By Times staff

© St. Petersburg Times,
published June 20, 2001

eat your veggies

spotlight on plant food

crookneck squash

eating: Crookneck, like zucchini and pattypan, is a summer squash and is grown in backyard gardens in many parts of the country. Its thin, yellow skin is edible, as is the tender flesh inside. Crookneck, high in vitamin C and low in calories, can be cooked in almost every way zucchini is, though it does have more seeds. Crookneck is also called yellow squash.

buying: As with any variety of summer squash, look for firm skin with no soft spots. Smaller squash (6 to 8 ounces) are more flavorful and less watery than the behemoth specimens. If Mrs. Smith down the street offers you a Goliath from her garden, say no, thanks. The big ones may be better for stuffing, but that's about it. Crookneck is available year-round, but summer is its high season. Refrigerate in a plastic bag, and they will keep for about a week.

preparation: Squash grows near the ground, so sand and dirt can get embedded in the skin. Rinse squash under water by gently running your hands along the skin to loosen any dirt. Summer squash does not have to be peeled. In fact, some of the flavor is in the skin. Trim off stem. Cut squash lengthwise or widthwise or julienne, depending on use.

cooking: You often see crookneck sliced up and served raw on a crudites plate. It's fine raw, but cooking brings out subtle flavor. That flavor can be concentrated by dry cooking methods such as grilling or sauteing, which both help draw out excess moisture. Crookneck is a good companion in vegetable soup, where it adds flavor and thickens the melange.

quick fix: Crispy squash coins. Rinse four crookneck squash, trim stems and slice in 1-inch pieces. Cook slices in salted, boiling water for about 5 minutes. Drain. Lay slices in a baking dish or sheet and brush lightly with melted butter. Sprinkle liberally with Parmesan cheese and broil for 5 to 8 minutes or until brown. Keep an eye on them so they don't burn. Serve immediately.

this web site cooks
www.nostalgiccandy.com

"Remember wax lips, candy buttons, NECCO wafers, hot dog bubble gum and flying saucers?" So begins your journey through this sugar blast of a site. Here's your online store for Atomic Fire Balls, Pop Rocks, Bottle Caps, maybe even some smokes. Bubble gum, that is. Nostalgiccandy.com also does gift orders, packing vintage tins with the candy that makes you remember when. The Blast from the Past gift box features 20 packs of candy for $13 plus shipping.

constant comment

"Do you want to make a tamale with peanut butter and jelly? Go ahead! Someone will eat it." -- Bobby Flay, New York chef and Food Network program host.

cooking class

There's a myth that adding the pit to a bowl of chopped avocado will keep it from turning brown. It doesn't. Instead, when making a dish such as guacamole, cut the avocado right before serving or toss with a little fresh lime or lemon juice.

start your ovens

Now's the time to dust off that $1-million recipe. That's the top prize in the 2002 Pillsbury Bake-Off, to be held Feb. 24-27 in Orlando. Entries must be submitted by Oct. 15, so that gives you the rest of the summer to find something innovative to do with refrigerated crescent rolls. This year's new category is Luscious & Lighter Main & Side Dishes. The others are Easy Weeknight Meals, Fast & Fabulous Desserts & Treats, and Casual Snacks & Appetizers. For guidelines and entry forms, call toll-free 1-800-533-1822 or go online at www.bakeoff.com.

good and light

Fitness magazine ranks Dreyer's/Edy's Grand Light vanilla the best low-fat ice cream on the market. Joining Dreyer's in the Fitness top five are Healthy Choice Chocolate Chocolate Chunk, Ben & Jerry's S'mores Low-Fat Ice Cream, Dreyer's/Edy's Grand Light Cookies 'N Cream and Healthy Choice Caramel Fudge Brownie. We wonder if all the bells and whistles keep dieters from noticing the low-fat flavor of the ice cream.

the profit squeeze

First there were salad dressings. Then came pasta sauces, salsas, popcorn, steak sauce and "Virgin'' lemonade. Now Newman's Own, the line begun by actor Paul Newman to benefit charities, is adding Virgin Lemon-Aided Iced Tea to the family. The lemonade recipe comes from wife Joanne Woodward's Georgia family. Press information says the blue-eyed actor searched "through all the tea in China'' and "finally found a brew worthy enough to marry to Joanne's family recipe.'' You can judge for yourself when the tea hits stores sometime this summer.

bulging business

The piles of bagels and cream cheese outside conference rooms are hard to pass up, and that makes it difficult for some professionals to lose weight. Here are some tips to keep weight down:

• Have a small muffin or half a big one to keep from feeling deprived.
• Have low-fat yogurt and put some fruit on top or, if you don't have the muffin, some granola as well.
• If you don't care for yogurt, opt for cereal with skim milk. Don't fill the bowl with granola, which is calorie-laden and should be used only for decoration.

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