Syrup

Wisps of steam curled around Ralph Curtis' hands and fogged his glasses as he peered into a four-foot-wide pan of maple syrup slowly heating over bright blue propane-fed flames. "A watched pot . . . ," Curtis muttered as he gently dragged a tubular cup in circular motions through about 12 gallons of glossy brown syrup. With the smooth moves of a master craftsman, he lifted a cupful of steaming syrup and tested its density with a long glass tube called a hydrometer. The instrument told him what his eyes and hands already knew: The syrup was not quite ready.

Dear Polly: I like blueberry syrup, which is rather expensive. I have access to fresh blueberries and would make my own syrup, if only I had a recipe. Can you help? - Alma Dear Alma: Here is a simple recipe for making any type of berry syrup. It's delicious with fresh blueberries, but can be used with strawberries or raspberries. Frozen fruit can be added as well. Pick over, wash and crush 2 cups ripe berries. In a 2-quart saucepan, bring the crushed berries to a boil over medium heat, watching carefully so they don't boil over.

In the wooded Andorra Natural Area of Philadelphia yesterday, 8-year-old Linda Curry of Mount Airy learned a valuable lesson of the annual maple harvest: Syrup takes its sweet time. Tapping the maple tree, waiting for the sap to fill the harvest bucket and boiling away the excess water to make syrup is a painstaking, labor-intensive process. "It's so much easier to buy it in the store," said Linda, who was in the natural area with dozens of other kids and their parents for the Maple Sugar Festival.

What: Mama Mary's Homestyle Pancakes Maker: Spartan Foods of America Where: Supermarket dairy cases Size: 16.5 ounces, 6 (6-inch) pancakes Price: $2.99 Introduced last year, these nonfrozen refrigerated pancakes go into national distribution next month. They are ready-to-eat, plate-size adult pancakes, which heat in 30 seconds by microwave. Good nutrient balance makes these perfect for quick breakfasts. Each pancake has 180 calories, 4 grams of fat and 460 milligrams sodium (from leavening agents)

Kindergartners at Country Day School of the Sacred Heart in Bryn Mawr made delicious syrup from sap they collected from two campus maple trees. It began with a spring lesson about the budding plants they observed in their classroom and on the campus. With winter's end, the class followed its teacher, Surrey Flint, outside to two sugar maples, and watched as she drove a small metal spout, known as a spile, into the trunk before hanging a collection bag under it. She explained that the combination of cold nights and warm days makes the sap run in these trees.

A 64-year-old Frankford pharmacist was arrested yesterday and charged with illegally dispensing prescription drugs worth $6 million on the street. Many of the drugs were those used to make the popular but deadly combination known as "pancakes and syrup. " The pharmacist, Louis Brickman, operator of Lou's Pharmacy on Frankford Avenue near Dyer Street, was led from his store in handcuffs by Drug Enforcement Administration agents as several surprised customers looked on. Brickman dispensed about 1.9 million dosage units of controlled drugs that included Dilaudid, Ritalin, Tuinal, Doriden, Emprin with codeine, Tussionex suspension, Valium, and bromanyl expectorant, according to DEA special agent Lewis Rice.

The former owner of an East Falls drugstore, his pharmacist, and their best customer yesterday were each sentenced to five years in prison by a federal judge for trafficking in deadly drugs known to abusers as "pancakes and syrup. " U.S. District Judge Jan E. DuBois said 113 people in Philadelphia died of overdoses from the sedative Glutethimide combined with codeine-based cough syrup during the 30-month period when the three defendants trafficked in the drugs. "The crime is such that prison is absolutely necessary," the judge said.

MONTPELIER, VT. - In a state that touts its long history of maple-syrup production and fiercely protects the purity of its brand, Vermont producers are proud of their "fancy," "grade A dark amber" and "grade B" syrup. But Vermont is considering joining with other syrup-producing states and Canadian provinces in selling a product with one grading standard, triggering fears by some producers that the state's vaunted brand will lose its reputation if it doesn't stand out from the rest - as they say it should.

MINNEAPOLIS - Sweat was sparkling just below the edge of Brother Walter Kieffer's fleece cap as he high-stepped through the snow in a maple forest at St. John's University, quickly drilling holes in one tree after another. But 47 years after he first started helping coax hundreds of maples into sharing their sap for syrup, Kieffer described it as something more than a chore. "It's a lot of, lot of work, but it's just something to get spring going in your blood," Kieffer said during a brief pause.

Families can finish off February, a somewhat sour weather month, with some sweetness and, with any luck, a little sunshine. There will be plenty of sweet - and sticky - stuff to go around at Andorra Natural Area's Maple Sugar Festival on Saturday. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., youngsters can tour the sugarbush, help gather the sap from the trees, and taste it from the spout. (Against the backdrop of two outdoor campfires, kids can try the American Indian method of sliding a hot rock into the sap to boil off the water to make syrup.

