Mango

Baltimore, I keep learning, has no shortage of unimpressive-looking but perfectly pleasing ethnic carryouts. Add one more to the list: Chokchai Thai Food, a humble little eatery on Harford Road in Northeast Baltimore. There's little to brighten up this storefront's premises except for some Thai-themed pictures, a 2002 Orioles calendar and a stack of magazines, including a copy of Thailand Illustrated dating from 1996. But on a recent visit, the food was fresh, generally well prepared and affordable.

Spring is the season for celebration, from proms to weddings and graduations. And the icing on those good times is, well, cake. To mark the arrival of the Great Defrost Cycle, we asked four of Baltimore's most distinguished pastry chefs to create something unusual for the season. The results show that, while it can be comfort food, cake certainly doesn't have to be boring. 1. The Philosopher-Artist Duff Goldman, Charm City Cakes, 2708 N. Calvert St., Charles Village Goldman's cakes are unconventional.

It's easy to imagine popping into the Boatyard Bar and Grill after a day of sailing. This is a boat-happy restaurant, located near the Annapolis City Marina, across the Spa Creek Bridge in Eastport. The walls are covered with photographs, paintings and doodads of all things nautical; the handsome wooden bar is in the shape of a boat's hull; and sailboat races are shown on the television in the bar. Boating enthusiast Dick Franyo, who with his wife, Susan, opened the restaurant in October 2001, films local yacht races on Wednesday nights during the racing season, then shows them shortly afterward on television sets in the bar. After September, reruns from the previous season are shown on Wednesdays.

ATLANTA - I'm so terribly ashamed. I know my wife will be hurt by what I've done. And soon she'll know everything, all the dirty little details of my sin. Her life will be turned upside down when she learns the ugly truth today: I have not bought her a new luxury vehicle for Christmas. Oh, dear God what have I done? Why oh why did I get her a mock turtleneck (available this year in eggplant) instead of a shiny champagne Lexus? Why on earth did I settle for a mail-order pair of slacks (in heather)

The restaurant near the southwestern corner of Newberry Street and Sulgrave Avenue in Mount Washington has had a number of incarnations over the last six years, first as Dessert Cafe, then as Desert Cafe. Now, in its second cycle as the latter, it's finally hit a great stride. Blake Wollman and his sister, Whitney, bought the restaurant one year ago from their cousin-in-law. They kept the existing menu of eastern Mediterranean fare and got rid of the low chairs that were difficult for anyone over the age of 5 to maneuver.

ALLEN TOWN, Sierra Leone - The walls are back up again and the roof patched over, but a nearby mango tree still carries a reminder of when James Kamara's house was destroyed. The imbedded casing of a rocket- propelled grenade remains from 1999, the last time the rebel army overran his village. On one of the few manageable paths into the capital, Freetown, this farming and logging community has endured so many attacks that local police struggle to remember which destruction matches which invasion.

Mango: U.S. chefs, diners catching on to what the rest of the world loves. You know about mango chutneys and salsas, but what about mango sushi, mango cheesecake, mango candy or mango pizza? Mangoes are becoming as mainstream as the American apple. Supermarket shelves boast condiments from mango jam to mango ketchup. Chefs are incorporating them into sauces, slaws, sorbets. How mainstream? "You can get them in New Hampshire, that's the proof of it," says Tim Andriola, New Hampshire native and head chef at Mark's South Beach in Miami.

Mad for mangoes June and July are the height of the mango season. Fans of the fruit will be glad to know that it is as healthful as it is redolent of sunshine-filled days in tropical climes. Mangoes are a good source of vitamins A and C, and one serving - half a mango - has about 70 calories. Mangoes are juicier than peaches, so be careful to cut them over the sink, or on a layer of paper towels. The Fresh Produce Association of the Americas suggests cutting the fruit in cubes. Start by slicing the sides or "cheeks" off the pit lengthwise.

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.

Despite dire predictions about the Maryland Jockey Club's recent hike in takeout rates, bettors have not deserted Laurel Park races in droves for races at out-of-state tracks. Jim Mango, chief operations officer of the MJC, said that betting patterns apparently have not changed since the takeout increase took effect July 1. Averaging about 1.5 percent, the increase applied only to races at Laurel and next spring at Pimlico. The additional takeout - the money withheld from each wager - will help fund track improvements.