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Cicadas, anyone?

Cicadas, anyone?
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  • Post #181 - June 27th, 2007, 10:40 am
    Post #181 - June 27th, 2007, 10:40 am Post #181 - June 27th, 2007, 10:40 am
    David Hammond wrote:Ramon, what you've got there is a cicada with an STD. There is a fungus, Massospora cicadina, that comes out at the same time as the periodical cicadas do. And yes, only every 17 years. Ponder that for a minute. Anyhow, the fungus is transmitted during mating. It's not uncommon. I've seen many, many with it.


    Aaah! The white tipped cicadas are not pregnant but infected -- spread by intimacy. I assumed because the more sex I saw, the more white-tails I saw, it must be pregnancy.
    Logical fallacy warnings and correlation does not prove causation. Thanks for straightening that out.

    evolution of funghi

    and just cause I can’t help myself:
    Phil Vettel: what the cicadas have taught us
    when millions of cicadas die, the nose knows
    say goodbye, say hello
    Garrison Keillor: Fathers and 17-year cicadas have too much in common
    set your clock by cicada visits
    cicada time-lapse video
    yeah, yeah, yeah, I’ll shut up now about the cicadas, maybe …
    -ramon
  • Post #182 - June 28th, 2007, 8:15 pm
    Post #182 - June 28th, 2007, 8:15 pm Post #182 - June 28th, 2007, 8:15 pm
    You just *knew* that it had to happen. But remember, it started HERE, on LTH!!

    Image


    Geo
    Sooo, you like wine and are looking for something good to read? Maybe *this* will do the trick! :)
  • Post #183 - June 28th, 2007, 8:22 pm
    Post #183 - June 28th, 2007, 8:22 pm Post #183 - June 28th, 2007, 8:22 pm
    A buzz! Get it? A buzz!

    Ha. Ha.
    Ed Fisher
    my chicago food photos

    RIP LTH.
  • Post #184 - June 28th, 2007, 11:19 pm
    Post #184 - June 28th, 2007, 11:19 pm Post #184 - June 28th, 2007, 11:19 pm
    In the spirit of LAZ’s great food music thread, I dare mention cicada again.

    The Chicago based band, Congress of Starlings, are very clever with their instruments and actual cicada song on the track Brood XIII (stream or download).

    -ramon
  • Post #185 - September 30th, 2007, 9:06 pm
    Post #185 - September 30th, 2007, 9:06 pm Post #185 - September 30th, 2007, 9:06 pm
    Me and the B were walking around Brookfield Zoo today, more being father and daughter than looking at the animals. Often we walked awkwardly, like Siamese twins, joined at the hip and head, in our matched cool-cicada T-shirts. Toward closing, we were informed that the carousel had two red eye cicadas available to ride upon. We didn't miss a beat as we rushed to the sight:
    Image
    -ramon
  • Post #186 - October 4th, 2007, 11:43 am
    Post #186 - October 4th, 2007, 11:43 am Post #186 - October 4th, 2007, 11:43 am
    Hi,

    I am President Pro Tem of the Highland Park Historical Society. JoBe Cerny on our board created a video to for Halloween with a Cicada theme:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yBFgI71og4

    Not only is this playing on youtube.com, it is also screened at the Highland Park Theater's main theater.

    Regards,
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #187 - October 4th, 2007, 11:51 am
    Post #187 - October 4th, 2007, 11:51 am Post #187 - October 4th, 2007, 11:51 am
    Cathy2 wrote:Hi,

    I am President Pro Tem of the Highland Park Historical Society. JoBe Cerny on our board created a video to for Halloween with a Cicada theme:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yBFgI71og4

    Not only is this playing on youtube.com, it is also screened at the Highland Park Theater's main theater.

    Regards,


    I laughed, I cried. The feel good video of the season...better than "Free Willy." Take someone you love. Two very enthusiastic thumbs up.
    "Don't you ever underestimate the power of a female." Bootsy Collins
  • Post #188 - May 17th, 2008, 10:26 pm
    Post #188 - May 17th, 2008, 10:26 pm Post #188 - May 17th, 2008, 10:26 pm
    Hi,

    It has nearly been a year since Brood XIII Cicadas visited us. It was my third generation I have been interacted with and fondly remember their parents and grandparents. The first time I was a teenager, where I largely collected specimens that I have kept in a jar of alcohol ever since. I also used to pick them up and throw them at my sisters. They screamed and I laughed.

