On Menu at Paris Bar

LIFESTYLE MONDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2013 Features37 Scorpions, beetles on menu at Paris bar Chef Elie Daviron prepares a plate of grasshoppers. Chef Elie Daviron prepares a plate of grasshoppers. A picture shows a dish of insects in the bar “Le Festin nu” (The Naked Lunch) in A picture shows the menu of the bar “Le Festin nu” (The Paris’.—AFP photos Naked Lunch). t a tiny bar in Paris’s Montmartre district, chef Elie Daviron “It will be fermented taste, mushroom taste, dried fruit taste, is happy to admit his new menu has disgusted some dried meat taste, dried fish taste, a lot of things around that,” he Aclients while others need two or three drinks before said. “The grasshopper will be more like hazelnuts and the giant they can face it. Amid the guacamole, chicken tikka and chili water scorpions will be closer to dried fish,” he added. Student hotdogs, the young chef is conducting a “gastronomical experi- Laura Dandelot, 21, said she had to overcome her prejudices in ment” with what he calls a selection of “insect tapas”. Grasshop- order to try the scorpion. pers, beetles, scorpions and two different types of worm—san- “At first, I did think it was disgusting and impossible to eat go and silk—are the latest additions to his fare. because it was strange and dirty,” she said. In fact, the scorpion “My personal favorite is the sango worm,” Daviron told AFP tasted pleasant enough, she said, describing it as a bit “like from behind the bar of the Festin Nu or Naked Lunch, a water- nuts”, although she did not like the texture. “It was very hard to ing hole in this picturesque northern slope of the Montmartre eat... crispy and hard,” she added. Adele Gaudre, also a 21-year- hill. “There are two textures.... you have the head and the body old student, said she liked the grasshopper. “It was as if you which are a completely different taste and flavor,” he said. The were chewing on dried tea, it was really dry but very nice,” she body was “sandy” tasting while the head was “crunchy” and said. tasted a bit like a combination of beetroot and mushrooms, he The “insect tapas” are priced at between five and nine euros added. (seven and 12 dollars) per serving, and on a busy night the bar The 26-year-old from Montpellier in southern France became dishes up about 50 such plates. Daviron said in the two weeks interested several years ago in the idea of how insects could in since he put the insects on the menu he had witnessed a range future be a common source of protein in Europe. And after the of reactions from customers. release of a UN report on edible insects earlier this year, he “real- “Some (people) are curious, some are disgusted, some are ized that people were waiting for someone to do that”. Daviron enthusiastic, some just don’t want to hear about that,” he said. ordered a selection from a company licensed to import dried “Some get into the game or maybe they wait (until) after one or insects and set about experimenting with recipes. two or three drinks to get started.” According to the UN’s Food The result was five dishes including scorpion with pepper and Agriculture Organisation 2013 report, insects although not cooked in olive oil, beetle with cucumber, ginger pickle and eaten in Western nations form part of the diet of around two bil- green peas and grasshopper with egg. The protein-rich insects lion people worldwide, mainly in Asia and Africa. And Daviron are imported from Thailand where they are widely eaten as said he was confident that in the long term other countries snacks. But due to limited demand in France the few licensed would overcome their reservations too. “The disgust is really suppliers deal only in dried insects rather than frozen or fresh. turning into a fascination,” he said. “It is difficult to say how fast and in what form it will actually become an everyday event. ‘Disgust turns to satisfaction’ “Maybe not tomorrow. It will take time... but it may be faster “They are dried and salted and the taste will be a bit related than we think,” he said.—AFP A woman eats a grasshopper in the bar “Le Chef Elie Daviron prepares a plate of to that,” he said, adding that because they are dried they do Festin nu” (The Naked Lunch). grasshoppers. not need cooking and so retain the appearance of the insect. Voice of Jay-Z Simpsons ‘teacher Mrs ’ defends deal with store Krabappel accused of profiling dies File photo shows This 1972 file photo made available by “Jay-Z” Carter ar- CBS Television shows Marcia Wallace. rives at the Phila- Wallace, who played a receptionist on delphia Museum “The Bob Newhart Show” and the voice of Art.