Lemon

Police officers arrived at John's Water Ice in South Philadelphia about 4:30 p.m. Thursday and informed owner Anthony Cardullo that President Obama was coming in 10 minutes. And 10 minutes later, after the building was inspected by the Secret Service, the motorcade arrived. Cardullo, 33, estimates that Obama was traveling with 200 people. "It was shocking," he said. "That many move that quick, move into position, and get out that quick. " How quick? About five minutes.

Iesha DeSesso had her work cut out for her. The clock was ticking, and she had little more than an hour to decorate, assemble and transport a three-tiered butter cake. "I'll do it," said DeSesso, 23, of Philadelphia, filling a pastry bag with frosting. In essence, a piece of cake. DeSesso was part of a team from the Philadelphia Job Corps participating in a competition last week sponsored by the Culinary Arts Expo. The annual four-day Expo allows student chefs to mingle with professional chefs, showcase their cooking skills, network with restaurateurs, and compete for $2,000 scholarships.

If the seafood around town inspires you to buy and you're looking for some new recipes, try some of these. The first one is from Eat Fish, Live Better by Anne M. Fletcher (Harper & Row). GRILLED TUNA IN TOMATO-BASIL-MINT SAUCE 1 can (16 ounces) stewed tomatoes, drained 1 medium clove garlic 1/4 cup basil leaves 10 large mint leaves Pepper to taste 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 tablespoons dry sherry 4 fresh tuna steaks, 3/4 to 1 inch thick, 4 to 6 ounces each Blend tomatoes and garlic in a blender for 20 to 30 seconds or until frothy and finely chopped.

Rosalie Leftwich said her slain husband was "a passive guy" who would never resist a holdup. But Michael Lemon, 20, who took part in the robbery and murder of her husband, Leonard Leftwich, 58, inside the E-Z Check Cashing agency, 29th and Cecil B. Moore Avenue, on Oct. 31, 1994, said that the victim was killed because he refused to turn over the store's cash. Lemon testified yesterday at a preliminary hearing for the alleged shooter, Melvin Bowman, 24, who was arrested recently in North Carolina.

Brussels sprouts taste like cabbage, only more so. Their cabbagelike flavor and fragrance are much more intense. That's why you'll love brussels sprouts if you like cabbage and hate them if you don't! Everything else there is to like about cabbage is also true about brussels sprouts. Dense and meaty, these little miniatures are even more nutritious than cabbage. No mean feat, because cabbage is one of the most nutritious vegetables there is, exceptionally high in vitamins A and C as well as valuable fiber.

The fruit of Terence Janericco's years as a chef, caterer, teacher and cookbook author can be tasted in his recent work, Fabulous Fruit Desserts (Yankee Books, $16.95). This informative collection of more than 600 recipes covers the subject of fruit desserts like a giant tree. Janericco's hard-cover book includes preparations ranging from simple, direct desserts to intricate, ultra-elegant creations. Along with the recipes is a section devoted to the handling and preparation of individual fruits and written in encyclopedic form.

Shirley King, a chef, caterer and cookbook author, acquired a love for fish when growing up in a country cottage 35 miles from London. Her recent book, Saucing the Fish (Simon and Schuster, $16.95), offers stylish dishes that are innovative without being intimidating. With the continuing emphasis on low-fat, low-calorie eating, fish as a primary food supply is becoming increasingly popular. The average shopper is now exposed to varieties of fish that not long ago were strangers at markets.

Good news at last! Out of the swirling whirl of health reports comes triumphant vindication of a popular, ancient wisdom: 20,000 doughty citizens of Norfolk, [England,] closely observed for four years . . . have demonstrated that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. (Or, to be slightly more scientific, daily ingestion of vitamin C, available in a piece of fruit or portion of vegetable, cuts your chances of shuffling off by 20 percent.) In a move that will be greeted with rejoicing by both grocers and general practitioners alike, it is time to return to the saws of self-help passed down these many generations.

The name and menu have changed, but otherwise Traviata Ristorante is the same as Caffe Bravo, its predecessor, with the same ownership and chef. But that's all to the good, for superb cuisine, generous portions and moderate prices - the same formula that made Caffe Bravo such a pleasure - characterize the new Traviata. Originally Scotto's Pizza, the Maple Shade place was transformed 21 months ago into a splendid little restaurant with excellent southern Italian cuisine. The "new" Traviata opened a month ago. Dinner begins with two spectacular complimentary treats - roasted red and green bell peppers sweetened with plump raisins and flavored with a ton of chopped garlic, and an imaginative version of bruschetta - thick slices of soft pizza dough heaped with a mountain of chopped tomatoes and onions generously flavored with garlic and other Italian seasonings.

Dear Polly: I've been washing my children's clothes in soap flakes instead of heavy-duty laundry detergent because their skin is sensitive to the ingredients in the detergents. However, sometimes the clothes come out feeling a little sticky, as though not all of the soap has washed out of them. Short of double-rinsing, is there any way to avoid this? - L.N. Dear L.N.: First of all, try using a little less soap. That by itself may solve your problem. However, if soap buildup is still a problem, try adding a cup of vinegar to the final rinse to remove any residual soap scum from the fabrics.