Cool Ades

¡Es muy caldo! (Spanish) Atsui nee! (Japanese) What a way it hot - mi well thirsty - mi need fi cool down (Jamaican patois)

Is it hot enough for you? No matter how you express it, summer brings on the heat, the sweat, and a very big thirst. And culture can matter when trying to keep your cool.

We are all aware of the need to keep well hydrated but did you know that water makes up approximately 60% of your body's weight? Water helps regulate the body's temperature, carries nutrients throughout the body and aids in digestion. That is why it is important to drink plenty of water, especially during the summer months. But we lose water quickly through perspiration, making us susceptible to dehydration. Children ages 2-6 should drink five to six cups (one cup = 8 ounces) of liquid each day; kids 6-12, six to eight cups, adolescents and adults ?? cups. The more active you are, the more fluids you need.

Water is great, but can get a bit boring. Caffeinated, sugar-laden carbonated drinks abound and entice, but add empty calories and do little but leave you wanting more. How often do you see people walking around with those 32 ounce mega cups of colas? In reality they are drinking gargantuan amounts of sugar-- X tablespoons in one hit. Yikes! Certainly it is the right concept-- sipping huge amounts of liquid in a colorful colossal cup-- but the wrong combination. Why not save those calories for an ice cream?

Sugar need not be the enemy and does help provide energy. It's the amount used that can be controlled by making your own drinks. Of course lemon and lime ades need a lot of sweetening or you will be walking around with a permanent pucker. However you don't need as much as you think. It's a matter of re-training the taste buds.

For the cost of one of those giant drinks you can make a day's worth of beverages for the entire office or for a block full of kids-- and have fun too. In a week's time you can taste test thirst quenchers from half a dozen countries, expand your kid's culinary and geographic boundaries and do it with a nutritious twist.

Many cultures use fruit to flavor water therefore providing a natural sweetness. In Mexico, aguas frescas-- fresh water-- is a very common drink made from a variety of fruit pulps and water, such as pineapple, papaya, watermelon, strawberry, cantaloupe and tamarind. Street vendors in stalls serve up this refreshing and colorful drink from big glass jars with ladles. Preparing aguas frescas is easy and fun and can be done at home. Watermelon, a very popular flavor is refreshing, and a beautiful pink color. Buy a seedless watermelon or make removing the seeds an activity for the kids: Can they guess how many seeds in half a watermelon?

Sky Juice is a drink that is enjoyed in the Caribbean country of Jamaica. Also sold by street vendors, large blocks of ice are shaved and these shavings are put in a small plastic bag. Some fruit syrup flavoring is added. A straw is placed in the bag and as the heat of the sun melts the ice, flavors blend and sipping ensues for a very cool treat.

Kakigori-- shaved ice-- is the sno-cone of Japan. Mariko Takinami Brothers formerly from Japan, now living in Brookline with her two children, remembers hot summer days when she'd beg some money from her mother, grab her best friend and they would go to an old grandmother's shop window to buy melon, lemon or strawberry flavored kaki gori. "Kids, just love it. I was so happy that I would eat the ices too fast and my head would get so cold I would have to hit it." A colorful, inviting banner hangs from these little 'mom and pop' stores that sell hot bean paste filled waffles in the winter. Mariko dreamily describes the one adults favor - green tea syrup over the shaved ice topped with sweet azuki beans. "For a little extra yen the obaachan (grandmother/proprietor) would drip sweetened condensed milk over the peak-- that was heaven."

And what about one of our own summer drinks? Smoothies are a cool and nutritious blend of fruit juice and yogurt. Rumor has them coming from California, but smoothies have relatives all over the world: Batidos in Puerto Rico, frulatti in Italy, and mango lassis in India are all first cousins.

All it takes is a blender, a hand cranked ice shaver, some funky cups and a few crazy straws-- equipment that adds up to less than a day at the movies for a family of five. And you get to keep the stuff! Making smoothies is an activity in which all ages can participate and the words "I'm bored," can be met with the exhortation - "press the ?? button and pipe down."

While plenty of plain old water-- plain or fizzy-- is still your best choice for a healthy diet, adding these drinks and frozen treats to your repertoire will add a little variety, education, and excitement.


Aguas Frescas (Mexico - 2 quarts)

2 cups of your favorite fruit, such as watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple, strawberries
2 quarts of water
sugar to taste

1. Put the fruit in the blender
with 2 cups of water and blend.
2. Mix this with the rest of the water (6 cups) in a pitcher and stir well.
3. Add sugar to taste.
4. Add some ice cubes

*For fruit such as limes and oranges, you squeeze the juice of the fruit (6-8 pieces) directly in the pitcher with the water and sugar.