In this updated bacon-dressed spinach salad, the bacon is replaced with a leaner, lighter, sweeter cured-pork product: prosciutto from Parma. The dressing can be made a day ahead. Bring it to room temperature before using, mixing in a tablespoon of oil or water to loosen it up if necessary. Spinach and Prosciutto Salad With Apple-Onion Vinaigrette Makes 4 servings 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 small onion, finely diced (3/4 cup) 1 large tart apple, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored, cut in 1/4-inch dice 1 tablespoon maple syrup, or more to taste Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar About 10 ounces fresh baby spinach 6 thin slices Prosciutto di Parma (about 3 ounces)

If having flowers on the table can make a meal seem twice as delectable - as erudite food writer Michael Pollan asserts - then how many times tastier might that meal be with the flowers in it? Many common blossoms are both decorative and flavorful additions to salads, entrees, and desserts. Further, they are full of phytochemicals, from A (antioxidants) to V (vitamins). They also are among the most ephemeral of ingredients - what I call "hyperseasonal," mementos of a fleeting moment in a plant's life cycle.

Bonbons for your baby Marcie Blaine chocolates has added several new flavors for Valentine's Day: the lovely strawberry cava, also red hot cinnamon, white hot cinnamon, and white chocolate passionfruit. Throw in a couple of the Philly series chocolates, including my favorite, peanut butter pretzel ganache, and a salted caramel, and you'll have a happy Valentine. - Maureen Fitzgerald Marcie Blaine artisanal chocolates, 9 pieces for $17.95; at 108 S., 13th St.   Syrup for your sweetie   For the ultimate breakfast in bed, drizzle some of this ethereal maple syrup on pancakes or waffles.

Makes 10 servings 2 navel oranges, split and sliced as thinly as possible into half-circles. 1/2 quart water 1 cup sugar 1/2 tablespoon toasted and ground coriander seed 1/2 tablespoon toasted and ground cumin seed 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon toasted and ground caraway seed 1. Combine the water, sugar, and spices and bring to a boil. Place the orange slices in a large metal mixing bowl and pour the spice syrup over the slices. 2. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature until cool, at least 4 hours.

THE QUESTION arises: Are you really going to make beer in a bathtub at the Bathtub Beer Fest? Philly Beer Week has been promising an authentic bathtub brew at next Thursday's festival at the National Constitution Center, as a tribute to its outstanding exhibit, "American Spirits: The Rise & Fall of Prohibition. " The idea is to wheel some old-fashioned cast-iron bathtubs into the center and bubble up a batch of authentic, Prohibition-era suds. Speaking as Beer Week's executive director, I can assure you this idea was the product of an ample infusion of liquid inspiration.

MONTPELIER, VT. - In a state that touts its long history of maple-syrup production and fiercely protects the purity of its brand, Vermont producers are proud of their "fancy," "grade A dark amber" and "grade B" syrup. But Vermont is considering joining with other syrup-producing states and Canadian provinces in selling a product with one grading standard, triggering fears by some producers that the state's vaunted brand will lose its reputation if it doesn't stand out from the rest - as they say it should.

The Prima Vera Half of asparagus spear (including top) ¾ inch celery ¼ inch shaved fennel bulb ¼ inch cucumber, peeled, one slice ½ ounce fresh lemon juice ½ ounce Cointreau 2 ounces aquavit Dash of agave 2 dashes of tarragon bitters, or muddle fresh tarragon around inside rim of glass   Muddle all vegetables in shaker, then add ice, shake, double strain into cocktail glass. Serve up with an orange twist. Serves 1.   Source: Daniel Miller, Vedge.

The parade of retro treats marches on. And this summer it seems the foodie hipster scene has declared shaved ice is the hot "new" old way to stay - and be - cool. "We have lines. People are really excited about it," says David Carrell, one of the operators of the New York City-based People's Pops, which specializes in shaved ice, along with ice pops, both made with fresh fruits and herbs. Carrell, also a coauthor of the new People's Pops cookbook containing 55 ice pop and shaved ice recipes, thinks shaved ice is on the verge of becoming a mainstream phenomenon.

LAS VEGAS - They lost Dwyane Wade but gained Kevin Durant. Dwight Howard's size has given way to Russell Westbrook's speed. The Americans know their men's Olympic basketball team will look much different than the one that captured gold four years ago in Beijing. Three of the most important players from that team were unable to return, but the carryovers keep talking about being better now than they were then. "I think it has the potential to be that if we learn to use our versatility.

The parade of retro treats marches on. And this summer it seems the foodie hipster scene has declared shaved ice is the hot "new" old way to stay — and be — cool. "We have lines. People are really excited about it," says David Carrell, one of the operators of the New York City-based People's Pops, which specializes in shaved ice, along with ice pops, both made with fresh fruits and herbs. Carrell, also a coauthor of the new People's Pops cookbook containing 55 ice pop and shaved ice recipes, thinks shaved ice is just on the cusp of becoming a mainstream phenomenon.