Lasagna

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- As he prepared to face the Virginia team coached by his professional mentor and brother-in-law, Dom Starsia, Brown lacrosse coach Peter Lasagna had one fervent but completely impossible wish."

Having a caterer, restaurant or upscale food store plan and prepare the perfect menu is the ultimate luxury. Sutton Place Gourmet in Pikesville, for example, will choose everything for your dinner from the perfect garnish for the appetizer platter to the perfect after-dinner drink.But remember, you don't have to buy everything at a gourmet carryout; you can choose instead to order the time-consuming dishes and fill in with easier recipes.Gourmet carryout places are also a great source for fancy ingredients.

John McCain's choice for a running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, may have been a cold shock to some pundits, but her state has long been a hot tourist destination. Alaska's rustic beauty, from Mount McKinley to the Inside Passage, attracts adventurers, nature lovers, sports enthusiasts and more. The state offers glaciers, fjords, lakes, mountains, parks, Native American culture and wildlife, to name just a few of the tourist draws. Here are five things to do in and around Anchorage: 1 Visit Wasilla : Governor Palin's hometown - and the place where she served as mayor - is about a 45-minute drive from Anchorage.

Here's the king's favorite pound cake recipe. The recipe, for Joyce Graham of Baltimore, is from Mary E. McCartney, also of Baltimore. Several readers sent us identical copies. Joyce Eiken of Towson said the cake is very rich and delicious. She says it's important to follow the recipe exactly.Elvis Presley Whipping Cream Pound Cake3 cups sugar1/2 pound softened butter7 eggs, room temperature3 cups cake flour, sifted twice1 cup whipping cream2 teaspoons vanilla extractButter and flour a 10-inch tube pan. Thoroughly cream together sugar and butter.

My only hesitation about calling Cafe Diana a feminist restaurant is that readers might think men won't be welcome here, which isn't true at all.Cafe Diana is owned by Page Miller and Woman Rising Inc., a group of 24 women who, according to chef Ava Prater, "wanted to create a safe place for women to come in and have a cup of coffee in a smoke-free, alcohol-free atmosphere."But because the food is homey, good and inexpensive, men (many of them Hopkins students) and Charles Village families make up a large part of the clientele.

Take a quick look at Giorgio's Restaurant & Carryout and you might see just one more no-frills pizza/sub/souvlaki place. But take a second look and you'll see a place with a lot of pride in its food and a good rapport with customers. In sum, a very solid carryout. There are several Giorgio's around town. This one is in the Hillendale Shopping Center, off Loch Raven Boulevard, east of Towson. In its 13th year, Giorgio's has an inviting feel, thanks to some colorful neon in the window and a garlic smell that greets you warmly.

Autumn is a great season for sports, but not so great for women who try to drag their husbands away from the TV for a night out. Think of it as the war between Football Man and Dine-out Woman. Dine-out Woman wants the Rainbow Room in New York with its Fred Astaire dance floor and Cole Porter swing band. Football Man wants a wall-sized TV at home with his La-Z-Boy recliner and Surround Sound. Is compromise possible for such a couple? The Mangia Italian Grill and Sports Cafe tries to find that middle ground, and largely succeeds.

Guilius Donald D'Ambrogi, a retired state health official, died Jan. 7 of complications from a broken hip at the Broadmead retirement community. The former Towson resident was 93. Soon after earning a master's degree in chemistry from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in 1937, Mr. D'Ambrogi, who was known as Don, began a career of more than 40 years in public health. He initially worked as an inspector with the Baltimore City Health Department, where he helped safeguard the milk program in city schools.

ARMY1994 record: 8-7.Coach: Jack Emmer (12th year).Key losses: Rick Aguilar, G; Sean Turner, D; Brian Knapp, M; Tim Keneally, M; Kevin O'Rourke, M.Top returnees: Dan Brostek, Jr., A; Rob Manning, Jr., A; Mike Colon, Sr., M; Chris Auclair, Sr., D; Ryan McCormack, Soph., M; Travis Loving, Jr., G.Top newcomers: Dan Monahan, Fr., A; Greg Tily, Fr., M.Outlook: Army won five of its last seven mainly due to switching goalies. Loving replaced Aguilar in midseason, and directed the Cadets to road wins over Yale and Hofstra while holding opponents to less than nine goals per game.

Giving Thanks Thanksgiving Recipes and History, From Pilgrims to Pumpkin Pie Kathleen Curtin, Sandra L. Oliver and Plimoth Plantation Clarkson Potter / 2005 / $22.50 If you're looking for a cookbook that both takes you back to the roots of Thanksgiving and gives you fresh variations on the classic meal, Giving Thanks is for you. Food historian Kathleen Curtin and writer Sandra L. Oliver draw on the resources of Plimoth Plantation, a living-history museum...