—AP of Edna Krabappel on “The Simpsons” died Saturday.—AP ay-Z - under increasing pressure to Christian and Kayla Phillips, said this week a dime” from working with Barneys. Instead, back out of a collaboration with the they were detained by police after making his Shawn Carter Foundation, which provides arcia Wallace, the voice of Edna Krabappel—Bart Simpson’s jaded, chain- Jluxury store Barneys New York after it expensive purchases. Christian sued Barneys, college scholarships to economically chal- smoking schoolteacher on the animated show “The Simpsons”—has was accused of racially profiling two black saying he was accused of fraud after using his lenged students, will get 25 percent of all Mdied, the show producers said Saturday. She was 70. Wallace died in customers - said Saturday he’s being unfairly debit card to buy a $349 Ferragamo belt in sales from the collaboration. Los Angeles of complications from pneumonia, her son Michael Hawley told the “demonized” for just waiting to hear all of the April. Philips filed a notice of claim saying she “This money is going to help individuals Los Angeles Times. Wallace’s career in show business included her role as a sassy facts. The rap mogul made his first statement would sue after she was stopped by detec- facing socio-economic hardships to help fur- receptionist on the 1970s TV comedy “The Bob Newhart Show,” and guest roles in about the controversy in a posting on his tives outside the store when she bought a ther their education at institutions of higher ‘80s and ‘90s shows like “Full House,” “Taxi” and “Murphy Brown.” As Mrs Krabappel, website. He has come under fire for remain- $2,500 Celine handbag in February. learning,” he said. “My idea was born out of Bart’s fourth-grade teacher since 1990, Wallace was best known for her animated ing silent as news surfaced this week that two As the criticism grew, Barneys said creativity and charity... not profit.” He also said character’s sarcastic cackle. young black people said they were profiled Thursday it had retained a civil rights expert that “making a decision prematurely to pull “I was tremendously saddened to learn this morning of the passing of the by Barneys after they purchased expensive to help review its procedures. The CEO of out of this project wouldn’t hurt Barneys or brilliant and gracious Marcia Wallace,” read a statement from the show’s executive items from their Manhattan store. Barneys, Mark Lee, offered his “sincere regret Shawn Carter but all the people that stand a producer Al Jean posted on Facebook. “She was beloved by all at ‘The Simpsons’ An online petition and Twitter messages and deepest apologies.” Kirsten John Foy, an chance at higher education,” he said. “I have and we intend to retire her irreplaceable character,” Jean wrote. In 1992 Wallace from fans have been circulating this week, official with the Rev. Al Sharpton’s National been working with my team ever since the won a Primetime Emmy award for her role as Mrs Krabappel in a “Simpsons” calling on the star to bow out of his upcom- Action Network, said he would meet with Bar- situation was brought to my attention to get episode titled “Bart the Lover.” In the episode Bart takes revenge on his divorced ing partnership with Barneys for the holiday neys officials on Tuesday to discuss the racial to the bottom of these incidents and at the teacher for receiving a month of detention by posing as a handsome adult man season, which will have the store selling items profiling allegations. Jay-Z - who rose from a same time find a solution that doesn’t harm and answering her love-lorn personal newspaper ads. Harry Shearer—who plays by top designers, inspired by Jay-Z, with life of crime in Brooklyn to become one of the all those that stand to benefit from this col- several key “Simpsons” voices, including greedy tycoon Montgomery Burns and some of the proceeds going to his charity. most heralded rappers and one of entertain- laboration.” two of Krabappel’s love interests, school principal Seymour Skinner and Simp- He is also working with the store to create its ment’s biggest superstars - has in the past Jay-Z said he understood what it felt like sons neighbor Ned Flanders—took to Twitter to share his grief. artistic holiday window display. But Jay-Z - called for a boycott of labels perceived to to be racially profiled - but also didn’t want “So sad to learn—through Twitter, first—of the passing of the wonderful Mar- whose real name is Shawn Carter - defended be racist, and has become more political in to jump to unfair conclusions.

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