The Adlington Post

Check out this UK website for all manner of incredible edibles: "Edible Bugs, Bush Tucker Trials & The Worlds Hottest Chillis! We offer an assortment of gourmet exotic delicacies from around the world. Specialities such as Baked Scorpions & Fried Crickets from the North-East of Thailand. For centuries, these have been consumed as part of an everyday diet. Some other popular delicacies include: Sea Urchin Caviar, Escargots (Snails), Sweden's *NOTORIOUS* Surströmming (Fermented Herring), Civet Coffee, Jelly Fish Slices, Sautéed Reindeer & so much more..Check out our Super Hot Chilli Sauces & Worlds Hottest Chillies!" For more on food see www.pavlovasdog.webs.com For my cooking videos see www.youtube.com/martinadlington

On Friday my mate Johann took me fishing at the pier at the old Sunderland flying-boat base in Hobsonville. We were a bit late for the right tide conditions, but I did manage to catch this fish - twice! [he went back into the water]...... For more on food see www.pavlovasdog.webs.com For my cooking videos see www.youtube.com/martinadlington

Yesterday at Browns Bay market a stallholder gave me a bag of kumarahou leaves. According to my book on Maori herbal remedies, tea made from leaves of this native plant were drunk for turberculosis, asthma, & broncitis, as a blood purifier, & for their beneficial effects on the kidneys, as well as a remedy for colds & coughs, & as a tonic wash for the skin. Kumarahou is also known as Gumdigger's Soap because the yellow flowers make a soapy lather when crushed in the hand. For more on food see www.pavlovasdog.webs.com For my cooking videos see www.youtube.com/martinadlington

Two weeks after the first mealworm pupae formed, a beetle has emerged. So far out of 50 larvae, 20 have pupated, & most of the others are lying still in the tub - getting ready to undergo their next stage of metamorphosis. After the beetles have mated, they will lay eggs in 7-10 days, which will hatch into larvae after 2 weeks - I will then have some interesting cooking tips for you! For more on food see www.pavlovasdog.webs.com For my cooking videos see www.youtube.com/martinadlington

The friendly folks from Col's Pies at Browns Bay market on Sunday. These pork pies are delicious, but get in quick, as they sell out fast! Col is a traditionally-trained English butcher, so he knows his stuff, & these pies are the real deal. Are they as good as Melton-Mowbrays? - try for yourself! www.colslarder.com I ate mine with some "Karengo & Tamarillo Chutney" [seaweed & tree tomato], made by Pacific Harvest here on the North Shore. www.pacificharvest.co.nz For more on food see www.pavlovasdog.webs.com For my cooking videos see www.youtube.com/martinadlington

The mealworms I bought a month ago at the pet shop have begun to pupate. They seem to have been happy on their diet of bran, apple, & guava. Their cycle goes: beetles hatching to laying eggs 7-10 days; eggs hatch in 14 days as larvae; larvae pupate in 4-6 weeks; pupae emerge as beetles in 2-3 weeks. Mealworms are edible at the larval stage, so expect some interesting posts on preparing & cooking these insects in the early New Year. For more on food see www.pavlovasdog.webs.com For my cooking videos see www.youtube.com/martinadlington

On Sunday I met Penny Millen from "Naturallynz" who sells a very popular line of healthy dog food - www.naturallynz.com

A few days ago John Early, the Curator of Entomology at Auckland War Memorial Museum, generously gave me some of his valuable time to discuss insects & their edibility, & 'extreme food". Our conversation ranged over kelp flies, centepides, bee larvae, crickets, algae, unusual meals in our travels, huhu grubs, mealworms, snails....& much more... Some incredible edibles! Tiger slugs Huhu grubs & beetle When I asked John about the dangers of eating venomous creatures such as scorpions or spiders, he said that as their poisons are protein-based, they are rendered harmless by heat, tho he cautioned that tarantula fangs are best removed before consumption of the spider. We had a fascinating chat about "what Auckland eats" - now that we have a very ethnically-diverse population here, there is far more on offer than there was even 15 years ago. There are English, South African, Chinese, & Indian speciality food stores here now, & we wo...

Check out my latest video - a packet of noodle soup combined with fresh seaweed from the beach & herbs & spices to make a delicious & nutritious meal.... For more on food see www.pavlovasdog.webs.com For my cooking videos see www.youtube.com/martinadlington

The other day in the city I bought some salmon bellies [$4.00 a kilo!], & someone generously gave me a fresh schnapper on Friday [thanks Kerry!]. I scaled & filleted the schnapper & marinated some of it with the salmon overnight in a mixture of 1 teaspoon each of salt & raw sugar, with the juice of a lemon, & some dill. On Saturday afternoon I set the smoker up in the back garden, with 3 handfulls of manuka sawdust inside. I laid the fish along with some fresh asparagus stalks onto tinfoil, put this on the grill inside the smoker, poured half a cup of meths into the burner - lit the meths, & placed the burner under the smoker. The meths took about 10 minutes to burn out, I then turned the fish, added more sawdust, refilled the burner & let it burn out then sit for a while. The result was delicious! - eaten with refried beans & watercress salad. The meths is a bit messy, so I have bought a small LPG cannister for my camping stove to us...