    The second generation appeared in 1990 was one of missed opportunity. I knew they were edible, but didn't have the support group of people willing to take a chance with me. Later I read of an entomologist at the Field Museum who had a gathering to eat cicadas on pizzas. I felt I had missed my tribe.

    The third generation far and away made up for my muddling the earlier cicada opportunities. I had my partner in crime in David Hammond's willingness to do the deed and eat it, too. Of course, it did become a three-ring circus when David made a flip statement on yelp on a thread querying if anyone planned to dine on cicadas. In a long string on yucks, David sensibly replied, "A friend and I intend to cook and eat them." Next thing you know: Good Morning America inquires for an interview, which we participated along with Marilyn Pocius of Chicago's Cook's Guide. Right on top of that was Chicago Tonight, Japanese television and David doing a number of radio interviews.

    Marilyn Pocius was inspired to party like it was her last chance for another 17 years: Cicada Cooking and Eating Party. David, his wife Carolyn, Marilyn and I had already created cicada tempura, cicada sushi rolls, cicada variants of 'Ants on a Log' and the long imagined cicadas on pizza. Until this time, we had mostly confined our efforts to the newly emerged cicadas who didn't have the big red eyes ("All the better to see you!") or those long wings. This was a unique event, I was inspired to do something special.

    My friend Helen had joked her Mother had suggested I collect cicadas and freeze them, upon her next visit she would make Cicada adobo. This was a new direction in our culinary efforts, which I decided to try at Marilyn's party. I found it was not too difficult to collect newly molted cicadas who were resting after their transformation. My home seemed to be the neighborhood locus for cicada activity, which allowed me to quickly collect 300 cicadas from my front yard. Cicadas lacking much in experience did not quake or try to get away when I collected and deposited them in a plastic bag. In fact they made no effort to get away, just milled around the bag stepping on each other as seen in this youtube video clip. I then took them inside and put them into the freezer to kill them. Once dead, I began pulling the wings off the cicadas, which I later put to good use:

    Image

    As I was more than halfway through the process of de-winging the cicadas, I noticed they were beginning to reanimate. I tucked those whose wings were clipped back into the freezer and continued on until finished. Into a pot, I added one cup vinegar and one-half cup soy sauce and brought it to a boil. I then added the wingless cicadas, brought it to a boil again, then turned it down to a simmer for 5-10 minutes. As these cicadas were cooking, I noticed they began to shrink. Once I was satisfied these were cooked, I removed the cicadas with a slotted spoon to a sieve to drain.

    I took out my frying pan, heated some oil and added maybe 5 large cloves of minced garlic. I then returned the cicadas to fry in the oil, which had the interesting affect of causing them to puff up to their original size. It's too bad I didn't have a video running because it looked like they were going to take their revenge. Once they were fried, I returned them to the vinegar-soy sauce they had been cooked in.

    Image courtesy of G Wiv
    Image

    When I cook this again in 16 years, I will serve separately the twice-cooked fried cicadas with the vinegar-soy sauce and rice on the side to be mixed to taste. It would keep the cicada texture more crisp.

    My impression of the party was one of the Christians being fed to the lions. Approximately 2/3rds present did not care to eat a cicada in any shape or form, though they delighted in watching the other 1/3rd do the deed. While I am quite inspired by Marilyn's idea and efforts, I would slightly retool the invitation: come if you intend to eat cicadas or stay home! Of course, this is spoken from the perspective of the cicada eating guest. :D

    Image

    I have to admit the spring has not been as much fun as last year. I miss those cicadas.

    Regards,
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #189 - May 17th, 2008, 10:33 pm
    Post #189 - May 17th, 2008, 10:33 pm Post #189 - May 17th, 2008, 10:33 pm
    Cathy2 wrote: My home seemed to be the neighborhood locus for cicada activity, which allowed me to quickly collect 300 cicadas from my front yard.


    You would think that at least one Cicada would have looked up your resume and sounded the alarm, C2! :lol:

    Having missed the boat on the party, I was terribly grateful when you showed up at the Evanston Lunch Group with a box of the Cicada chocolate chip cookies, as I'd been dying to try insect protein for years...they were delicious, too, with the cicada adding an interesting sesame-oil tang.

