Baking Sheet

Joyce M. Kelly of Ellicott City wrote that she was interested in making Fig Newtons. "I have a recipe for fig bars, but I want to make something that is more like a cookie." Her response came from Verla Struminski of Lebanon, Ore., who wrote: "This recipe is in my computer program 'Kitchen Gourmet' by Softkey Multimedia Inc. I hope it is what Joyce M. Kelly is looking for." Fig Newtons Makes about 20 cookies 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature 2 tablespoons sour cream , cup dark brown sugar, packed, coarsely sifted 2 eggs, at room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt FILLING: 2 cups dried figs, preferably moist-packed black figs 1 3/4 cups water 1/3 cup sugar 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel 1/4 teaspoon salt In a small bowl, beat the butter and sour cream until light.

For a Mother's Day celebration, imagine a leisurely spring brunch. As the centerpiece, make a stack of Leek Pancakes designed for wrapping around a roasted asparagus spear or, if you wish, prosciutto. Gravlax - Scandinavian-style cured salmon - is a perfect complement. Basil, mint and lemon grass steep in a pitcher to make a fragrant tisane for sipping. For dessert: Chocolate-Orange Scones laced with oat flour, still warm from the oven. The brunch is a breeze, not only because it is served buffet-style, but because much of it can be done ahead of time.

Anyone with a passing interest in the practice of deep-frying, saucing and consuming chicken wings with celery and blue cheese knows the dish was created in Buffalo, N.Y. Pinpointing how the Super Bowl and chicken wings have become inextricably linked in the public's mind is another story. Maybe when Super Bowl M (1,000 for those who can't remember their Roman numerals) rolls around, watching it while munching chicken wings will seem as traditional and patriotic as turkey at Thanksgiving.

Viola Brown from La Pointe, Ind., was looking for a good and easy recipe for making tomato basil soup. She said she is 82 years old and has a hard time finding things she still likes to eat. It's not surprising that she would be in search of a recipe for homemade tomato soup, as it's a classic comfort food no matter what the season. Jenny Garcia from Santa Rosa, Calif., shared a recipe that she and her husband came up with that she said was inspired by a similar recipe in the Barefoot Contessa Cookbook.

A few years ago, some Italian friends came to tour the United States for the first time. Because they had been eating -- and enjoying -- American food in their travels around the country but were perhaps a little homesick, I prepared an Italian-style menu for their visit to my home. They were pleased with the pasta and delighted by the fish, but I have no doubt the thing they enjoyed the most was the big bowl of ripe fruit I brought to the table for dessert.Either as ingredients or as dessert itself, fruit completes the meal for most Italians.

Menu Roasted Fish With Guacamole, couscous scented with saffron, pan-fried zucchini with garlic, plum sundaes My husband, a college professor who loves to entertain, is always suggesting we invite people over for dinner. "Just keep it simple," he advises. Recently, he unexpectedly proposed that we ask two students for a meal. I was hesitant, but then it came to me: I could anchor the meal with an easy fish dish I had made several times before. It takes only a few minutes to assemble and needs a short time in a hot oven.

Everyone loves the smell of piping-hot pizza. But no one loves the smell of a burning pizza box. Turns out, this is a difficult scent to eradicate from the home, and I've tried — even frying tilapia for dinner one evening. But the scent of flaming cardboard somehow persists. Almost all of my friends use the oven, set very low, to keep their pizzas warm in the box while they wait for their guests to arrive, for the evening news to be over or for the salad to be made. No one I know has encountered a problem with this.

To remove the skins from peaches easily, pour boiling water over them, then quickly dip fruit into ice water. Use your fingers or a small knife to slip off the skins. To minimize cleanup when baking fruit pies, set pie plate on a baking sheet to catch liquid overflows. -- Cole's Cooking A to Z

The latest healthy recipe comes from nutritionist Joy Bauer. The Baked Tilapia With Spicy Tomato-Pineapple Relish is an easy dinnertime meal. It can also be made with other white fish such as haddock or cod, Bauer says on her website. The entire dish takes just about 20 minutes to prepare. If you have healthy recipes you would like to share send them to me at andrea.walker@baltsun.com INGREDIENTS 4 fish, tilapia, (6-ounce) fillets 1/4 teaspoon salt, Kosher 1/2 cup(s)

Boneless center-cut pork chops cook quickly and evenly and adapt to a variety of cooking methods. They are also fairly lean -- about 38 percent of calories from fat. MOLASSES BLACK- PEPPER PORK CHOPS Makes 4 servings cooking spray 1 / 2 teaspoon salt 1 / 2 teaspoon ground cumin 2 teaspoons cracked black pepper (see note) 3 tablespoons molasses 4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut pork chops Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a shallow baking sheet with cooking spray. Combine the salt, cumin, black pepper and molasses in a bowl and spread it over both sides of the chops.