By JANET K. KEELER

© St. Petersburg Times, published April 11, 2001

deconstructing

explanation from the inside out

mesclun

Sometimes billed as baby field greens, mesclun is a French name for a mixture of lettuces, herbs and greens that are cut before maturity. You can buy field greens in sealed bags from companies such as Dole or Express or bag your own from containers of loose leaves. Field greens, with contrasting flavors and colors, are a lovely break from the standard salad of iceberg lettuce or romaine, for that matter.

The greens tend to be expensive because the are handpicked. Rinse gently before using and pick through the leaves, throwing out those that are wilted. Greens spoil at different rates. It's best to serve these greens with a simple dressing because they have lots of flavor of their own.

Here are some of the greens you may find in mesclun, depending on the time of year:

the web site cooks

www.atkinsfriends.com/recipes

The low-carbohydrate Atkins diet remains a favorite among folks trying to shed pounds, despite condemnation from most health professionals. This Web site offers plenty of recipes to relieve the meat and cheese doldrums.

For the very desperate there is a recipe called Mike's Crackers, which are made from soy powder, ground walnuts, canola oil, sour cream and wheat bran, among other things. Hardly any carbs at all, but 88 percent of the nutritional content is fat.

constant comment

"I'm a card-carrying chocoholic" -- From a Chocoholic Club T-shirt advertised on the Web at www.virtualchocolate.com

cooking class

What utensils, besides sharp knives, should you have in your kitchen drawers?

These are the basics: a wooden spoon, silicon spatula, metal pancake turner, vegetable peeler and a long fork.

Also smart to have: tongs, slotted spoon, ladles in several sizes and kitchen shears.

bobby flay in ybor

The Food Network's Bobby Flay found his way to Ybor City recently and his discoveries are the focus of his weekly show, Food Nation. He learned to make Paella a la Valenciana from Columbia Restaurant chef Paco Duarte. Torcedor Roberto Martinez of Gonzalez y Martinez Cigar Factory taught him the art of rolling a cigar. Flay also visited SideBern's, La Segunda Central Bakery and Rodbenders Bayside. The show airs at 9 p.m. Tuesday and repeats at midnight. Additional airings are 7 p.m. April 21 and 5 p.m. April 22.

a good (chocolate) egg

European chocolate-maker Milka has created L'il Scoops -- four foil-wrapped milk chocolate Easter eggs filled with chocolate or vanilla mousse, packed in a cute purple egg carton. Two tiny spoons enclosed are perfect for scooping the mousse. L'il Scoops (about $2.99 each) are available at Target stores.

hot cuisine

This year, two of the three finalists for the International Association of Culinary Professionals' Julia Child award for first cookbooks are about Asian cuisine. They are Cracking the Coconut by Su-Mei Yu (William Morrow, $30) and The Japanese Kitchen by Hiroko Shimbo (Harvard Common Press, $29.95). The third is Wildwood: Cooking from the Source in the Pacific Northwest by Cory Schreiber (Ten Speed Press, $39.95). The Pacific Northwest happens, also, to be a hotbed of Asian cuisine. Winners will be announced April 28.

new organic labeling

Consumers will start to see new labeling on organic products this summer, with full implementation by mid 2002. The labels will include a national definition for the term "organic" and outline the methods and substances that can be used in producing and handling organic crops and livestock as well as processed products. Federal standards prohibit the use of genetic engineering methods, ionizing radiation and sewage sludge for fertilization. For more details on organic standards, visit the Web site www.ams.usda.gov/nop.

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