Canned Food

Anne Arundel Community College architecture students participate in "Canstruction" at Marley Station in Glen Burnie. Participants across the nation use canned food to construct sculptures, and the food used is then donated to pantries, shelters and soup kitchens.

The Elkridge Volunteer Fire Department is sponsoring its Christmas Holiday Food Drive to benefit needy families in the Elkridge area. Donations can be made through Dec. 23 at the fire hall, 6275 Old Washington Road, or given to Santa and Mrs. Claus when they visit neighborhoods Dec. 8-12. Santa and Mrs. Claus will travel through Elkridge neighborhoods on a firetruck to collect canned food and wrapped gifts from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Dec. 8 and 9; 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Dec. 10; noon to 9 p.m. Dec. 11; and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Dec. 12, weather permitting.

If food is one of life's building blocks, imagine what can be constructed from canned food. Eight students from Anne Arundel Community College put their heads and hands together Friday, as part of a charity food drive, and came up with replicas of a national memorial, a New York skyscraper and an Italian Renaissance villa. All these budding architects needed was a bit of packing tape, cardboard, plywood - and about 7,000 cans of food - for the three structures to take shape at Arundel Mills mall.

If food is one of life's building blocks, imagine what can be constructed from canned food. Eight students from Anne Arundel Community College put their heads and hands together Friday, as part of a charity food drive, and came up with replicas of a national memorial, a New York skyscraper and an Italian Renaissance villa. All these budding architects needed was a bit of packing tape, cardboard, plywood -- and about 7,000 cans of food -- for the three structures to take shape at Arundel Mills mall.

Food scientists who haven't been stunted by fat phobia make a good case for using a little in cooking. "Fat, although unappetizing by itself, makes food taste better. Fats coat the mouth and hold flavors for complete and rounded tastes," writes Shirley O. Corriher, a biochemist, cooking instructor and author of CookWise (William Morrow and Co., 1997). When you're cooking low-fat foods, it's tempting to eliminate any additional fat. Why ruin a low-calorie entree such as fish or chicken breast with fat?

JOANNE ROWE WILL BE getting a military-style haircut, thanks to the fund-raising efforts of youths in the New Windsor Cluster Group who fasted for 30 hours to help raise money and food for World Vision. "Last year, Ron Arthur, a youth counselor in our church, agreed to shave his head if the kids raised a certain amount of money," said Brenda Sebastian, a member of Uniontown United Methodist Church, one of two Northwest churches that formed the youth cluster. "This year Joanne said she would get a military-style haircut if they raised their goal of $2,200," Sebastian said.

Like the 40 other people who attended Howard County's second informational meeting on the potential Y2K computer problem in Clarksville last night, the slim, serious woman with the short blond hair waited patiently through seemingly endless official assurances that all is well.Her question was as reasonable as the others: How can any unexpected glitch be fixed quickly if it doesn't appear until that moment when 2000 begins?She seemed satisfied with the answer -- that it likely would be an isolated failure, easily bypassed -- as did others who attended the session in the Ten Oaks Ballroom.

Chocolates or wine for sweethearts?What's a guy to do on Valentine's Day? According to the American Boxed Chocolate Manufacturers, women prefer chocolate over wine as a gift. But Cyberpulse, a division of Los-Angeles-based Impulse Research, found that women ages 21 to 39 would like to receive a bottle of wine.Fetzer Vineyards probably has the right idea. The winery says you should give your valentine both because chocolate tastes better when sipped with red wine.Chinese New YearSay goodbye to the Year of the Tiger.

LIKE THE PIED PIPER, Scott Klein and his wife, Cassie, will lead at least 30 children from St. Mark's Lutheran Church through Hampstead neighborhoods from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, when they will collect nonperishable food to be donated to North East Social Action Program and Carroll County Food Sunday."

Doubling last year's participation, more than 80 Maryland companies are running food drives or giving money to support the 1997 Bags of Plenty food drive for the needy in Maryland."