Garlic Powder

Summertime smoothie When the temperature rises, try cooling off with a summertime smoothie. Combine in a blender 1 cup fat-free milk; 2 small, peeled and sliced bananas; 1/2 cup fresh or canned pineapple chunks; 1/2 cup mango sorbet; and 1/2 cup papaya, peeled and seeded. Blend until thick, creamy and smooth, and garnish with a slice of mango or wedge of pineapple. More recipes available from the American Dairy Association, 888-799-6455. Garlic beats bugs If you want a safer burger, just add garlic.

The American Heart Association has come out with the fifth edition of its cookbook (Times Books), and I love it. This outfit knows all of us want to eat stuff like sloppy Joes and tostadas, food usually high fat.Wisely, the recipe developers, Gael Greene, restaurant reviewer from New York magazine, among them, took a look at our old favorites and trimmed them down to a good calorie count. Flavor is still there.You'll feel like a teen-ager again eating these sloppy Joes, beef tostadas and beef pitas.

Susan Harrell of Eldersburg requested a "Hash-Brown Casserole like the one served at the Cracker Barrel." Her response came from Edith Patro of Elkton, who also added some recipe information about the book her recipe came from. She wrote, "Perhaps your readers would be interested in a book entitled `Top Secret Restaurant Recipes,' published by Penguin Group. It's a book of `knockoffs' of recipes from fast-food chains, and you can't tell the difference. It includes things like the Outback Steakhouse Bloomin' Onion, the Hard Rock CafM-i Baby Rock Watermelon Ribs, Houlihan's 'Shrooms, Lone Star Amarillo Cheese Fries, Planet Hollywood Pot Stickers, Red Lobster Stuffed Shrimp and lots more.

Though seedier and more touristy than ever, New Orlean remains a great town for food lovers. The problem: choosing from among the Creole, Cajun, French and American restaurants and the various celebrity chefs who ply their trade there.On a recent visit, I opted for Emeril's, named America's best new restaurant in John Mariani's Esquire magazine survey last year. Its personable and talented proprietor, Emeril Lagasse, serves what he calls "real food, food that reflects the best the city has to offer."

Add pleasure plus to your dining plans with a couple of variations on baked hot and spicy chicken wings and a spicy sauce for hot dogs -- you know, the kind you serve with Texas hots or Coney's on a bun.Joanne Lowry of Glen Burnie and E. L. Burnham of Baltimore requested the wings. Responses came from Charlotte C. Lewis and Barbara Burk, both of Baltimore.Lewis' Anchor-Bar-Style Chicken Wings2 pounds of chicken wings1 egg1 cup oil2 cups vinegar1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper1/8 teaspoon each of onion powder, garlic powder, ground nutmeg and celery salt3 teaspoons saltdash ground clovesCut off wing tips leaving only the main, meaty section of the wing.

Can you ever have too many snacks?Not if those nibbles are healthy and have some nutritional value and you aren't pigging-out too close to meal-time. But, of course, the snacks have to taste good or nobody will eat them. These crunchy-cheesy pita chips fill all the requirements, and tummies too. They are easy to make, great tasting and they're even good for you. They are also ideal for the times you need to bring a snack for school or a party, and any time you want something to crunch at home.

Sweet or tart, or both at once, fruit juices bring special flavors to cooked dishes.Sometimes those flavors come through, clear and distinctive. Other times, they blend in while adding their own notes to a medley of tastes.The first two recipes are from "Chef Paul Prudhomme's Fork in the Road."Shrimp BascomServes 4-6SEASONING MIX:2 teaspoons paprika1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder1 teaspoon onion powder1 teaspoon dry mustard1/2 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper1 pound medium-sized shrimp1 small onion, peeled and chopped1 small green bell pepper, seeded and chopped1 small stalk celery, chopped1 medium clove garlic, peeled and minced1/2 cup apple juice1 (14 1/2 -ounce)

Even if you weren't thinking about cheese garlic biscuits and sweet potato candy, now is the time to give them some attention.Marie Chilcoat of Baltimore asked for the biscuit recipe, which was "similar to the one served at the Red Lobster." And, Mrs. Melvin Anders of Columbia requested sweet potato candy.The biscuit recipe responses were all basically the same with a few personal preference suggestions. Kathy Carlson of Marengo, Ill., wrote that a waitress at Red Lobster gave her the recipe.

If you're hooked on fish, or would like to be, chances are you welcome fresh new ways to prepare it.And if you're among those who eat more fish during Lent that may be doubly true.Here's a fish-cooking method worth trying: Oven "frying." It delivers the taste appeal of deep-fat frying, but with less fat -- although the fat content varies considerably from recipe to recipe.The trick is to create a seasoned breading that adds crunch and flavor and helps keep the fish moist and succulent while it bakes.

Patricia Ann Baugher, a retired rehabilitation counselor and a cooking enthusiast, died of cancer Saturday at her Westminster home. She was 58.For 33 years, she worked for the state's Division of Rehabilitation Services helping disabled people find jobs that matched their skills or finding ways to help them overcome their disabilities on the job. She retired in 1996 from the agency's Westminster office.The former Patricia Wolfe was born and raised in Hagerstown, graduating from Hagerstown High School in 1958.