Strawberry Orange-Banana Smoothie (United States - 2 large servings)

2 cups orange juice
1 cup frozen banana, cut in chunks
(don't throw those soft bananas away - freeze them)
1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
1/2 cup nonfat plain or vanilla yogurt
1 cup ice cubes

Procedure

1. Place all ingredients in blender and process until smooth and foamy. For a thicker Smoothie add ice cubes.

Sky Juice (Jamaica)

Make your own Sky Juice for a great summer fruit cooler.

5 cups crushed ice
1 can frozen fruit juice concentrate
20 sandwich size plastic bags
10 plastic straws, cut in half ribbon

1. Put ice cubes in 2 large plastic bags.
With a rolling pin, hit the ice crushed.
Divide into 20 bags.
2. Make frozen juice with half the amount of water indicated on the package.
3. Spoon about 1-2 tablespoons of juice on top of the ice.
4. Place straws in bag and tie a colorful ribbon around the top.

*You may need to add a little water to get the ice to start melting if you are serving this inside.
*Another way to make this is to place ice and juice in a blender. Process until a slush is formed.

Think simple for at-home weddingsProper planning should help you put together a memorable affair

Scene 1:

''Hi Mom, I have a great surprise for you: Ilsa and I got married last week here in Berlin. We are coming home next month so you can meet her. Do you think we could have a small wedding at the house for some friends and family? No big deals, please.''

Fade to speechless and stunned mother.

Scene 2:

''Honey, I met the most wonderful man at my line-dancing class. We are getting married next month. Can we do a small reception for 25 at your house? Nothing fancy.''

Fade to shocked and frantic daughter.

Whether it's the first or second time around, an at-home wedding sounds like a big deal, even for something as small as 25 guests. On such short notice and at the height of the season, caterers are likely to be unavailable and you want to do better than deli platters. Don't panic. You can do this. Breathe deeply and start planning. It is easier than you imagine and actually can be fun.

Think cold. Think simple. Think single-ingredient dishes. Prepare about two hours a day starting four days in advance. Hire - or coax - someone to help on the day of the party and you can feel almost like a guest. The goal is to reduce the amount of slicing and dicing, chopping and schlepping so you have a smile on your face that is sincere.

Serve buffet-style with several tables around for seating. Pull out all your dishes; things do not have to match. Four of this, six of that, eight of something else makes the table interesting. Serve foods that do not need to be cut, reducing the amount of cutlery. Roll the fork in a napkin for easy handling when going through the line. Prepare two large platters of each item so you are ready to replace an empty plate instantly.

It is important to spend money on quality ingredients; they will save you time in the end. Shrimp that is shelled and deveined is more expensive , but you have saved your back hours of standing over the sink and thus have time to make a more interesting marinade. Although more expensive than a whole turkey, fresh turkey breasts are easy to cook and go a long way. Rub with fresh rosemary, coarse salt, and pepper. Roast and baste with V-8 juice. Refrigerate and slice the next day.

Roasted vegetable medleys are great but not when you are cutting, peeling, and trimming several varieties for 25 people. Better to make a spectacular splash with a comely mound of asparagus and a great dressing.

When cooking, keep in mind that buffet servings are not calculated the same as sit-down meals. With several choices, guests usually take less of each one. Figure about 1/4 pound of meat per person and about 3/4 cup of each side dish. Shrimp defies calculations; rule of thumb is 4-6 per person, but we all have seen people park themselves in front of these platters popping shrimp in their mouth at an alarming rate. Buy plenty.

An open bar is unnecessary. It doesn't matter that Uncle Max likes 25-year-old scotch. Nor do you have to have every brand of soda on the market. We often anticipate negative waves that just don't materialize. One type of juice, usually cranberry, sparkling water, cola, wine, and perhaps a Bellini cocktail (made with Asti Spumante or non-alcoholic sparkling cider and crushed strawberries) are nice offerings for a summer's day. (Remember, this is lunch.)

Now for dessert. A big glass punch bowl full of strawberries makes a beautiful presentation. Don't even remove the hulls. Serve with bowls of sour cream and brown sugar for a traditional New England dipping experience. Then try this strawberry-filled Angel Food Tunnel Cake as a creative alternative to a traditional wedding cake. You can assemble this light and delicious cake a week in advance. It will be festive, seasonal, and most important, you never turn on the oven. You will not be sent to cook's purgatory for using a store-bought cake. This is a snap.

Shop with a list, stick to your menu, and don't get seduced by great buys. They are not great if they create more work. Try not to second-guess yourself; that is the hardest thing.

