Okra

During Black History Month, a lot of attention is given to the cuisine of African-Americans, traditional soul food. But some folks are likely to pass on such food, thinking it's automatically high in fat and calories. You know -- greasy fried chicken, collard greens laced with fatback and dense, rich desserts. Well, there's a new generation of at-home cooks and professional chefs who whip up good-tasting, low-fat versions of such beloved foods. They take what Grandma made and improve upon it, using different fats (replacing lard or shortening, for example, with olive or canola oil)

Most sequels aren't as good as the original. But the new Kawasaki Cafe in Fells Point is even better than Kawasaki, the excellent Japanese restaurant on North Charles Street. Of course, better is a relative term -- especially among restaurants. Still, the cafe is younger and hipper than its parent, and more user-friendly. In fact, the staff is incredibly friendly, period. They greet you with a cheery hello when you walk in. They're happy to explain anything on the menu you don't quite understand.

Grocery to open in '99 in old Pikes TheaterDiPasquale's Market Place, the new art deco Italian grocery and 80-seat deli in the old Pikes Theater in Pikesville, is now scheduled to open in early '99. Look for lots of produce, prepared foods and a separate area for demonstrations by local chefs and food specialists.Summer side dish: a medley of veggiesMake the most of late- summer produce with this easy side dish. Serve it with cold chicken or hamburgers for a complete meal.Summer MedleyServes 41 tablespoon butter1 green pepper, cut into thin strips1 green onion, chopped2 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped12 okra (can use frozen)

For Brunswick stew and mayonnaise cake recipes, you've landed in the right spot.Joy Lipscomb of Fayetteville, N.C., wrote that she would "really like to find a recipe for Brunswick stew which is the kind made with barbecue and chicken as well as vegetables."The response from Diane C. Meilinggaard of Sparks was full of information about the stew: "It is a favorite dish down South, especially in North and South Carolina and Georgia where I, the original Georgia Peach, am from. My mother and grandmother made this stew with leftover beef and/or pork and added a fresh hen. I have always made mine with fresh ingredients, but leftovers work great.

These recipes for a white turkey chili and an okra and tomato casserole promise pleasant dining.A flavorful white turkey chili was the request of Carol DiMattina of Bethesda. She really liked the flavor of one she had "at a deli/take-out restaurant called La Prima and they used chunk pieces of canned cooked turkey but I can substitute my own turkey or chicken. The other ingredients were marvelous and a bit different like cheese, chilies and onions. Can you help?"Identical recipes, chosen by Chef Gilles Syglowski as "very good" were sent in by D. Smith of Clinton, N.C., and Sandra Hayslett of Olney.

Fresh and fuzzy green okra, right out of your garden or the produce market, can become a pickle to remember, even in a martini.A request for the recipe came from C. Bryant of Hawesville, Ky. whose answer came from A. T. Castleberry of Longview, Wash., who wrote "I may live in Washington state but I was born and raised in Arkansas and I love okra in any form."Castleberry's pickled okraMakes 10 pints4 1/2 pounds okra, small or medium8 cups cider vinegar1 cup water1/2 cup salt10 cloves of garlic, peeled10 hot red peppers10 teaspoons dill seed10 teaspoons mustard seedWash okra and brush lightly with a piece of nylon net or brush to remove the fuzz.

MART, Texas -- Morning sunlight streamed through the window and washed over the hardwood floor as I entered the kitchen to fill my coffee cup. It was one of those cool mornings when the world looked new. I bounced lightly across the room singing."

Preparing one of the classics is a good way to satisfy the need to nestle up to something familiar, comforting and tasty during the winter season, when we like to lie low and simplify. But some of these time-honored dishes require days of shopping for ingredients and even more time spent chopping, peeling, stewing and assembling.The solution is easy: classics made with a few shortcuts that add to the quality of your life but don't detract from the quality of the dish.Classic stews and casseroles are the ideal dinner this time of year.

Each Christmas, Colonial Williamsburg's floral services staff creates what may be the most famous traditional holiday decorations in America. For the past 60 years, hundreds of thousands of people have visited the historic area to take part in Williamsburg's celebration of Christmas. Countless magazine articles and books have been written about the decorations, made from the natural materials -- such as greens, berries, fruit, cones and pods -- that would have been available in 18th-century Virginia.

The model for the Kwanzaa Karamu is taken from the image of an African village after a bountiful harvest when all members of the community bring their produce together and create a feast. One person brings yams, another black-eyed peas or chicken and yet another peanuts. Feasting on foods contributed by each member of the community or family recognizes unity, cooperative economics, collective work and responsibility within2 The next recipe is from Heart & Soul magazine.Collard Greens with OkraServes 62 pounds fresh collard greens or 20 ounces frozen collards2 teaspoons corn oil2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage or rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried1/2 cup chopped scallions1/4 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)