Today I did a dumpster dive in the industrial estate around the corner, & came away with a few items - notably a 3D "Viewmaster" & a dozen slides for it, all Disney cartoons: Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny, Micky Mouse, 1953 & 1959. I just them before the rain came down, another 5 minutes & they would have been badly soaked.

My new "Sexy Bachelor Cooking Show & Survival Guide" is on the web....activites, updates will be posted to the blog: www.sexybachelor.blogspot.com as well as the new website: www.sexybachelor.webs.com - where there will soon be recipies as well Videos of the show will be on my youtube channel: www.youtube.com/martinadlington The first two programmes are uploaded & can be found on the links below: "How to Cut up a Chicken" "Home-made Beer - the Micro-brewery"

I have just posted my latest video in the "Men Behaving Badly" series - another totally politically-incorrect dating guide with lots of sex'n' rock'n'roll.....

On Sat 14th August I had a stall at the 2010 Auckland Zine Festival in St Kevin's Arcade in Karangahape Road. Attendance was steady thruout the day, & I met some nice people as well as selling some of my altered books. See some of my collages on www.culture-jams.blogspot.com

"BBBBBBBalls"......................... "Best By" "Four Tui"..................... "Fcuk Me Shoes" "Mortagee Sale" Today I picked up some more stuff from the beach after the winds & high seas....I have been reading a new book about the surrealist artist Joseph Cornell, & was inspired to place some of my new & old finds into small boxes. See more of my  recycled, upcycled and environmental works at www.martinadlington.webs.com

After viewing an art exhibition of constructions made with Mecanno pieces, I have devised a 21st Century version : FREECANNO - an open-sourced educational toy made from found stuff. This Freecanno is an educational toy is based on the familiar Mecanno set. The kit includes a variety of plastic, wood, & metal construction components with holes drilled in them, as well as some hardware for joining pieces together - nuts & bolts, screws, & nails. Further holes can be drilled & pieces can otherwise be adapted to suit - tools will have to be obtained separately. As Picasso said: “Computers are stupid- they only give you answers”. The Freecanno concept is designed to both stimulate the imagination & to instigate processes of enquiry: “What can I make?.. how can I make it?.. how can I join these together?.. how can I cut/drill/whatever this?.. what do I need to make......?” As the Freecanno system is open-sourced, there are not more bigger, more expensive, s...

A close-up of a work I made from beach trash with reflections in the window. Recycled art is fun, & when you get tired of the piece it can go straight into the recycled bin! See more of my  recycled, upcycled and environmental works at www.martinadlington.webs.com

LtoR - Mitch Santell, Dana Stewart, Mr News [standing], Tim Lynch, Prof. Garbology - Martin Adlington On May 20 I was a panel guest speaker on radio GreenplanetFM 104.6 in "mobilising consciousness with Tim Lynch", discussing "Democracy, Governance & Sovereignty at Risk in NZ" along with Dana Stewart & Mr News. Find the podcast HERE From Tim : "As the pace of life gets faster and faster and days appear to rapidly recede behind us, NZers appear to be like possums at night time staggering in the middle of the road mesmerized and caught in the glare of headlights of a fast coming vehicle, not knowing what is happening and therefore not appearing to take any action.

 Will the possums wake up in time and do the correct thing by taking action to control their own future, ... or ...?

 Plus, what is the table talk at cafes, restaurants, bars and lunch times around NZ? Is the populace happy and even ecstatic with how we the people are governing ourselv...

In late 2009 villages & the tourist resort on the remote northern Tongan island of Niuatoputapu were devastated by the Samoan tsunami. The Australian & New Zealand governments supplied some initial relief assistance, but as so many personal possessions were lost, people on the island are still struggling to get by. With the generous help of friends here in Auckland, I have begun to gather everyday items which will prove useful to the inhabitants of Niua. If any yachties can assist us by taking some of the goods we have collected to Niua, especially from Auckland, we would all be most grateful. Donations are most welcome, the main need appears to be for cooking utensils [especially cast iron pot'n'pans, & knives], & tools, towels & sheets, soap, toothbrushes, & first aid materials.... Children's toys are unnecessary [!], & there appears to be more than ample clothing. The ferry only visits Niua once a month, so supplies are ...