TUPPER LAKE – Renowned author and chef David George Gordon, better known as the Bug Chef, treated guests at The Wild Center with a taste of his creepy, crawly gourmet creations Saturday.

Gordon called on audience members, mostly curious children, to help him create dishes from his “Eat-a-Bug Cookbook.” The meats of choice for these dishes were far from kitchen staples: crickets, scorpions and tarantulas.

“These demonstrations are a great way to get the word out and show kids and grown-ups that bugs are cool,” Gordon said.

After cooking the bugs fully, Gordon invited audience members to sample the creations on stage. Kids and adults, both eager and skeptical, seemed pleasantly surprised when munching on the legs of a tempura-fried tarantula. The pan-fried scorpion also received praise.

“Tastes like popcorn,” one participant said.

“Could I get another spoonful?” a young girl asked after sampling the mixture of crickets, corn, onion and bell pepper.

Gordon said he performed at The Wild Center several years ago and would like to come back in the future to continue his oddity-based approach to learning in a venue that embraces nature.

In the past, Gordon has served bug meals to notable pop-culture figures such as astrophysicist Neil Degrasse Tyson and talk show host James Corden. He has also written a variety of books covering insects, snails, dolphins and other animals.