Fresh Bread

* Item: Pillsbury Homestyle Loaf* What you get: One 9-by-5-inch loaf of bread* Cost: About $1.79* Preparation time: 50 to 60 minutes* Review: Although the hourlong prep time might seem daunting, keep in mind how long it takes to make bread from scratch (or even with a bread machine) when you buy Pillsbury's newest refrigerated dough. Suddenly, an hour for fresh bread doesn't seem like such a long wait. The dough is easy to use: Pop it out of the tube into a greased loaf pan and right into the oven.

Spicing up the summer Most Americans think of nutmeg as a holiday spice. But in Grenada, which produces a third of the world's supply, nutmeg is used year-round. Use it to spice up your summer with Nutmeg Rum Punch. For one serving, combine 1 ounce each of lime, orange and pineapple juices with 1 ounce of grenadine, 2 ounces of light rum and 3 or 4 ice cubes in a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously and strain into a small glass. Sprinkle with grated nutmeg. Enhanced by ham Summertime's abundance of fruit offers an ideal opportunity to enjoy Prosciutto di Parma - a delicacy that qualifies as both an authentic Italian antipasto and a fast food.

My kitchen smells of fresh bread anddaughters, warm and hopeful, believingall is still possible. Inibble from a bowl of seedless blackmarinating olives (balsamic vinegarthe secret). Daughters, like measuredportionsof suffering, should be given onlyto those who can withstand theexperience.I am frightened by theirsoft sturdiness. Imay not be upto daughters.The train whistle seeps into the housefrom the middle of town, where no onelives. Warning:Someone is Going to Find OutI have this andThey Will Come to Stealit away.

SMOKE RISES FROM a grill. It curls and arches and spreads under the dark steel and concrete pillars that support the Jones Falls Expressway where it reaches Gay Street in the city of Baltimore. It's Sunday morning, time for inhabitants to come out and eat roasted meat, to gather greens, to take part again in a weekly ritual that celebrates community, enterprise and abundance. Stock market experts will say whether this has been a good year or a bad year. There are other ways to measure prosperity.

Stuffed pork chops are common fare, but a contemporary fruity stuffing can lend an exotic element with minimal effort.The stars of our stuffing here are air-dried cranberries which can be found now in the produce sections of most large supermarkets.In the entree recipe, the stuffing not only serves as the starch for the meal, but also keeps the meat moist. Since the meat has pockets sliced into it, you actually have two thin slices of pork that cook very quickly. Be sure not to overcook because the meat will quickly become tough and dry. The simple glaze of jalapeno jelly lends lots of flavor to the pork and is also good for basting other items such as poultry and fish.

Q: I love little pearl onions. The fresh white and red varieties look so tempting, but how do I peel them without spendinghours?A: The best way to remove the skins from all those tiny onions is to dip them first, very briefly, into a pot of boiling water. While the water is heating, score an X through the root portion of each onion. Drop them into the water for 30 seconds and then drain. The skins will pop off when you give the onion a squeeze, then cut off the root end. Cook as desired.Q: At the end of the summer I have an abundance of corn on the cob that I would like to freeze.

Spicing up the summer Most Americans think of nutmeg as a holiday spice. But in Grenada, which produces a third of the world's supply, nutmeg is used year-round. Use it to spice up your summer with Nutmeg Rum Punch. For one serving, combine 1 ounce each of lime, orange and pineapple juices with 1 ounce of grenadine, 2 ounces of light rum and 3 or 4 ice cubes in a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously and strain into a small glass. Sprinkle with grated nutmeg. Enhanced by ham Summertime's abundance of fruit offers an ideal opportunity to enjoy Prosciutto di Parma - a delicacy that qualifies as both an authentic Italian antipasto and a fast food.

Now, don't think of this recipe as anything so exotic that it couldn't possible qualify for a weeknight supper -- even if it is so speedy that dinner prep and cooking takes less than 30 minutes. The chicken carries a hint of the Asian in the soy sauce and sesame seeds -- otherwise, it is Americanized enough to suit the kids.Ramen noodles are recommended as the starch, but use them as a quick-cooking pasta rather than a soup. Three minutes in boiling water is all it takes. The flavor packet doesn't contain anything of nutritional value, so if you want to flavor the noodles, sprinkle with a bit of the spice blend.

With an investment of only a few minutes of time, you can jTC concoct this scrumptious, low-fat meal. The crunchy crown for the fish fillet seals in the juices and adds a lively nut and herb flavor. Any whitefish fillet will work for this dish as long as it is at least 3/4 -inch thick. Other suggestions are grouper, cod, red snapper or halibut.Spaghetti squash is a most interesting vegetable full of vitamins, especially beta carotene.When cooked, the delicate flesh separates into spaghetti-like strands.