Jo-Jo's Spicy Marinated Citrus Shrimp (Adapted from a recipe in Gourmet 1999 - Serves 25)

6 pounds uncooked large shrimp, shelled and deveined
Marinade:
1 orange
1/4 cup water
2 limes
1/4 cup sugar
2 lemons
2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon coriander powder
4 tablespoons kosher salt
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons McCormack's pickling spice
3/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons tarragon

Remove the zest (skin) and pith (white inner coating) from the orange, lemons, and limes. Squeeze the juices into a large bowl. Add zests, coriander powder, oil, vinegar, sugar, tarragon, mustard, red pepper, water, and 3 tablespoons kosher salt, and mix well with a whisk.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pickling spices and 1 tablespoon salt and cook the shrimp (in two batches, if necessary) for about 11/2 minutes. Drain in colander and put shrimp in marinade while warm. Mix to coat.

Divide into large plastic bags and refrigerate overnight in flat layers.

Serve Cold.

Cold Grilled Flank Steak in Honey French Dressing Marinade (Serves 25)

7 pounds flank steak
Marinade
Make this easy honey French dressing or use bottled.
2/3 cup honey
2/3 cup chili sauce
2 cups salad oil (canola is best)
3/4 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 onion, grated
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Wash and dry flank steaks. Place in deep foil pans. Rub in garlic and onion powders, salt, pepper and paprika.

Mix all marinade ingredients together well. Pour over steaks and refrigerate at least four hours or overnight. (To prepare even further ahead, place steaks and marinade in plastic bags, seal, and freeze. Thaw before cooking.)

Fire up the grill and cook steaks 7-8 minutes per side. Remove from grill. Let cool. Wrap in foil and refrigerate.

Slice steaks when cold, against the grain. Serve with grained mustard.

Asparagus with Sesame Mayonnaise

5 bunches asparagus
1 lemon, sliced
Dressing
1 cup light mayonnaise
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 cup plain yogurt
2-3 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup roasted sesame seeds
kosher salt

Trim bottom off asparagus spears. Cut spears in half on diagonal.

Bring a large pot of water to boiling. Add lemon slices. Cook asparagus for 3 minutes, in batches if necessary. Plunge spears into cold water and drain. Chill up to one day in refrigerator.

Mix all dressing ingredients except sesame seeds and salt in a large bowl.

Pile half the asparagus on a large serving plate. Toss with 2-3 teaspoons kosher salt.

Just before serving put on half the dressing and toss. Sprinkle on sesame seeds. Do same with the second platter.

Strawberry Mousse Angel Food Cake

This no-bake wedding cake is an assembly project and can be done a week in advance. Make 3 cakes for 25 people.

1 store-bought angel food cake
1 quart strawberries - half for filling, half for decorating
2 cups whipping cream or non-dairy whipped topping
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 teaspoon vanilla
boiling water
fresh mint for decoration

Cut a 2-inch deep slice across the top of the cake. Remove the piece and reserve.

Cut a bowl from the interior of the cake, leaving walls and bottom of cake at least 1 inch thick. You are creating a cavity for the filling.

Crush 1 cup fresh strawberries with a potato masher.

Whip 2 cups of fresh cream with 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Stir in vanilla.

Soften gelatin in 1 tablespoon cold water. Mix with 2 tablespoons boiling water until dissolved. Add to crushed strawberries.

Place half the whipped cream in a bowl. Reserve remainder for frosting. Fold in strawberries.

Fill the cavity of the cake with mixture. Place circle back on top of the cake.

Let set in refrigerator for an hour. Freeze and then frost while frozen with remaining whipped cream.

Remove from freezer 1/2 hour before serving. Place on platter. Decorate around the base with strawberry halves and fresh mint.

For all levels of play, winning diet is key

Cleats? Check. Sneakers? Check. Bats? Check. Shin guards? Check. Frisbee? Check.
Snacks and water? Check. Breakfast? Oops.

''Food is fuel for the body,'' says Walter Norton Jr., strength and conditioning coach for the Boston Breakers, the women' professional soccer team.

''If you are not fueled properly, you are going to run out of gas,'' adds Ellen Lowre, registered dietician at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

That metaphor for eating right throughout the day is echoed by athletes and by their nutritionists and coaches. All also say unequivocally: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It is part of a refueling process that replenishes the energy expended the previous day and jumpstarts the upcoming day. The nutrients missed by not eating breakfast are not often made up.

Experts say nutrition has to be a central concern for all athletes - amateur and pro, schoolchildren and adults, including the weekend joggers and tennis players. Episodic bouts of ''eating well'' do not make for optimal performance.

''Team athletes are judged on their ability to replicate their performances,'' says Norton. The Breakers' philosophy involves practicing hard, getting rest, and eating well and enough to get their bodies back to square one.