    I still have caterpillar stir-fry, ant-egg omelet and snake on my to-taste list!
  • Post #190 - July 15th, 2010, 8:40 am
    Post #190 - July 15th, 2010, 8:40 am Post #190 - July 15th, 2010, 8:40 am
    The Case for Eating Insects.
    "Don't you ever underestimate the power of a female." Bootsy Collins
  • Post #191 - June 7th, 2011, 2:57 pm
    Post #191 - June 7th, 2011, 2:57 pm Post #191 - June 7th, 2011, 2:57 pm
    Yep, Illinois forecasts of big cicada hatch prove true

    DECATUR, Ill. — Bug scientists warned central Illinois that this summer would be a big one for cicadas. They were right.

    The hatch of 13-year cicadas is – depending on your point of view – either ruining evenings or just adding to the sounds of summer across much of the region

    Count Jeannine Garner of Decatur among the bugs' detractors. She told The (Decatur) Herald & Review that the bugs are irritating.

    But University of Illinois entomologist Phil Nixon says many of the calls he's taking are from people wondering where they can see and hear the noisy bugs.


    When I visit my sister in Bloomington, I now know what to wear: a souvenir cicada shirt from 2007!

    Regards,
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #192 - June 8th, 2011, 10:02 am
    Post #192 - June 8th, 2011, 10:02 am Post #192 - June 8th, 2011, 10:02 am
    Missouri cicada ice cream seller told to cool it

    A public health official in central Missouri has asked an ice cream shop to cool it with the cicada ice cream, even though customers apparently can't get enough of it.

    Sparky's Homemade Ice Cream in Columbia, Mo., sold out of its only batch of the insect-filled dessert within hours of its June 1 debut.

    The Columbia-Missourian says employees collected the cicadas in their backyards and removed most of the dead bugs' wings. They then boiled the bugs and covered them in brown sugar and milk chocolate. The base ice cream is brown sugar and butter flavor.
  • Post #193 - June 10th, 2011, 2:24 pm
    Post #193 - June 10th, 2011, 2:24 pm Post #193 - June 10th, 2011, 2:24 pm
    Was just down in mid-Tennessee, mostly between Nashville and Chattanooga. The cicadas down there are everywhere. I always tried to draft in back of a semi to avoid being pummeled by them on the highways.
    Coming to you from Leiper's Fork, TN where we prefer forking to spooning.
  • Post #194 - June 10th, 2011, 6:33 pm
    Post #194 - June 10th, 2011, 6:33 pm Post #194 - June 10th, 2011, 6:33 pm
    Cathy2 wrote:Yep, Illinois forecasts of big cicada hatch prove true

    DECATUR, Ill. — Bug scientists warned central Illinois that this summer would be a big one for cicadas. They were right.

    The hatch of 13-year cicadas is – depending on your point of view – either ruining evenings or just adding to the sounds of summer across much of the region

    Count Jeannine Garner of Decatur among the bugs' detractors. She told The (Decatur) Herald & Review that the bugs are irritating.

    But University of Illinois entomologist Phil Nixon says many of the calls he's taking are from people wondering where they can see and hear the noisy bugs.


    When I visit my sister in Bloomington, I now know what to wear: a souvenir cicada shirt from 2007!

    Regards,



    Hi Cathy2,
    Here in Bloomington, there are no cicadas. But I was in Decatur (a mere 40 mi away) yesterday and the cicadas were deafening and dive bombing my head. Thankfully, B-N is spared this time.
  • Post #195 - August 10th, 2013, 7:45 pm
    Post #195 - August 10th, 2013, 7:45 pm Post #195 - August 10th, 2013, 7:45 pm
    Last night there was a strange loud siren like sound which scared my kitty ... it was coming from a huge bug hanging on the screen ... I closed the window, and later realized it was a cicada ... are they in season again?
  • Post #196 - August 10th, 2013, 8:17 pm
    Post #196 - August 10th, 2013, 8:17 pm Post #196 - August 10th, 2013, 8:17 pm
    SGFoxe wrote:Last night there was a strange loud siren like sound which scared my kitty ... it was coming from a huge bug hanging on the screen ... I closed the window, and later realized it was a cicada ... are they in season again?


