Eat-a-bug Cookbook: 33 ways to cook grasshoppers, ants, water bugs, spiders, centipedes, and their kin

David George Gordon, author of The Compleat Cockroach, says eating protein-rich bugs is good for you ("Crickets are loaded with calcium, and termites are rich in iron), and good for the earth ("Raising cows, pigs, and sheep is a tremendous waste of the planet's resources, but bug ranching is pretty benign"). After all, what's inherently more disgusting about eating a grasshopper than, say, an oyster? Gordon enthusiastically provides recipes for terrestrial arthropods gleaned from the entomophagic appetites of people around the world, telling you which insects are most delicious and which to avoid, how to cook them, and which wine to drink with your many-legged meal. The recipes themselves are clear, easy to follow, and quite educational, with sidebar tidbits about the bugs you're about to eat. Gordon divides the recipes into sections by type of insect, be it grasshoppers, social insects, or "pantry pests." And, of course, he provides a list of places where you can order your edible insects and tips for catching your own. The Eat a Bug Cookbook is a sure kitchen conversation piece--even if you never try Three Bee Salad or Chocolate Cricket Torte, you'll laugh out loud, squirm uncomfortably, and lick your chops while taking this deliciously creepy culinary tour. --Therese Littleton