With up to two practices daily, and multiple games weekly, these women expend so much energy during the season that 2,500-3,000 calories a day is a must to keep up their strength and refuel their bodies. (By contrast, a moderately active woman can maintain her weight with roughly 1,500-2,000 calories, depending on her weight, height, and age.)

Consistently eating well helps store energy. Meals high in carbohydrates and lean proteins and low in fat at least three hours before playing allow time for digestion and absorption of nutrients.

Tracy Ducar of Andover, the Breakers' goalkeeper, says, ''I enjoy cooking, so this is not so hard.'' She tries to eat three meals a day and snack in between with good sources of protein, and she drinks plenty of water. Her teammate, forward Allie Kemp, likes a shake of plain yogurt, milk, a banana, and 1 or 2 tablespoons of peanut butter for extra protein. Ducar is lactose intolerant and gets calcium from soy milk and yogurt.

High-sugar foods or sweetened drinks can give a false rush of energy but won't sustain you. Sugar also inhibits water absorption. Proper hydration before, during, and after a game is essential. Sixteen ounces of fluid prior to a game, 4-8 ounces every 15-20 minutes during intense activity, and 16 ounces of water post activity is recommended.

Joan Buchbinder, registered dietician and sports nutritionist for the Patriots, says, ''The main electrolytes lost while sweating are sodium and potassium. Replacement of these nutrients is key.'' Sports drinks are popular for this reason. A diluted drink of three cups water, 1 cup juice (grape, apple, orange) with a teaspoon or two of salt is a homemade alternative.

''You repair muscles with protein and refuel with carbohydrates,'' says Buchbinder.Athletes have a one-hour window to repair those muscles, says Norton. Liquids carry the needed nutrients through the body fast, so his team has a shake high in carbohydrates and protein. Lowre suggests post-game snacks such as peanut butter and jelly on whole wheat, trail mix with dried fruit,
peanut or almond butter on apple slices, and yogurt with fruit.

Assistant Coach Jorge Espinoza sets the meal plan for the New England Revolution, the men's professional soccer team. Revolution members eat together three times a week and stay away from fried foods. Fresh fruit and water are always available. A favorite of Espinoza is pineapple, which he feels aids in digestion and has valuable nutrients. Knowing that muscles fatigue faster as one
ages, defender Ted Chronopoulos tries to replenish his lost nutrients within a half hour after the game.

Those are the professional athletes. Then there are the rest of us: T-ballers, skateboarders, joggers, and play-grounders. The same concepts apply, though. Protein bars and sports drinks have their place, but there is no substitute for good eating habits.

Still, we wonder: Do the athletes, impressive in their knowledge of nutrition, ever give into the craving for an order of large fries? Sure. Nutritionists and coaches know that banning foods is futile.

As Kemp says, ''We work so hard, we should treat ourselves and not feel deprived.''

Ducar's weakness is the fruity, chewy candies Skittles and Starbursts. The Breakers have ''found every ice cream place in Boston,'' says a teammate in the know. For Chronopolous, it's chocolate cake.

Make-your-own sundaes is a popular dessert for the Revolutions' after-game meals.

Tracy Ducar's Tasty Pre-Game Chicken and Pasta (Serves 2)

1-2 cups of uncooked noodles
1 whole boneless chicken breast or 2 halves, cut into bite-size pieces
Breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 red pepper, cut into small strips or chunks
1/2 yellow pepper, cut into small strips or chunks
1/2 Vidalia onion, cut into strips
3/4 cup chopped tomatoes (grape tomatoes or cherry are also good)
1/2 cup small broccoli florets
1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 tablespoon butter
1/2-1 cup of your favorite spaghetti sauce
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Dash of salt
1/2-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Shredded skim mozzarella cheese

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Cut off all fat and cut chicken into bite-size pieces. Roll pieces in breadcrumbs until covered. Set aside.

Start cooking the noodles.

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large non-stick skillet on medium heat.

Saute chicken until the breadcrumbs are golden brown. You may need to add more oil if the pan dries out. Add it slowly and sparingly.

Mix 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper flakes in a small bowl and sprinkle on chicken.

Cook another three minutes until center of chicken is done. Place chicken on several paper towels to absorb excess oil.

Wipe skillet clean with a moist paper towel. Add remaining olive oil and reheat pan on medium heat Saute vegetables and pine nuts for 2 minutes.

Mix noodles, chicken, vegetables, and spaghetti sauce in a large, oven-proof dish. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over top.

Bake at 375 for 5 minutes to melt cheese and crisp upper noodles in the casserole.

Enjoy!

Malcom White's Ultimate Frisbee Trail Mix (Measurement by ''the handful.'')

Equal amounts of:
Soy nuts
Raisins
Chocolate chips
Cashews
Dried fruit: cranberries, apricots, apple, dates

Mix in large bowl, and divide into individual plastic bags.

