Halibut

WASHINGTON -- Throughout four decades of Cold War, a great and dangerous game was played out in the shadows.Secret U-2 flights snapped pictures of missile silos. Spies were swapped during late-night rendezvous at Glienicker Bridge in Germany. Phone calls were plucked from Kremlin limousines by roving U.S. eavesdropping satellites.But what took place in the skies and on the ground was rivaled by the little-known espionage beneath the waves. Spies didn't just wear trench coats; they also wore Navy blue.

Americans give short shrift to their vegetables. But we ar getting better, says food writer Jeannette Ferrary.The growing popularity of green markets and countryside farm stands has inspired supermarket managers to spiff up their produce sections, as well. Now we find such out-of-the-ordinary items as sunchokes, jicama and persimmons a regular part of the fruit and vegetable scene.But though these foodstuffs may be on the shelves, a lot of people still don't recognize them on sight, much less know what to do with them.

With a full-time job and two kids to chauffeur to school and sporting events, I couldn't resist picking up Jyl Steinback's The Busy Mom's Make It Quick Cookbook (Meredith, 2004, $19.95). Steinback knows what it's like to be a busy mom. Her publicity materials describe her as "a personal trainer, lifestyle expert, motivational speaker and best-selling cookbook author." Her trick to putting meals on the table is revealed in the book's subtitle: "300 Tasty Recipes Using Convenience Foods."

Halibut cheeks and short ribs. Scallops and foie gras. Squid and pig's ears. Lobster and squab. Recognize the theme? It's surf and turf. For the guy shuffling chips at a Vegas craps table, surf and turf means a thick steak and a fat lobster tail. But chefs are navigating uncharted waters and ranging beyond the plains to create new takes on the steakhouse standby. Their sometimes wild iterations continue to evolve and proliferate. Whether inspired by the land-sea combinations of international cuisines or maybe just the American dream of having it all, today's surf-and-turf combinations are more varied than the possible rolls on a pair of six-sided dice.

10 FOR THE ROAD Top spots to reel 'em in The top 10 places to go fishing with your family, according to cable TV's Sportsman Channel: 1. Clear Lake, Calif. (bass) 2. Sitka, Alaska (salmon, halibut) 3. Ecofina Creek, Fla. (catfish) 4. Lake Sinclair, Ga. (crawfish, crappie) 5. Guntersville Lake, Ala. (bass) 6. Venice, La. (red fish, trout) 7. Lake Ontario, N.Y. (salmon, lake trout) 8. Clinton Lake, Ill. (largemouth bass) 9. Cape Cod, Mass. (Atlantic striper) 10. Rogerson, Idaho (walleye, trout)

If you're getting a little tired of the typical family routine of ground something one night, chicken breasts the next night, and takeout another night, you might want to try these fish bundles. These fish fillets also answer the "dinner in minutes" call and varieties can be switched around according to what's fresh at the market and on sale.These baked packages are basically fat-free and are flavored with the character of the Yucatan peninsula. Pair them with some spicy beans to which barbecue sauce can be added for some extra zing.

When I reviewed Lynn's at 554 E. Fort Ave. this spring, about the only critical thing I said was, "It's an expensive restaurant for a blue-collar neighborhood." Now that's changed with the arrival of a new chef, 28-year-old Charles Warner. He was most recently assistant chef and banquet chef at the Polo Grill, and before that executive chef at the now-closed Harvey's in Green Spring Station. Warner's new menu at Lynn's is a fusion of Asian and American. "I have a long history of Asian cooking because I started off at the Pimlico," he explains.

Bob Ribbler has always made brownies, so when he was looking for a new career recently, he decided to bake his exotic, luxurious brownies for a living. "They've got tons of chocolate in them. They're very rich," Mr. Ribbler says. They also have a creamy, truffle-like texture.You can try Bob's Brownstone brownies in Grand Marnier, white chocolate, mocha, peanut butter, mint or other flavors by mail order. Call (718) 369-2627.You'll flipSome of the cleverest cookbooks I've seen lately are the "stand up and flip over" series from Oliver Books.

The boundless harvests of the sea are not so limitless anymore, researchers say.Nearly one-fifth of the world's annual fish and shellfish harvests is caught within 200 miles of the United States coastline. Bays, estuaries and wetlands appear to be among the most imperiled habitats.Only 15 percent of the major fish species are yielding stocks near their potential level, according to a report by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation."The 1990s will definitely be a time of reckoning in the fishing industry," said Brian J. Rothschild, a biologist at the University of Maryland.

Z'Tejas Southwestern Grill opened this week next to P. F. Chang's at The Mall in Columbia. It's another one of those classy chains, with handsome decor and a bustling atmosphere. Z'Tejas' co-founder is Paul Fleming, the "P. F." in P. F. Chang's. It seems to be something of a trend: branches of joint-partnership chains nestling together. (Another example is Outback Steakhouse and Carrabba's Italian Grill.) Z'Tejas is a little different from other Southwestern restaurants because Louisiana food is part of the mix. You can get ancho pork tenderloin and Cajun grilled chicken, for instance.