Parmesan Cheese

What it is -- A block of Kraft parmesan cheese that comes with a built-in grater What we like about it --The cheese has a milder taste than some others you'll find in the supermarket, and can be grated right from the package. What it costs --$4.99 Where to buy --Available at grocery stores Per serving (2 tablespoons) --20 calories, 2 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 0 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams protein, 0 grams fiber, trace cholesterol, 75 milligrams sodium

Most would agree that some cosmetic surgery can give us the proverbial new lease on life. It applies to people. It applies to restaurants. Aface-liftis just what Chris Infantino, the current owner of Tino's Italian Bistro, did when he acquired the storefront space formerly known as Strapazza. There wasn't much Infantino's interior designer could do about the building's facade, but inside you'll find a handsomely reconfigured upscale-looking restaurant/bistro/trattoria -- in the burnt sienna walls, the wrought-iron sculptures hung on them, the floor-to-ceiling wine rack that divides the two dining rooms.

I enjoy trying new restaurants, especially when out of town, so when friends invited us for a weekend to their house on Cape Cod, I suggested that we eat out one of the evenings. Our hosts responded enthusiastically and chose a seaside restaurant that had opened earlier in the season. I eagerly read the menu and, intrigued by a side dish of Parmesan-Black Pepper Coleslaw, ordered it along with roasted halibut on a bed of asparagus. The fish and vegetables were cooked perfectly, but my slaw was unexceptional.

The latest healthy recipe comes from Consumer Reports Food & Fitness Magazine. It's  a healthy twist on what is many people's favorite comfort food, macaroni and cheese. Except this is mac-and cheese with cauliflower. Nothing wrong with getting some veggies with your mac-n-cheese. The recipe also uses multigrain pasta, which is better for you than the white variety. Do you have a healthy recipe to share? Email me at andrea.walker@baltsun.com . Meanwhile, check out the latest recipe.

This spinach lasagna recipe, for Mary Smith of Millerstown, Pa., makes a nice change from more traditional tomato-based sauces. The recipe is from Cheryl Smith of Baltimore.Spinach lasagnaMakes 6 servings.2 tablespoons oil1 onion, finely chopped2 cups sliced button mushrooms1 pound frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice1/4 teaspoon grated nutmegsalt and pepper, to taste1 cup cottage cheese1 cup grated Cheddar or mozzarella cheese2 tablespoons butter2 tablespoons all-purpose flour1 cup milk1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese1/2 pound green or white lasagna noodles, cookedHeat oven to 375 degrees.

If you eat out or shop the vegetable stalls, the chances are you've seen it. Kale is often treated like the ugly duckling of the greenery field, ignored by otherwise budget- and health-conscious shoppers.Actually, the vegetable, a sort of green cabbage, has a long history of fitting into hearty international menus -- not just braised with chopped onions, meat stock and pork fat, Dixie-style -- but as an ideal ingredient for balancing casseroles.The only preparational trick is cutting out tough stems of the leaves.

Surprise your family with a main dish featuring savory vegetables and pasta for a simple meal. This meatless main dish is an update on the traditional pasta casserole. Layers of spaghetti and vegetables are baked in a velvety white Parmesan sauce, subtly flavored with thyme. Frozen vegetables, packed in pour and store plastic bags make preparation a snap. There's no cleaning, peeling or chopping.Broccoli Cauliflower Tetrazzini8 ounces uncooked spaghetti, broken into thirds1 16-ounce package frozen vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower and carrots2 tablespoons margarine or butter3 tablespoons flour2 cups milk1 teaspoon instant chicken bouillon1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheeseDash pepper1 4.5 ounce jar sliced mushrooms, drained2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheeseCook spaghetti to desired doneness as directed on package.

In the depths of winter, when the days are cold and dreary, yearnings often turn to comfort food, especially Italian pasta dishes. This homey recipe developed by a Roman grandmother originally contained more cholesterol than you would want to know; our "nanas" were bent on soothing with creamy foods long before cholesterol became an issue.In our version, chicken broth replaces extra cream and cornstarch is the thickener rather than eggs and Parmesan. Tortellini, a stuffed pasta often described as "little hats," is the basis of many stories.

The latest healthy recipe comes from Consumer Reports Food & Fitness Magazine. It's  a healthy twist on what is many people's favorite comfort food, macaroni and cheese. Except this is mac-and cheese with cauliflower. Nothing wrong with getting some veggies with your mac-n-cheese. The recipe also uses multigrain pasta, which is better for you than the white variety. Do you have a healthy recipe to share? Email me at andrea.walker@baltsun.com . Meanwhile, check out the latest recipe.