Post Game Fruit Shake (Serves 2)

1 1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 banana
1-2 tablespoons powdered milk
1/2 cup ice cubes

Place pineapple juice and powdered milk in blender and blend for 30 seconds.

Add ice cubes, frozen strawberries, and banana cut in half.
Blend until smooth and frothy.

What's for lunch? Mom may be surprised

NAOMI Joshi, mother of three and director of a nonprofit organization in Boston, still happily packs a lunch for her 15-year-old daughter, Emily, throwing in a sesame bagel with whipped cream cheese, a yogurt stick, a bottle of sparkling water, an apple, carrot sticks, and a package of graham cracker cookies.

''This is one way I know that she will have something nourishing to eat and she does appreciate it,'' says Joshi.

But do we really have control over what our children eat at school?

It is no surprise that the greatest number of children bringing lunch from home is in the elementary grades. At the Cyrus E. Dallin Elementary School in Arlington, students eat lunch in their classrooms. One day recently, the members of Susan Dreskin's kindergarten class spilled the contents of their cool canvas lunch bags - with mini ice packs and pockets for every purpose - onto the tables. The usual suspects appeared: peanut butter and jelly, bologna and cheese sandwiches, crackers, juice boxes, chips, pudding-in-a-cup, cookies, pretzels, fruit roll-ups, some carrot sticks, some fruit.

The children were eager to tell who made their lunch (mostly mom) and who decided what was packed (mostly mom). What would parents say, though, if they knew their children were eating their meal backward? Snacks first, two bites of a sandwich, and finito.

There were plenty of new hyper-convenient products, among them packaged lunches with deli meat and cheese squares, drink, and snacks, including a whopping 50 percent of the daily allowance for sodium. Tyler had ''portable yogurt'' in a tube. He squeezed, and aqua-colored, cotton candy-flavored yogurt oozed. ''Wanna taste?''

Standing by the trash can was illuminating. Much of the lunches was thrown away; barely eaten sandwiches were dumped. Linda Baker, mother of four, was on lunch duty and said she feels the kindergartners were bringing too much food for such little stomachs. ''These kids have snack at 10 and lunch at 11,'' she said. ''They are not that hungry.''

One little girl, Amelia, brought pizza, which she licked for 15 minutes, then gnawed mouse-like around the edges, and threw away.

In a third-grade class, the boys and girls sat separately, by choice. Though peanut butter still outnumbered other sandwiches, there was more variety and most said they made the requests and parents complied. Salads, kiwi, tuna, grapes, hot soup, bagels, and yogurt accompanied multiple snacks. Most of the lunches were consumed, but still there was significant waste.

According to Mary Scott, teacher's assistant and lunch monitor, ''The kids are given way too many snacks and then throw away most of the food. Parents should pack good lunches and what the kids really eat.''

Phoebe, a vegetarian, had vanilla yogurt, fruit, muffin, and water. Great meal, but she hovered about her friends waiting for leftover tater puffs.

At the Ralph B. O'Maley Middle School in Gloucester, Mark Lidano, food service director for the Gloucester public schools, said about 60 percent of the students buy from the school lunch program, and middle-school students are tough to please.

One recent day, friends Heidi, Emily, Katie, and Lauren giggled as they displayed their lunches. The girls had an average of at least five items each and the sandwiches seemed incidental.

''Middle-school kids are always hungry,'' said sixth-grade teacher Tina Cirarametaro. Indeed, very little food was thrown away.

Peanut butter was still popular and parents were still making the lunches. Stacy, an articulate sixth-grader, said her mom knew by now what she liked: tuna, yogurt, chips, and punch, all packed neatly with an ice pack.

Ross said, ''My Mom makes the sandwich, I pack the extras.''

Amid his protests, several hands were grabbing for those extras.

The line for food was long and the search for brown baggers brief during a recent visit to Cambridge Rindge and Latin School's atrium-like cafeteria. Ninth-graders Ben and Paul said they usually bring their lunch to avoid waiting in line. Ben had a bagel and cream cheese. He snorted when asked if either parent made his lunch.

Paul's mother made his, however: PB&J and a banana. He said sheepishly,
''I'm pampered.''

Two more lunch periods yielded only a few more students with packed lunches. Eyes rolled when students were questioned about what kept most of them from bringing lunch to school. Time and lack of choices were the answers.

Rob Clickstein, food service director for the Cambridge public schools, said few high school students bring lunch to school, although participation in the food service program is only 20 percent at the high school. Many students buy lunch off campus.

Some students eat nothing for lunch. Linda Baker's 11th-grade daughter at Arlington High School eats when she gets home and just has a cola at school. She says she doesn't have time to eat and the lines are too long. Her mother's take is that ''this is an age when you look a lot cooler drinking a Coke than eating a PB&J. There is definitely peer pressure.''

