the scheme can play out for months while trust is built and information disclosed. If you suspect you've been scammed, call the anti-fraud hotline at 1-855-303-9470. (c) 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.

Week of March 10, 2019

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1 In 2017, Texas' Adrian Beltre became the third major-leaguer who primarily played third base 1. during his career to reach 3,000 career hits. Who were the first two? 2. How many times did Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew hit 45 or more home runs during a season? 3. Penn State's DaeSean Hamilton set a school record in 2017 for most career receptions (214). Who had held the mark for the Nittany Lions? 4. Who was the first NBA player to have at least 2,000 points, 900 assists and 600 rebounds in a season?

55. Name the player who holds the NHL record for the fastest scoring of a hat trick (three goals) in a game. 66. In 2018, Mikaela Shiffrin became only the third American to have won an Olympic medal in each of three different Alpine disciplines. Who were the first two to do it? 77. Entering 2019, which golfer holds the current active streak for most consecutive years with at least one victory on the LPGA Tour? • On March 20, 1345, according to scholars at the University of Paris, the Black Death plague is created from what they call "a triple conjunction of Saturn, Jupiter and Mars in the 40th degree of Aquarius." The Black Death left an estimated 25 million dead. It's now known that bubonic plague is carried by fleas. • On March 19, 1842, French writer Honore de Balzac's play "Les Ressources de Quinola" opens to an empty house. Hoping to create a buzz for the play, Balzac had circulated a rumor that tickets were sold out. Unfortunately, most of his fans stayed home. • On March 18, 1937, nearly 300 students in Texas are killed by an explosion of natural gas at their school. Officials at the New London school had been persuaded to save money by tapping into less stable wet-gas lines that ran nearby. The blast was felt 40 miles away. • On March 21, 1952, the first rock and roll concert in history is held in Cleveland, hosted by legendary disk jockey Alan Freed. Police were overwhelmed when an estimated 20,000-25,000 fans swarmed the Moondog Coronation Ball, held in an arena with a capacity of only 10,000. • On March 24, 1965, the first "teach-in" is conducted at the University of Michigan as 200 faculty members hold special anti-war seminars. This form of protest spread to many colleges and universities. • On March 22, 1983, the Pentagon awards a contract worth more than $1 billion to AM General Corp. to produce 55,000 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles. Nicknamed the Humvee, the rugged vehicles were used by the U.S. military. In 1992, a civilian version, the Hummer, went on sale. • On March 23, 1994, Wayne Gretzky scores his 802nd goal, breaking his childhood idol Gordie Howe's NHL record for most goals in a career. (c) 2019 Hearst Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved

1. George Brett (3,154 hits) and Wade Boggs (3,010 hits). 2. Five times (1961, '62, '63, '64 and '69). 3. Deon Butler, with 179 (2005-08). 4. Houston's James Harden, in the 2016-17 season. 5. Bill Mosienko tallied three goals in 21 seconds for the Chicago Blackhawks in 1952. 6. Julia Mancuso and Bode Miller. 7. Lexi Thompson (six years).

by Jo Ann Derson

• Worried about pesticides in your diet? Try mangos, one of the fruits least likely to have pesticide residues. • It can be a snap to remove burned-on food from the bottom of a pot or a frying pan. All you have to do is sprinkle in some baking soda and add hot water. Let the mixture sit overnight. In the morning, add a dash more baking soda and scrub the residue away. • Got dirty floors? Make sure you aren't throwing good effort into a dirty mop. You need a second bucket filled with rinse water, then follow this pattern: Clean mop in water with cleaner, mop a section of floor, rinse mop in plain water, go back over that section, rinse mop again. Repeat. • "I like strong tea with no milk. My husband drinks black coffee. The coffeemaker and our mugs get stained over time. About monthly, I 'brew' a pot of hot water, but I put a dishwasher 'pac' in the carafe. The hot water dissolves the cleaner, making the coffee carafe easy to clean. Then I use the detergent water to clean all the mugs. It works like magic." -- T.L. in Missouri • In time for tax season: Don't overlook the value of opening and contributing to an individual retirement account to reduce your tax bill. Contributions need not always be made by Dec. 31 to count; it's possible to open an account as late as tax-filing day on April 15, and it can still count against your 2018 taxes. • To check for toilet leaks, add a few drops of food coloring to the toilet tank. If, without flushing, you see the bowl water start to change color, you know you have a leak. Send your tips to Now Here's a Tip, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803

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Vol. 2 Issue 7

1. Is the book of 1 Samuel in the Old or New Testament or neither? 2. In Luke 21, on what shall they see the Son of man coming "with power and great glory"? Chariot, Cloud, Whirlwind, Burning bush 3. Who distributed to everyone a loaf of bread, a piece of meat and a cake of raisins? Solomon, Paul, Timothy, David 4. From Exodus 4, who did the Lord provide to Moses to be his mouthpiece? Abraham, Aaron, Noah, Mahalalel 5. To whom did the word of the Lord say, "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city"? Jonah, Samuel, James, Peter 6. In Psalms 22:14, what did the psalmist say his heart was like? Water, Butter, Wax, Emptiness 1) Old; 2) Cloud; 3) David; 4) Aaron; 5) Jonah; 6) Wax Visit Wilson Caseyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Trivia Fan Siteat www.patreon.com/triviaguy. ÂŠ 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.

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More About Pet Diets

DEAR PAW'S CORNER: I read your column about the man who needed to put his severely overweight cat on a diet. While you wrote that it's important to feed them about 40 calories less per day than normal -- that way the cat won't feel like it's starving -- you didn't say that owners need to weigh their pet regularly during the diet and adjust their food amounts so that they keep losing weight steadily and don't plateau. -- Kim in Oyster Bay, New York DEAR KIM: That's right, and thank you for mentioning it! As your pet slims down, it will plateau -- reaching a point where the amount of calories it's eating each day maintains its weight. Weighing your cat regularly -- once a week if possible -- will help you keep track of whether it's losing weight, and how quickly. Again, cats should consume about 24 to 35 calories per pound, per day. Some vets recommend a little less, about 20 calories per pound. For example, a 12-pound cat needs 240 to 288 calories per day (based on 20 to 24 calories per pound). If the cat needs to lose, say, 4 pounds, gradually feed it less -- knock off about 30-40 calories per day to start. Every cat's metabolism is different, so weighing regularly will help you to make adjustments to their diet. To figure out how much food to give your pet, look on the back of the container for the serving size -- it's in ounces or grams, with calories per serving in the nutrition data below that. Also, invest in a digital kitchen scale and weigh your pets' food at every feeding so you know precisely how much they're getting. Send your questions or pet care tips to ask@pawscorner.com. (c) 2019 King Features Synd., Inc. This recipe is from the 1989 25th Anniversary Issue of Sports Illustrated: Ingredients: About 1000 grasshoppers; Half cup of chili

sauce; pinch of salt; garlic, onion; one cup lemon; cup of guacamole; six tortillas. Instructions: Soak grasshoppers in water for 24 hours. Bring to a boil, drain, let dry. Fry in a pan with garlic, onion, salt, and lemon. Roll up in tortillas with chili sauce and guacamole. Serves six....if you can find six.

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