Jiminy Croquet

Let's face it: We are one food-lovin' nation. Deep-fried butter at the Texas State Fair? Pass it on over, y'all. A demitasse of cucumber foam from a four-star French restaurant? Don't mind if I do, Pierre. So, if we're so willing to eat anything and everything, why do we draw the line at bugs? The Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House (15193 Olive Boulevard, Chesterfield) poses this very question at "BUZZ: Cook Up a Cricket," a drop-in event that teaches visitors about the bug-inclusive diets of people all around the world. In many cultures, noshing on a cricket or three is no different than, say, eating popcorn shrimp (in fact, those creatures hail from the same evolutionary lineage). Between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. today, expand your palate by sampling either a cooked cricket or a cooked mealworm, check out a variety of insect-based foods and try your luck at an insect-eating game. This event is included with your Butterfly House admission; tickets are $6 for adults, $4.50 for seniors and $4 for children between three and twelve. Kids under two (and Missouri Botanical Garden members) get in free. For more information about "BUZZ: Cook Up a Cricket," call 636-530-0076 or visit www.butterflyhouse.org.
Sun., Feb. 21, 2010