For the students who do bring lunch, the bag is empty when they return home, the money spent, and assurances given when asked, ''Did you have a good lunch today?''

Andrea Gulezian, a registered dietician with the University of Massachusetts Nutrition Education Program, says pointedly, ''It's a parent's responsibility to offer good food, and it's the child's responsibility to eat it.''

Gulezian, Clickstein, Lidano and Cindy Juncker, nurse leaader for the Gloucester public schools, offer these lunch tips for parents:

Reduce the number of snack foods.

Enhance the main food item.

Make lists and shop with the student.

Vary the breads: mini bagels, pita, rolls, lavosh.

Prepare most of the meal the night before.

Freeze sliced meat (in portions) and bread. They will thaw during the morning before lunch and keep the sandwich fresh.

Use small ice packs when sending perishables if the student is not eating the food within two hours.

Try new spreads: apple butter (a great alternative for children allergic to peanut butter), hummus, Ajvar (a roasted red pepper and eggplant spread).

Keep convenient, healthy foods available.

Offer three choices for main item. Let the student choose.

Try not to deny treats. They are fine in moderation. Children will find a way to have them even if they are not allowed.

When the lunch bell rings, teachers run

NEWTON - It's Burr Elementary School at 12:25 p.m. Stomachs are growling, excitement is mounting.

''Line up!'' Squeals of delight and they're off to the lunchroom - the teachers' lunchroom. It is ''Salad Bar Wednesday'' for the second-lunch-period teachers and almost nothing gets between them and their meal. No stopping in the halls for a chat. They're going to enjoy their 30 minutes of camaraderie with a group lunch.

''Lunch?'' you ask. ''What's the big deal?''

It's a very big deal to some people who must eat lunch where they work. Lacking a cafeteria or tiring of brown bagging, any number of workplace groups have formed to make lunch a special treat.

For the mix of fifth-grade teachers, teacher's assistants, the librarian, and other specialists at Burr Elementary, every Wednesday has been an event. That day, the group creates a salad bar, with each person contributing one item.''The goal,'' says former Burr teacher Lucia Kegan, who helped start the event, ''was to have a good lunch without doing much work. It was easy, inexpensive, and everyone agreed on the contents. Elementary school teachers need that time to be as pleasant and rejuvenating as possible.''

Cathy Mahar, a teacher's assistant, says the weekly event is ''a great social thing with a very festive feel. We all really look forward to it.''

Fresh greens, cherry tomatoes, artichokes, tabbouleh, feta cheese, olives, sprouts, walnuts, chick peas, and beets pile into the fridge. The teachers have their items ready, so as not to waste a minute of time preparing when 12:30 rolls around.''

There was nothing we didn't do that wasn't very simple,'' said Jane Frantz, referring to the early days of the group.

All agree that Kalpana Guttman's homemade dressing makes the salad. The dressing is simplicity itself: a half cup each of olive oil and balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon of Grey Poupon mustard.

Recalled Josh Kershenbaum: ''On Tuesday afternoon, I began to anticipate lunch on Wednesday. I knew this is one meal I could count on.'' (It seems it took Josh a little time to get the hang of things, though. The first time it was his turn to bring in the greens, he arrived with a bunch of parsley, insisting it qualified, being both leafy and green. That only happened once.)

The success of this non-cooking event lies in a comfortable and very doable pattern. The size of the group assures a variety of items. Nothing is left to chance. When asked how they determine who brings what, the librarian, Laura Mayer, produces a printed chart with columns: beans, beets, bread, carrots, celery, croutons, cucumber. Principal Cynthia Bencal points out the list is in alphabetical order.

Kalpana sums it up: ''Our group is really a metaphor for people coming together. Each brings something different and what is regular on its own is really quite wonderful when put all together.''

Kegan is now at the Memorial Spaulding School in Newton. They already had a soup club, and she was invited to join. Their approach is slightly different: One person cooks for everyone each Monday. The good thing is each person cooks only twice a semester; the bad thing is it requires a very big pot.

The agreement was to go basically vegetarian. Gazpacho, chili, cream of peanut soup, and minestrone were a few of the favorites, and there is always great bread. The challenge is keeping the soup warm without burning it over several lunch periods. How do you spell success? An empty pot!

At Grace Chapel in Lexington, Merry McCann and Lorraine King are weekly Bible study leaders. Once a month, their groups share a meal with several others. A theme is chosen, and everyone contributes accordingly. Some popular themes have been quiches, baked potatoes with toppings, fresh vegetables and dips. Once, everyone made one sandwich and cut it into quarters to share.''