Cathy, the family couch potato, returned from college this summer tuned into fitness.She joined the health club, where she works out three days a week. She bought running shoes for alternate-day activity. And she joins me most Sundays for a 20- to 30-mile bike ride.She also started eating healthy.So when my birthday came along, she decided to give a small dinner party, featuring a fettuccine recipe she concocted herself.The menu:Appetizers: Mini crab cakes on stoned wheat crackers; spicy garbanzo dip on whole wheat pita; red, green and yellow sweet pepper strips.

Hiltrud Tuinstra from Santa Rosa, Calif., was looking for a recipe she lost years ago for making stuffed zucchini. She recalled that it had frozen spinach and bread crumbs added to the zucchini flesh, but unfortunately she could not remember any other details about the recipe. Joann Langdale , also from Santa Rosa, sent in her favorite recipe for making stuffed zucchini, which sounded fairly similar to what Tuinstra was seeking. Stuffed zucchini is one of those dishes that has as many variations as your garden or farmers market has zucchinis.

Janna Snyder from Portland, Ind., was hoping to find a recipe for one of her favorite dishes from childhood. It was a skillet type of pizza, without the traditional crust, that she thought was made by soaking bread in beaten eggs and then topping it with pizza sauce, cheese and pepperoni in the fashion of a traditional pizza. I decided this sounded interesting, and while I did not receive any recipes from readers, I did locate a recipe for a skillet pizza on Cooks.com that sounded close to what Snyder had described.

If your winter salads need a wake-up call, radicchio, a member of the chicory family, may be the right leaf to join the plate. Its red and white colors add visual interest; its slightly bitter taste, another flavor note for a good dressing to play with. Radicchio originated as a wild chicory in Italy, writes Aliza Green in Starting With Ingredients. Modern radicchio was developed in the 1860s. Two varieties of radicchio are commonly found in the United States -- radicchio rosso di Chioggia, shaped like a head of cabbage with dark leaves, and radicchio rosso di Treviso (also known simply as Treviso)

I've always been fascinated with gnocchi. The small, round pasta made with potatoes, flour, salt and eggs is hearty, yet delicate at the same time. At least the ideal gnocchi is delicate. Making these dumplinglike morsels requires a sure touch I've never mastered. I haven't given up on making gnocchi but, in the meantime, I turn to the shelf-stable or refrigerator brands from the supermarket. This version, for example, is very fast, and reminiscent of a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich, with its flavorings of bacon and tomatoes.

KITCHEN TIP Pecorino is a little more assertive than Pecorino is a little more assertive than parmesan cheese, and can be substituted for it in many recipes if you want a sharper kick. From "Everyday Pasta," by Giada DeLaurentiis starchefs.com This Web site for "culinary insiders" has Easter recipes from chefs around the country. If you're a pretty good chef yourself, check out the database of restaurant jobs and the culinary-school discussion forum. Kate Shatzkin

This savory baked shrimp is quick and light, and the cooking method leaves the shrimp juicy, firm and flavorful. Crunchy walnuts, grated parmesan cheese and white wine provide texture and flavor. Orzo is small, rice-shaped pasta. The spinach is added just before the pasta is drained so it just wilts, which is all the cooking it needs. Raisins add a welcome bit of sweetness. Spinach With Orzo Serves 2 1/2 cup orzo 4 cups washed, ready-to-eat spinach 2 tablespoons raisins 2 teaspoons olive oil salt and freshly ground pepper Place a medium saucepan three-quarters full of water over high heat.

THIS MAIN-COURSE soup is easy to make. Preparation is just a matter of slicing Italian sausage links and combining them with a few convenient ingredients. This recipe is from The Pillsbury Co.Italian Pasta Sausage Soup1/2 pound hot or sweet sausage links1 28-ounce can tomatoes, undrained, cut up1 14 1/2 -ounce can chicken broth1 8-ounce can no-salt added tomato sauce1 teaspoon dried basil leaves1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves1 16-ounce package frozen vegetables and pasta, such as Green Giant's Frozen Pasta Accents Garlic Seasoning2 tablespoons Parmesan cheesePlace sausage links in large saucepan or five-quart Dutch oven.

What it is -- A block of Kraft parmesan cheese that comes with a built-in grater What we like about it --The cheese has a milder taste than some others you'll find in the supermarket, and can be grated right from the package. What it costs --$4.99 Where to buy --Available at grocery stores Per serving (2 tablespoons) --20 calories, 2 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 0 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams protein, 0 grams fiber, trace cholesterol, 75 milligrams sodium

Quick pasta dishes don't always require tomato sauce from a jar. The olive oil and butter in this recipe provide silky texture and great taste while allowing the flavors of the other ingredients to shine through. That's important in this dish, which highlights the wintry, woodsy flavors so welcome now. While this dish calls for a little bacon and some fresh-grated parmesan cheese, it also can be vegan. Skip the meat and forgo the cheese. Bill Daley writes for the Chicago Tribune, which provided the recipe analysis.