Tang

Friends say C. D. "Dan" Mote Jr. is a renaissance man of sorts: scientist, avid skier, tremendous sailor, great dancer, bad poet, heck of an office Santa Claus.And all of it carried out at a speed-dial tempo."He's an exceptional man, a world-class scholar," said Nadine Tang, co-chairwoman of the University of California at Berkeley's ambitious $1.1 billion fund-raising effort. "But he has a great sense of fun."Mote is fearless, whether navigating his boat through a typhoon off Tonga several years ago, or coaching a fellow skier to go faster by yelling his motto: "It's best if you don't think about it."

Now that the temperatures are rising and bulbs are blooming, I am abandoning robust winter dishes for lighter ones, and, in particular, I have been adding cool, refreshing desserts to my repertoire.Among my new creations, delectable lime pistachio bars have become a personal favorite. I love lemon bars and decided to try a variation of these celebrated confections.They can be doubled or tripled easily and prepared a day ahead, so they are ideal for parties.Lime Pistachio BarsMakes 16 barsfor the crust:nonstick vegetable cooking spray1 cup flour2 tablespoons confectioners sugar8 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small chunksfor the filling and topping:2 large eggs3/4 cup sugar2 tablespoons flour1/4 teaspoon baking powder4 teaspoons lime zest (grated color portion of rind)

NEW YORK -- Who said the annual Grammy Awards broadcast only serves up the expected?That certainly wasn't the case last night. In an evening that mixed predictable victories with surprising upsets, Paula Cole bested million-sellers Hanson and Sean "Puffy" Combs in the Best New Artist category, while Shawn Colvin's hit "Sunny Came Home" was named Song and Record of the Year.In an award that echoed many critics' polls, Bob Dylan's "Time Out of Mind" was named Album of the Year. "Everybody worked extra special hard, even the musicians," Dylan joked.

One of the biggest pop music tours of the summer -- Rage Against the Machine with the Wu-Tang Clan -- got under way last week, but don't feel bad if you didn't hear about it. It didn't end up on the cover of Entertainment Weekly, like the Lilith Fair did, nor was it a lead item on MTV's "The Week in Rock," like Lollapalooza was.For that matter, it's hard to find Rage or Wu-Tang's music on the radio. But they've come to expect that. Because what Rage Against the Machine and the Wu-Tang Clan represent is the hard edge of pop music's underground -- Rage representing the rebel strain in rock, Wu-Tang offering the alternative side of rap.Obviously, there's an audience for each.

What's the second thing you think of when you think of Memphis (the first, of course, being Elvis)? It's a tough one, right? In your mind, "blues" and "barbecue" are in a photo finish. ++ At Red Hot & Blue, they go hand in hand, with a little Elvis thrown in for good measure.Starting in 1988 with only one location -- in Arlington, Va. -- Red Hot & Blue may well be the fastest-growing barbecue chain in the country. There are more than 25 outposts now, with plans in the works for another 100. Maryland has one in Annapolis, Gaithersburg, Laurel and the one we recently visited in Owings Mills.

Adding a tropical flavor in salsa to broiled shrimp with a rice side dish makes a meal to remember.Shrimp have a wonderful, resilient texture and a sweet, delicate flavor. But they need a little shot of spice and acid to pick up their natural flavors. The combination of tropical papaya, lime, onions and herbs will elevate the flavor and your prestige to the top of the charts.Although most of the shrimp available are frozen, one still should be picky on the quality and source. I prefer Gulf shrimp rather than many of the Asian imports.

There's something about the clean, crisp taste of chutney, the mixture of hot and sweet flavors and the chunky texture that pleases immensely.This lemon-apricot chutney is delicious on broiled lamb chops.Lamb chops with lemon-apricot chutneyMakes 4 servings3 large garlic cloves, smashed2 teaspoons salt or to taste1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepperL 8 (1-inch-thick) loin or rib lamb chops (3 to 4 ounces each)lemon-apricot chutney, at room temperatureHeat broiler and arrange rack 4 to 5 inches from heat source.

Despite the gaudy title, Zhang Yimou's "Shanghai Triad," which opens today at the Charles, is a muted, even contemplative movie that is less about the gangster trade in the most dangerous city of the '30s than it is about the small epiphanies of humanity that occasionally come in the most unlikely of circumstances to the most unlikely of people.Imagine "The Godfather" through the eyes of a 13-year-old boy just in from the hinterlands of rural Jersey and his dad's pepper farm, and you have an idea of the originality, and the oddity, of the film.

Jacques Bergue, 85, one of the West's foremost scholars on Islam, died Tuesday in southwestern France. His writings on Islam and the Arab world included a translation of the Koran, the Muslim holy book, that was published in 1991 after 20 years of work. Throughout his career, he tried to combat traditional Western cliches about Islam. His works include "Egypt, Imperialism and Revolution" (1967), "Arabia" (1978) and "Islam in the World" (1984). For 25 years he held the chair in social history of contemporary Islam at the College of France.

When spring rolls around each year, I know it is my turn to invite the nine other women in my book club to my house for dinner and a literary discussion.Southwestern-style dishes struck my fancy this time, so chilied almonds will begin the evening, followed by a robust tomato-vegetable soup seasoned with cumin, hot peppers and cilantro and garnished with shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Homemade bread and a green salad tossed in a honey-lime vinaigrette will complete the main course. To end the night there will be orange and raisin brownies.