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I'm not sure you can even order them. I've looked online a few times. Seems the few US restaurants that offer the critters get them direct from Oaxaca, and buy in big quantities.
You might check out:
Expresion Oaxaquena
For just $5, you can have a whopping half-pound bag of the edible critters. Whether you order in while eating there to sprinkle a pinch atop your tacos and side of black beans or take a bag home along with another steamy bag of the soft hand-made corn tortillas to make chapulin tacos at home, Expresion Oaxaquena's service to the chapulin-loving community is a generous one. Feel free to wash it down with one of its freshly pressed juice blends or a pulpy agua fresca made from the chilacayote fruit if it's available. And don't forget dessert, a scoop or two of Oaxaca's famous leche quemada- ("burnt milk") flavored ice cream.
I would try a new recipe I've been meaning to make.
Coconut chicken "paella". It's a Tyler Florence recipe and looks like it will be amazing.
[SIZE=5]Chicken and Coconut "Paella" [/SIZE]Tyler Florence, Tyler's Ultimate
1/4 cup coriander seeds
8 chicken thighs (I only had six on hand) Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely minced
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 bay leaf
2 cups basmati rice
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
Preheat the oven to 400f. Coarsely crack the coriander seeds. Season the thighs well with salt and pepper and sprinkle all over with the cracked coriander. Heat a 3-count of olive oil in a large, deep, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Lay the chicken thighs in the pan, skin side down, and give them a good sear for 3 to 4 minutes to develop a nice crust. Turn and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on the other side to brown the meat. Take the chicken out of the pan.
Hit the pan with another tablespoon of olive oil and turn the heat down to medium. Add the onion, ginger, and bay leaf and cook, stirring for 3 to 4 minutes, until the onion is soft but not brown. Now you've got all this great flavour going on in the bottom of the pan - chicken drippings, ginger, onion, and bay. Add the rice and season with salt and pepper. Stir for a minute of two until the grains are well coated with the oil. Stir in the lemon zest. Now add the broth and coconut milk and bring that to a simmer. Tuck in the chicken thighs, put the whole thing in the oven, and bake, uncovered, until the rice is tender and bound by a creamy sauce and the chicken is entirely cooked through, about 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaf.
When the chicken is done, put the peas, mint, and watercress into a bowl. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper and give it a good toss. Taste for seasoning. To serve, take a big spoon and scoop out some rice and chicken onto each of 4 plates. Garnish each plate with the pea salad. One of my favourite aspects of this meal was the coriander crust on the chicken, absolutely delicious - I will do that again and again.
For just $5, you can have a whopping half-pound bag of the edible critters. Whether you order in while eating there to sprinkle a pinch atop your tacos and side of black beans or take a bag home along with another steamy bag of the soft hand-made corn tortillas to make chapulin tacos at home, Expresion Oaxaquena's service to the chapulin-loving community is a generous one. Feel free to wash it down with one of its freshly pressed juice blends or a pulpy agua fresca made from the chilacayote fruit if it's available. And don't forget dessert, a scoop or two of Oaxaca's famous leche quemada- ("burnt milk") flavored ice cream.
Honestly, they're good. But IMO, you have to get the small ones in season and not the big ones. The small ones are tasty, crispy and go right down. The big ones require an extra chew or two and kinda squirt more guts.
Now the soup is where I'd part company with DG. I think huitlacoche is fine in small quantities. But I wouldn't want to eat an entire bowl of that flavor. It's not exactly mild. I could see adding a little bit to a "regular" mushroom soup though.
Honestly, they're good. But IMO, you have to get the small ones in season and not the big ones. The small ones are tasty, crispy and go right down. The big ones require an extra chew or two and kinda squirt more guts.
Now the soup is where I'd part company with DG. I think huitlacoche is fine in small quantities. But I wouldn't want to eat an entire bowl of that flavor. It's not exactly mild. I could see adding a little bit to a "regular" mushroom soup though.
A little smut is good in an omelet. I can't deal with chapulines and mosquito eggs. Knew a guy that raised cobalt blue tarantulas and fed them live chapulines and crickets. He'd throw in a handful at a time. The screams of the little chapulines, as the spiders started munching on them . . .Oh, the horror of it all.
I would try a new recipe I've been meaning to make.
Coconut chicken "paella". It's a Tyler Florence recipe and looks like it will be amazing.
[SIZE=5]Chicken and Coconut "Paella" [/SIZE]Tyler Florence, Tyler's Ultimate
1/4 cup coriander seeds
8 chicken thighs (I only had six on hand) Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely minced
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 bay leaf
2 cups basmati rice
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
Preheat the oven to 400f. Coarsely crack the coriander seeds. Season the thighs well with salt and pepper and sprinkle all over with the cracked coriander. Heat a 3-count of olive oil in a large, deep, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Lay the chicken thighs in the pan, skin side down, and give them a good sear for 3 to 4 minutes to develop a nice crust. Turn and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on the other side to brown the meat. Take the chicken out of the pan.
Hit the pan with another tablespoon of olive oil and turn the heat down to medium. Add the onion, ginger, and bay leaf and cook, stirring for 3 to 4 minutes, until the onion is soft but not brown. Now you've got all this great flavour going on in the bottom of the pan - chicken drippings, ginger, onion, and bay. Add the rice and season with salt and pepper. Stir for a minute of two until the grains are well coated with the oil. Stir in the lemon zest. Now add the broth and coconut milk and bring that to a simmer. Tuck in the chicken thighs, put the whole thing in the oven, and bake, uncovered, until the rice is tender and bound by a creamy sauce and the chicken is entirely cooked through, about 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaf.
When the chicken is done, put the peas, mint, and watercress into a bowl. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper and give it a good toss. Taste for seasoning. To serve, take a big spoon and scoop out some rice and chicken onto each of 4 plates. Garnish each plate with the pea salad. One of my favourite aspects of this meal was the coriander crust on the chicken, absolutely delicious - I will do that again and again.
Just curious, why use basmati rice when paella calls for bomba, Calasparra or Matiz Valenciano, short grain rice. I agree, coriander crusted chicken (and fish) is very tasty.
I make really good charcoal grilled burgers and steaks, cooking them slowly with the cover ON 5-10 minutes at a time, with plenty of applewood wood chips to start out with, followed by cubes of butter which melt onto the charcoal increasing the smoky carcinogenic goodness. I'll sometimes mix onion soup mix into the ground beef. Lots of people say it's hard to cook with charcoal but I find it's idiot proof with the proper, round dome style grill. The smoke regulates the flame and temperature unlike gas where I have to babysit it to keep it from flaring up and turning into an inferno which I'll actually do purposely when I'm making bacon on a gas grill.. turn it into an inferno, shut the gas off, and flame broil everything the rest of the way.
I also can make really good chocolate chip cookies... cooked with real butter only to the point of being soft and chewy as well.. unlike some who use Crisco and then cook them until they are hard as rocks.
"Kinda squirts more guts" does not get to be part of my food vocabulary.
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I'll sometimes mix onion soup mix into the ground beef. Lots of people say it's hard to cook with charcoal but I find it's idiot proof with the proper, round dome style grill. The smoke regulates the flame and temperature unlike gas where I have to babysit it to keep it from flaring up and turning into an inferno which I'll actually do purposely when I'm making bacon on a gas grill.. turn it into an inferno, shut the gas off, and flame broil everything the rest of the way. 