Food is not the focal point, but conversation and food go hand in hand,'' says McCann.

Teachers at the Linden School in Malden go gourmet frequently throughout the year, with a catered meal arranged through their ''flower fund'' and $5 from each participant. According to teacher Jane Murphy, ''it's such a treat and really is something to look forward to. We just had a delicious clam chowder in a bread bowl with salad, lemon tarts, and other pastries for dessert.''

And you thought a ''food group'' referred only to ''legumes'' or ''dairy products?''

Little-known lunch fact:
Keith Lockhart, music director of the Boston Pops, says: ''I brown bagged most of the time while I was growing up. My mom was the 'sandwich queen'. She used to teach bread making and would make our sandwiches on this great bread. I remember her freezing four or five different kinds of sandwiches (roast pork, meatloaf, chicken) so we could have a variety right out of the freezer. My weirdest favorite, though, was a cream cheese sandwich on raisin bread with fresh slices of green pepper stuck in it and a Glad bag full of cherry tomatoes. I used to eat them like candy.''

Salad Bar Blueprint for Ten
Think taste, texture, and tones.

Basics:

2 varieties of greens: baby spinach, romaine, Boston, red leaf lettuces, watercress
2 packages grape or cherry tomatoes
1 container radish sprouts
1 bag baby carrots (do not slice)
2 English cucumbers, sliced (no peeling)
2 cups croutons
2 cups beans (white, red, chickpeas)
2 peppers, red, yellow, or green

Things that make it special:

1/2 pound crumbled feta or goat cheese
1 cup nuts (toasted) such as pecans, walnuts
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup olives
2 cup taboulleh
1 lb. tortellini, cooked and marinated in a dressing
1 cup sunflower seeds
From the can, drained and ready Tuna (packed in water)
BeetsArtichokes, quartered
2 loaves good bread

Let each person create his or her individual salad from whichever ingredients they like.

Creamy Italian Dressing (Makes 2 cups)

1 cup light mayonnaise
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon oregano
2 teaspoons dry mustard
3 scallions, chopped finely
salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients and mix until smooth. Chill.

Alice's Escarole and Meatball Soup

Serves 10

10 cups chicken stock
1 pound ground beef
1/4 pound ground pork
1 egg
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup parsley
2 cloves garlic minced or 2 teaspoons garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 head escarole
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup uncooked mini-macaroni or ditalini

Heat chicken stock to simmering. Mix beef, pork, egg, breadcrumbs, cheese, parsley, garlic and seasonings. Form into very small meatballs.

Wash escarole and chop roughly. Add meatballs, carrots, and escarole to stock. Cook on low heat until meatballs are almost cooked through, about 25 minutes.

Add pasta and cook another 10 minutes. Season to taste.

Serve hot with extra cheese.

Secret to a luncheon feast is finally out of the bag

She unfurls her cloth napkin. She lays out her silverware. The aroma of a real meal emanates from under the lid just lifted. With anticipation, she begins her lunch. Everyone asks: ''Do you eat like this every day?'' Inadequacy is in the air. Excuses are floating thick and fast. Lunch mates reach into wrinkled paper bags, scrounge in the communal kitchen drawer for flimsy plastic forks, stare woefully at flattened cheese sandwiches, containers of wilted lettuce, and lone pieces of bruised fruit. Some wait in line at the microwave to nuke Noodle-in-a-Cup, a.k.a. sodium-lover's delight. With little enthusiasm, lunch begins. Their colleague Joanne Rizzi, director of cultural programs at The Children's Museum in Boston, however, eats her lunch there with a cloth napkin and real fork and knife. ''My mother grew up in Europe,'' she says. ''They didn't know from plastic, and it wasn't allowed in my house. I never could get her words out of my head ... and food just doesn't taste right using that stuff.'' As for the cloth napkin, she says she's saving a few trees. This is a scene familiar to many, played out in lunchrooms everywhere.

