Lemon

Microwaveable desserts are rarely delicious, but Tracy Claros' English Lemon Pudding tastes like homemade. A true Brit who lives and bakes in Austin, Texas, now, Claros makes a light, moist lemon cake topped with tart lemon sauce. It took gold at New York's Fancy Food Show. All grape, all the time? Americans buy 74 million jars of grape jelly a year. So, if PB&J is a constant in your youngster's lunch box, check out the new Bonne Maman French grape jelly. No corn syrup, artificial dyes, or preservatives, so the pure fruit flavor of the Muscat grape stands out.  

If Ramona, the spirited third grader at the center of Ramona and Beezus , gave a one-word review of the movie about her love/hate relationship with her big sister, Beatrice, she would say it was terrifical . Like the beloved Beverly Cleary books that inspired it, Elizabeth Allen's captivating film shows what the world looks like from the perspective of a scrappy 9-year-old who is neither as fearless as she thinks nor as hopeless as...

Our love affair with domestic seafood isn't satiated by Gulf catches alone. Try this Greek-inspired dish made with swordfish caught off Rhode Island. GRILLED BLOCK ISLAND SWORDFISH 4 8- to 9-ounce swordfish steaks 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, preferably Greek 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons fresh oregano 1 tablespoon fresh dill 1 tablespoon fresh thyme Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste Heat grill. Whisk oil with other ingredients, except for fish, salt and pepper.

Keith Straw of Malvern ran the Philadelphia Marathon yesterday in pink tutu and leotard. "They sure as hell don't pay me, so I might as well have some fun," Straw, 52, explained, dripping with sweat and holding a pink wand. Asked why he didn't dance across the finish line, he replied, "There's no dance left in me today. I can't feel my legs. " The reasons people ran 26.2 miles - and what they wore - were as varied as the 18,000 runners themselves. Karl Leitz, 41, of Jersey City, ran as Captain Marvel, wearing a cape and a costume with a lightning bolt across his chest.

Makes 2 to 4 servings 1.    Make the filling by combining the vegetable oil, meat, rice, tomato, salt and pepper to taste and cinnamon or allspice in a bowl. Use your hands to knead ingredients together. 2.    Wash squash and cut off the stem end. Use an apple corer to make a hole at the sliced end and scoop out the pulp, being careful not to break the skin or break through the other end. Fill each squash ¾ full with the rice and meat filling, as the rice will swell when cooked.

Makes 4 servings 1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Place 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter with the garlic in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat until the butter is melted. Cook for about a minute more until the garlic is fragrant, then remove from the heat. 2. Wash the chicken under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Brush the chicken with the garlic mixture. Season each chicken leg with one-fourth teaspoon salt and allow to stand at room temperature while you prepare the lemons and artichokes for frying.

Change of plans? Need a special last-minute meal? Here's a holiday-worthy dinner for one or two or a few that goes from fridge to table in less than an hour. Bake a pan of homemade or mix dressing on the side at the same time. Ditto baked yams and apples. Slip in a store-bought pie to warm on residual heat while you dine. Halve or double the recipe for one or four as needed. Cornish Game Hens With Lemon Pepper and Garlic (Makes 2 servings) 1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Vintage veggie Little lemon cucumbers are making a comeback. The pale yellow cukes - in season now - are juicy and sweet, with succulent white flesh. They have a bigger seed cavity than traditional cucumbers. And no, they don't taste at all like lemons. Pictured here are lemon cukes from Weavers Way Co-op grown from seeds dating back to 1890. Lemon cucumbers, 95 cents a pound at the Fair Food Farm Stand at Reading Terminal Market or area farmer's markets. - Dianna Marder Sweet salsa Don't be confused by the label "jam.

Around this time of the year, kitchen lockdown takes over because it's so darn hot, and we're doing everything we can to bust out of the big house to escape outdoors and cook. Pulling off a successful grill job can be a cinch if the usual suspects are hanging around your pantry, and you can pair them with some known accomplices. A pantry doesn't have to be a rogues' gallery of every variation of hot sauce or flavored mustard. The majority of marinades, rubs, and glazes can be pulled together with a collection of about 10 or so repeat offenders, along with a lineup of their cronies (see list above)