Powder

FISHING LICENSES4Freshwater sport licenses .. .. 1992 .. .. .. 1993Resident . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . $8 .. .. ... $10Non-resident ... .. .. .. .. ... $15 .. .. ... $20Short-term .. .. .. .. .. $7 (7 days) . $7 (5 days)Trout stamp . .. .. .. .. .. . $3.50 .. .. .. . $5Chesapeake Bay sport licenses . 1992 .. .. .. 1993Resident . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . $5 .. .. .. . $7Non-resident ... .. .. .. .. .. . $5 .. .. ... $12Short-term .. .. .. .. .. $2 (3 days) . $4 (5 days)Striped bass stamp ... .. .. .. . -- .. .. .. . $2Pleasure boat license ... .. ... $25 .. .. ... $30Charterboat licenses . .. .. .. 1992 .. .. .. 1993Six or fewer passengers . .. .. $200 .. .. .. $240Seven or more passengers ... .. $240 .. .. .. $290BLACK POWDER OPENERMaryland's black powder season for deer opens Saturday and will run through Jan. 2, excluding Sundays, in all counties.

I've been searching for Dutch-process cocoa. In the supermarkets, I just see Nestle and Hershey's cocoa, neither of which says "Dutch" or "processed with alkali." Chocolate liquor has two principal components - cocoa solids and cocoa butter - and in 1828, a Dutchman named Coenraad Van Houten invented a method for separating the two. The newly independent cocoa solids also could be pulverized to make a fine powder with lots of chocolate flavor but little fat: cocoa powder. Van Houten also invented a process by which cocoa powder, which is naturally quite acidic, was treated with an alkaline to neutralize the flavor and deepen the color.

Clearly colorful plastic wrapWhy settle for boring clear plastic wrap, when you can jazz up treats, school lunches and gift baskets with colorful coverings in rose, yellow, blue, green and violet from Reynolds Crystal Color Plastic Wrap? For recipes and other ideas, order a free "Quick and Easy Treats for Kids" brochure by calling the Reynolds Kitchens at 800-745-4000.Food for ThoughtSeveral nationally recognized chefs and cookbook authors will demonstrate their culinary skills at the Baltimore Book Festival this weekend in Mount Vernon Place on Charles Street.

Mexican sweet chocolate is a blend of ground cocoa nibs (the seeds of cocoa pods), raw (unrefined) sugar, and cinnamon. It should not be confused with "instant" drink mixes, cocoa powder or milk chocolate. Molded into small cakes, it is available at many supermarkets specializing in Mexican foods. Store dried polenta in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Use within 6 months of purchase. Cole's Cooking A to Z

On Monday, March 15, 2004, HOWARD P. BRAY, beloved father of Shelly Calow (Michael), Andy Bray and the late Ricky Bray, son of Estelle M. and the late Harry Bray, brother of Suzanne, Anne and Paul. Grandfather of Patrick. Relatives and friends may call at the Borgwardt Funeral Home, 4400 Powder Mill Rd., Beltsville, MD., Thursday 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 P.M. Funeral Service and Interment will be private

Cavaliers@Celtics 8 p.m. [ESPN] You figure these two teams very well could end up butting heads to decide who gets to the NBA Finals from the Eastern Conference. And have you noticed how LeBron James (left) is being called LBJ these days? Next thing you know, instead of tossing powder into the air before a game, he'll be picking up a dog by his ears.

When you're out of an ingredient, improvise. It's more convenient than making a frantic trip to the store. Check your shelves to see if you can substitute other ingredients already on hand. To remember how, clip this handy chart and post it in a kitchen cupboard.Substitutes* 1 tablespoon cornstarch (for thickening) equals 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour.* 1 teaspoon baking powder equals 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar plus 1/4 teaspoon baking soda.* 1 cup sugar equals 1 cup packed brown sugar, or 2 cups sifted powdered sugar.

WASHINGTON - A powdery substance suspected to be the poison ricin was discovered yesterday in a Capitol Hill mailroom near the office of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, raising new fears of bioterrorism. Several tests found the white powder to be ricin, a potentially deadly toxin derived from castor beans, and additional tests were being conducted. At a late night Capitol Hill news conference, Frist, a Tennessee Republican, said the incident was being investigated as a crime. Frist, a physician who has written about bioterrorism, sought to reassure Capitol Hill staffers that all precautions were being taken.

Ground mustard can stand in for seed, but experiment first Q. I have a few questions that involve spice equivalents: namely, the spice in question is mustard seed and its equivalent to ground mustard. Can ground mustard be substituted reasonably for mustard seed? What would the equivalent be? A. The answer is yes. I would experiment first, by using just a small amount of mustard powder (which is normally made with brown mustard seeds and can be quite strong). Make sure you blend the powder really well with the rest of the ingredients.

The unidentified substance found Wednesday on a Baltimore-bound Southwest flight was determined to not be a threat, a spokeswoman for the airline said. Hazmat and rescue crews from Palm Beach County investigated a "suspicious chemical powder" found on a Southwest Airlines 737 jet, determined the powder was not dangerous and then released the plane back into the airline's control, said Ashley Dillon. At about 7:30 p.m., the company was working to get the plane in the air and minimize the delay for passengers, she said.