Where do you fit in? Maybe you spend several dollars a day buying lunch and eating more than you intended. Perhaps you are the brown bagger. Or are you one of those who bring appetizing lunches that look like pictures in a food magazine. Who has time to fuss like that? Siobhan O'Connor, office manager at Harris, Miller, Miller, and Hanson, a noise environmental consulting firm in Burlington, is just that person who, according to colleague Gail Landry, ''always has the most nicely presented and attractive meals.'' Fifteen minutes before a companywide staff meeting at 11:45 a.m., their lunchroom is packed with people foraging in the fridge and lining up at the microwave. O'Connor removes her food from a plastic container with several dividers and arranges it on a plate - a pottery plate, not paper. ''I am always on a diet, so the food has to look good or I'm not interested,'' she says. Her fresh spinach, carrots, pea pods, cottage cheese, and sliced kiwi create a colorful and edible palette. She put the ingredients together that morning in 5 minutes. Drizzling a capful of balsamic vinegar on the greens, she turns to Margo Olson: ''I just found out how nutritious raw spinach is.'' Olson has sliced turkey and celery in a wrap with mustard, and cucumber slices, an orange, and a Diet Coke. The microwave crowd has left-over pasta, canned soup, Lean Cuisine, and one young college intern, Andrew Schmidt, has Mexican lasagna. ''I'm so excited,'' he says. ''This is the best lunch I've had in two weeks.'' An inquiry reveals he made it himself the previous night, not a common occurrence, it seems. Nick Miller, president of the company, has been making his own lunch of tuna fish with mayo and lettuce on a roll every day for 20 years. Yes, tuna. Every day. ''It's healthy and fast,'' he says, ''but I have been thinking about a change. It is getting a little boring.''

There are many ways to ''dine'' at lunch that are neither too taxing nor so time consuming that it becomes unthinkable. Keep a colorful plate, glass, your own set of silverware, and a few nice napkins at work. It is amazing how attractive broccoli and a few cherry tomatoes look on blue. Keep a few staples in your drawer. Lunch is not always about sandwiches. Bring a sweet potato that cooks in the microwave in about 8 minutes (poke holes all over so the skin doesn't burst). Split it, and suddenly colleagues will start sniffing around. ''I smell, uh, Thanksgiving.'' Mash it with a fork and let the sweetness speak for itself. It also packs a
powerful nutrition punch, is higher in calories than a regular baked potato, but you need no butter or salt. Think about all that Vitamin A and beta carotene; your body will thank you. If you are making a nice meal for dinner, double the recipe - heck, triple it - and get some mileage for your efforts. Tired of leftovers? With a splash of ketchup and a cup of mixed frozen vegetables, you can have a whole new meal. Last night's meatloaf and mashed potatoes become tomorrow's shepherd's pie. Use and re-use some of those snazzy new disposable sectioned containers that go in the microwave. For dessert, cut half a pear and half an apple into slices, sprinkle on some sugar and cinnamon or maple syrup, and when you heat your meal, you'll have a great treat. If you have any half and half, spoon a teaspoon or two over the warm fruit. It will taste like pie á la mode.

Don't pass up that supermarket special on eight chicken breasts. Cook them all at the same time and freeze a few, wrapped individually. Later, slice on a diagonal and arrange artfully on a bed of lettuce for an inspiring lunch.

Little-known lunch fact:

Liz Walker, WBZ-TV news anchor, has fond memories of her mother fixing her lunch when she was a child. ''My mom was a teacher, and the morning ritual would be to make both of our lunches together. Sometimes, it was peanut butter and jelly, sometimes tuna. There was always a piece of fruit, cookies, and sweet pickles. But it wasn't what she made as much as it was that she wrapped everything individually, so neatly in waxed paper. It was the presentation. I knew I was blessed that someone would take the time to do this for me.'' For Walker's 13-year-old son, Nick, she has tried to do the same thing.

Zesty Grilled Lime Chicken (Serves 4)

4 boneless and skinless chicken breasts
juice of 1 or 2 limes
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

Wash chicken and pat dry. Squeeze fresh lime juice directly onto the chicken. Mix spices, and rub into the chicken. Place in a bowl with olive oil and marinate for half an hour. Heat a cast iron grill pan (with ridges, if possible) until very hot. Brush a little olive oil onto the pan. Cook chicken for about 4 minutes on each side or until the chicken is cooked through but still moist. Slice on the diagonal and serve with white or brown rice and steamed broccoli. Use leftovers for following lunch recipe.

Grilled Chicken on Greens (Lunch for one)

1 cup fresh mixed salad greens or raw spinach, washed and torn into pieces
3/4 cup canned mandarin orange sections
Sliced celery, cherry tomatoes
1 grilled chicken breast, sliced (see above)
1/2 cup pecans, walnuts, or almonds, roughly chopped

Arrrange greens on a plate. Toss mandarin orange sections, celery, and cherry tomatoes, and place atop the greens. Slice chicken on the diagonal, or shred and place on top of the vegetables. Sprinkle on the nuts. Drizzle on dressing just before eating. Note for vegetarians: Freeze a block of tofu in a plastic bag. Defrost and drain all the water by pressing the tofu. It is now ready to cook. Slice and saute in a little sesame oil, crushed ginger, and garlic. The consistency is like cooked chicken. Shred and use on salad.

Dressing Makes (1/4 cup)

1 tablespoon light soy sauce, pinch of sugar, salt and pepper
1 tablespoon oil
3 tablespoons orange juicedash of sesame oil Mix all ingredients with a whisk or shake in a jar.