The word "casserole" all too often calls to mind the image of dated and tired dish, but that doesn't always have to be the case. Casseroles can be updated to be simple, elegant, fast and tasty enough to satisfy the changing eating habits of the '90's.This very fresh and fast dish can be completed in less than 20 minutes with the use of a food processor and microwave. In fact, the entire meal can be microwaved following some very progressive techniques.Items you should have in your pantry are: fresh garlic, scallions, 4 slices fresh bread, fresh or dried basil, Parmesan cheese (fresh preferred)

* Item: Pillsbury Homestyle Loaf* What you get: One 9-by-5-inch loaf of bread* Cost: About $1.79* Preparation time: 50 to 60 minutes* Review: Although the hourlong prep time might seem daunting, keep in mind how long it takes to make bread from scratch (or even with a bread machine) when you buy Pillsbury's newest refrigerated dough. Suddenly, an hour for fresh bread doesn't seem like such a long wait. The dough is easy to use: Pop it out of the tube into a greased loaf pan and right into the oven.

First impressions are important.Two years ago, when Mike and Marybeth Morsberger first walked into a 76-year-old, three-story Colonial in Cedarcroft in North Baltimore, both were pretty sure that this was the home they wanted to live in with their two small daughters, Courtney and Allison.Marybeth nearly gasped when she saw the Georgia honey pine floors, grand fireplace and elegant French doors. "But I didn't want to seem too eager," she said.Mike was impressed when he walked into the main foyer and could see up to the second floor balcony.

Bravo, bread soups. Not one bread crumb goes to waste.For centuries, Italians have turned leftover loaves into scrumptious recycled repasts. Stale bread plumps as it absorbs the luscious flavors from the warm broth. It softens into a glorious texture, filled with the scent of fresh vegetables, legumes and herbs.Not so long ago, it was difficult to find rustic, artisan-style breads, the key ingredient in these soups. But now coarse-textured, hard-crusted beauties are sold in almost every supermarket.

Now, don't think of this recipe as anything so exotic that it couldn't possible qualify for a weeknight supper -- even if it is so speedy that dinner prep and cooking takes less than 30 minutes. The chicken carries a hint of the Asian in the soy sauce and sesame seeds -- otherwise, it is Americanized enough to suit the kids.Ramen noodles are recommended as the starch, but use them as a quick-cooking pasta rather than a soup. Three minutes in boiling water is all it takes. The flavor packet doesn't contain anything of nutritional value, so if you want to flavor the noodles, sprinkle with a bit of the spice blend.

Q: I love little pearl onions. The fresh white and red varieties look so tempting, but how do I peel them without spendinghours?A: The best way to remove the skins from all those tiny onions is to dip them first, very briefly, into a pot of boiling water. While the water is heating, score an X through the root portion of each onion. Drop them into the water for 30 seconds and then drain. The skins will pop off when you give the onion a squeeze, then cut off the root end. Cook as desired.Q: At the end of the summer I have an abundance of corn on the cob that I would like to freeze.

It's no secret. I frequently use store-bought frozen bread dough in my recipes.Why not? It gives the impression that I've spent a lot of time in the kitchen -- creating dishes that look labor-intensive but really aren't. Besides, "fresh" bread dough tastes and smells terrific.So three years ago, when I spotted the story in Sunset magazine about grilled breads that used flattened disks of prepared bread dough, I fired up the barbecue and gave the concept a culinary whirl.The results were received with unanimous approval.

It has to be noted at the outset: the least expensive machine took top honors in both categories at the bread-machine taste-off organized by Dr. Marianne Felice and her colleagues and students at the School of Social Work at the University of Maryland at Baltimore. And the homemade bread ranked lowest.Experience may have played a role, however. Dr. Drew Bernstein, a pediatrician, said he's had his DAK bread machine for about three years. "I'm one of the early pioneers," he jokes. But he adds, "I love bread.

It's no secret. I frequently use store-bought frozen bread dough in my recipes.Why not? It gives the impression that I've spent a lot of time in the kitchen -- creating dishes that look labor-intensive but really aren't. Besides, "fresh" bread dough tastes and smells terrific.So three years ago, when I spotted the story in Sunset magazine about grilled breads that used flattened disks of prepared bread dough, I fired up the barbecue and gave the concept a culinary whirl.The results were received with unanimous approval.

Q: Many recipes call for garlic to be diced, which I find to be a tedious process. Why can't I just crush it?A: Food purists may tell you that crushing garlic or using a garlic press will give a bitter garlic flavor due to the extreme breakdown of the cell walls. However, if you find the flavor to be acceptable, by all means, use a garlic press. The time saved is well worth it.Q: I have never been able to figure out how to make soft bread crumbs. What's the secret?A: The best trick to making soft bread crumbs (or bread crumbs from fresh bread)

"Hey, what do you know? This is kind of neat."These are the words muttered by a skeptical appliance executive shortly before millions of bread machines found their way into American kitchens.Tom Lacalamita, of Welbilt, a New Jersey home appliance company, was sent home one weekend in 1988 with a bulky machine a colleague had toted back from Japan. Rumor had it that it made bread. Mixed it, kneaded it, shaped it, let it rise and baked it."Before I took it home, I didn't find it appealing to do something in a machine that we do so well by hand.