    There are annual cicadas that come out every year. As far as I know, those are the ones that are around right now.
  • Post #197 - October 7th, 2013, 11:25 am
    Post #197 - October 7th, 2013, 11:25 am Post #197 - October 7th, 2013, 11:25 am
    I have seen plenty of cicada sketeton shells in my gardern lately which I do not recall seeing before.
    What disease did cured ham actually have?
  • Post #198 - October 7th, 2013, 12:41 pm
    Post #198 - October 7th, 2013, 12:41 pm Post #198 - October 7th, 2013, 12:41 pm
    Elfin wrote:I have seen plenty of cicada sketeton shells in my gardern lately which I do not recall seeing before.


    Probably good fertilizer!!
    "Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad." Miles Kington
  • Post #199 - March 28th, 2021, 3:40 pm
    Post #199 - March 28th, 2021, 3:40 pm Post #199 - March 28th, 2021, 3:40 pm
    Coming soon..... https://patch.com/illinois/across-il/yo ... xG4PYZG8OM
    Never order barbecue in a place that also serves quiche - Lewis Grizzard
  • Post #200 - March 28th, 2021, 8:16 pm
    Post #200 - March 28th, 2021, 8:16 pm Post #200 - March 28th, 2021, 8:16 pm
    The brood this year is not the one in the Chicago area. Dave's citation notes that they will only be in four counties in east-central Illinois, which is the westernmost part of this brood's range.
  • Post #201 - March 28th, 2021, 8:28 pm
    Post #201 - March 28th, 2021, 8:28 pm Post #201 - March 28th, 2021, 8:28 pm
    ekreider wrote:The brood this year is not the one in the Chicago area. Dave's citation notes that they will only be in four counties in east-central Illinois, which is the westernmost part of this brood's range.

    Every year there is a cicada explosion somewhere in this country. My cicada videos on youtube get checked out by wherever it happens to be.

    My cicada t-shirt reads 2007, I figure we are another four years away. Just to make things more interesting, there are 13- and 17-year cicadas.

    Already find myself encouraging people to give them a try.

    Regards,
    CAthy2
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #202 - March 28th, 2021, 8:35 pm
    Post #202 - March 28th, 2021, 8:35 pm Post #202 - March 28th, 2021, 8:35 pm
    Dave's link reminded me of a story I heard a while back, probably on NPR: The early New England colonists considered lobster a food for only the most desparately hungry because of its resemblance to a giant insect. It was only in the 19th century that lobster became the delicacy that it is today.

    So perhaps diners in 2050 will consider cicadas the ultimate in luxury!
  • Post #203 - March 31st, 2021, 1:38 pm
    Post #203 - March 31st, 2021, 1:38 pm Post #203 - March 31st, 2021, 1:38 pm
    tjr wrote:Dave's link reminded me of a story I heard a while back, probably on NPR: The early New England colonists considered lobster a food for only the most desparately hungry because of its resemblance to a giant insect. It was only in the 19th century that lobster became the delicacy that it is today.

    So perhaps diners in 2050 will consider cicadas the ultimate in luxury!


    Snowpiercer seems to think so. Protein is protein.
  • Post #204 - May 20th, 2021, 3:40 pm
    Post #204 - May 20th, 2021, 3:40 pm Post #204 - May 20th, 2021, 3:40 pm
    For foodie thrill seekers, cicadas add crunch and protein to lunch.

    https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/F ... ared-email
    Never order barbecue in a place that also serves quiche - Lewis Grizzard
  • Post #205 - May 21st, 2021, 7:19 am
    Post #205 - May 21st, 2021, 7:19 am Post #205 - May 21st, 2021, 7:19 am
    Has anyone seen any in the Chicago area lately?
    What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
    -- Lin Yutang
  • Post #206 - May 21st, 2021, 11:29 am
    Post #206 - May 21st, 2021, 11:29 am Post #206 - May 21st, 2021, 11:29 am
    Scroll up to posts 200 and 201. The eastern hatch that is getting publicity is not the brood for the Chicago area.
  • Post #207 - May 21st, 2021, 2:45 pm
    Post #207 - May 21st, 2021, 2:45 pm Post #207 - May 21st, 2021, 2:45 pm
    JoelF wrote:Has anyone seen any in the Chicago area lately?

    The annual cicadas, which are the only ones we will have this year, come out later in the season. I think they mostly start in early June and peak in mid to late July

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