By JANET K. KEELER

© St. Petersburg Times,
published November 7, 2001

deconstructing
explanations from the inside out

bar ware

Snifter. A short-stemmed goblet with broad-based bowl. Designed for sipping neat (iceless) liquors and liqueurs such as brandy.
Cocktail glass. A goblet with a wide, angled bowl for neat drinks and frappes. Also called a martini glass.
Red wine goblet. Has a wider bowl (to improve ability to smell the wine) and larger lip than a white wine goblet. Can also be used as a cocktail glass.
White wine goblet. A glass with a narrow bowl that can also be used for cordials, port or sherry.
Champagne flute. A tall, tapered goblet designed to maintain bubbles by decreasing the amount of liquid exposed to air.
Highball glass. A large tumbler (holds 8 to 12 ounces) suitable for mixed drinks, beers and sodas.
Old-fashioned glass. A medium tumbler (holds 5 to 10 ounces) for drinks on the rocks and short drinks with ice such as a Scotch and soda.
Pint glass. A tall, tapered tumbler suitable for beer or soda.
Irish coffee glass. An heat-resistant, footed glass with a handle. Suitable for all hot mixed drinks.
Cordial glass. A miniature goblet ideal for sipping cordials and neat after-dinner drinks.
Port glass. A small, straight-sided, stemmed glass for port wine.

-- Source: "Perfect Cocktails: The Essential Guide" by Marthe Le Van (Lark Books, 2001, $7.95)

constant comment

"A toast to the cocktail party, where olives are speared and friends are stabbed." -- Anonymous

this web site cooks

www.foodreference.com

For a daily shot of food wisdom, click on this site. Watch the clock, though, or your day may be eaten up while you read the pithy quotes, helpful tips and corny jokes. Why did the chicken cross the road? Entertain yourself with hypothetical answers from famous folks such as this one from Dr. Seuss: "Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes! the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed, I've not been told!" Aside from silliness, the site is full of cooking tips, food news and a daily quiz to test your culinary savvy. And, of course, recipes and recipe site links.

cooking class

Cocktails will remain cold and fresh if they are served in chilled glasses. The best way to chill glasses is to put them in the freezer for a few hours before using. If time prohibits the freezer method, plunge glasses into crushed iced for a few minutes. The fastest way to chill glasses is to swirl ice cubes in the glass for one minute before adding liquid.

the grapevine

The Dancing Raisins are doing an encore. After a seven-year hiatus, the Fresno-based California Raisin Marketing Board is putting the commercials back on television. The Claymation raisins are dancing to the same tune but will be seen only on the Food Network. In the mid-1980s and early 1990s, the award-winning commercials set to I Heard It Through the Grapevine aired on network television.

Amish specialties

For folks who grew up in Pennsylvania or lived there for a time, a trip to the Amish Country Store in Largo will make them happier than a child eating clear toy candy. In fact, Stuart and Pamela Opp, owners of the store in the cute yellow house, have just gotten the candy in for the Christmas season. Clear toy candy is hard candy made in shapes such as sleighs, tree ornaments or Santa Clauses. A 12-ounce bag is $5.48. Also, Amish-raised turkeys are on their way, and orders are being taken to reserve them for Thanksgiving. Other treats from the Keystone State include Utz potato chips, birch beer, scrapple, Lebanon bologna, Cope's dried corn and many kinds of pickles and relishes. The Amish Country Store is at 206 13th St. SW, Largo; (727) 587-9657.

product placement, inc.

The furry, colorful characters in Monsters, Inc., the new animated movie from the folks who brought us Toy Story, will be in many more places than the neighborhood multiplex. The grocery store aisles for one. Cereals (Apple Jacks and Froot Loops), breakfast foods (Pop-Tarts) and chips (Doritos 3D's) that feature one-eyed roly-polys or horned creatures will be available until interest dies, which probably won't be until after December. The Doritos 3D's also turn the eater's tongue blue.

cook for prizes

Competitive cooks can keep posted on contest possibilities at www.recipecontests.com. Or subscribe to a newsletter:

• The Cooking Contest Newsletter, P.O. Box 339, Summerville, SC 29484. Joyce Campagna, editor.
• Cooking Contest Chronicle, P.O. Box 10792, Merrillville, IN 46411-0792. Karen Martis, editor.

Both newsletters offer 12 monthly issues for $19.95.

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