The Adlington Post

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