Canku Ota

(Many Paths)

An Online Newsletter Celebrating Native America

June 5, 2004 - Issue 114

Cicada Delights

• Half dozen plump, ripe avocadoes. Peeled, pitted, and halved.
  
• Two jalapeno peppers
  
• Half cup vegetable oil
  
• Handful of cilantro, to taste
  
• Salt
  
• 1/2 pound fresh cicadas.

Take the avocados, jalapenos, oil, cilantro, salt and dewinged cicadas and place them in the food processor. Set the food processor to "Puree." Puree all the ingredients together. Add another avocado if it comes out too runny. Serve in a bowl. Garnish and decorate with a whole dead, frozen cicada that has not been dewinged. Serve with tortilla chips or Doritos. This is a delicious treat and will serve four to six guests.

Cicada Parmesan

• 4 cups FRESH Cicadas
  
• 2 cups boiling water
  
• 2 eggs
  
• 2 cups all purpose flour
  
• 1/4 tsp seasoning salt
  
• Salt & Pepper to taste
  
• Vegetable Oil
  
• 1/4 cup sliced parmesan cheese
  
• 1/4 c grated parmesan cheese
  
• 1 jar spaghetti sauce
  
• 1 pkg spaghetti noodles

Directions:

Boil water, place chirping cicadas in boiling water to "relax" them, as you would live lobster; remove with strainer spoon immediately after all chirping sounds have ceased. Run cold water over each batch as you remove from boiling water to remove any soiling from the "relaxing" process and place in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle with salt and set aside. In a small bowl, beat eggs and in another bowl mix flour with seasoning salt. Using strainer spoon, dip one batch relaxed cicadas at a time into eggs and then coat with flour mixture. Heat oil to 350 or set stove eye to Med-High (7) and test oil for readiness. When oil is hot enough, drop battered cicadas into hot oil, deep fry for about 3 minutes tossing in oil each minute to insure consistent cooking. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Boil spaghetti noodles until pasta is tender and doesn't stick to the wall when tested. Drain noodles and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a large baking dish, arrange noodles in bottom of pan. Pour jar of spaghetti sauce neatly over noodles and top with fried cicadas. Top chicadas with sliced parmesan cheese and bake until cheese is golden and bubbly. Serve with grated parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Serves 4

Cicada Stew

• Two pounds cicadas, dewinged and whole
• 5 cups tomato sauce
  
• 1 cup tomato juice
  
• One half cup beef broth
  
• One entire medium sized onion, chopped
  
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
  
• Three large carrots, sliced
  
• Two large potatoes, peeled and diced
  
• About 1/4 cup of A-1 sauce
  
• 1 stalk of celery, chopped
  
• One cup frozen peas
  
• 3 medim sized tomatoes, peeled and crushed
  
• A few teaspoons vegetable oil
  
• Salt
  
• Pepper
  
• Garlic salt

Directions:

Blanche the cicadas in a pot of boiling water for approximately one minute. Immediately place them in a pot, not skillet, containing your very hot vegetable oil and sautee them for about three minutes until crispy. Add some salt, pepper, and garlic salt and continue sauteeing for about one more minute. Add the beef broth, the chopped onion, minced garlic, sliced carrots, chopped celery, and crushed tomatoes. Continue sauteeing. The kitchen will begin to smell wonderful by now. Sautee about five minutes or until the vegetables begin to brown. Add the tomato sauce and A-1 sauce. When it begins to boil, add the diced potatoes and frozen peas. Continue cooking over low heat until the potatoes are cooked, soft and edible. Serve your stew over rice.