We're into the second week of the bug blood shortage, and I have so far managed to capture precisely three maple bugs. While I suspect there may be larger environmental forces at play, I have to acknowledge I may have played a hand in their scarcity.
Kudzu consumes a home
I'm extremely proud of myself for that. I'm cooking up an alternate project to keep me busy over the summer, assuming the bugs don't return, but I thought I'd take this opportunity to muse on some methods others have used in their battle with backyard invaders. I was able to turn my infestation into beautiful works of art, but what if the invaders are larger or unsuitable for use as pigment? The answer is usually "eat them."
Somebody eat this fucker
I should count myself lucky that I haven't had to deal with lionfish, kudzu, nutria, or lampreys. Lionfish are taking over the coastal waters of the Atlantic and devastating reef ecology as they go. Lampreys (eel-like bloodsuckers that attach themselves to fish) have slithered through the canals into the Great Lakes and impacted the fisheries there. Kudzu is a weed that grows almost magically fast, and although generally not a problem for Canadians, it has been spotted creeping up from the south towards Windsor. For those who do face these menaces, there are cookbooks out there to help. In the links below you will find recipes for kudzu sorbet, lionfish nachos, and feral pig confit. I haven't had a chance to make any of these myself, so let me know how it turns out if you try 'em:
And, because lampreys are a common feature of my nightmares, it's nice to see someone torturing them for a change. Here is a video of an avant-garde chef working with lampreys:
Heston Blumenthal is a genius - deserves even more Michelion stars than he gets
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