The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • Page 47

www i LOS ANGELES TIMES Nyy WEDNESDAY. NOVEMBER 18. 1998 D7 The Kids' Reading Room IN YOUR DREAMS ear Cynthia Color Me! Dad's car prompts him to start reliving the days of his youth. Dear Lindsey You may dream of being chased when you are feeling pursued or pressured by something or someone. If you feel a bit behind in completing an important school project and you fear missing the deadline, for example, you may have this dream! Dream Tip: If you want to encourage a certain type of dream, think about that thing just before going to sleep.

Or tell yourself, tonight I will have a dream about flying. Or you could draw a picture of what you want to dream about. This may help you remember and write down the dream. Sweet dreams! CYNTHIA RICHMOND In Your Dreams runs on Wednesday. Please send a short description of your dream (50 words or fewer) to In Your Dreams, LA.

Times, Times Mirror Square, LA CA 90053 or e-mail cynthrichaol.com or fax (213) 237-0732. Include name, age, hometown or school and phone. I keep having dreams of all the guys I know dressed in yellow pants and black shirts, and they are chasing me around. What does this mean? Courtney, 15, Yorba Linda Dear Courtney Since you are 15, 1 imagine that you have thought about boys and dating. Perhaps you are afraid of being stung, getting hurt or just being pressured to get involved? Dating and eventually falling in love are some of the most wonderful parts of our lives.

Just be sure that you do only what you want to do and that you are in control. Dear Cynthia When I am asleep, 1 have many dreams where I want to run from someone and scream. But either I can't do these things or everything seems to be happening in slow motion. I have heard that this is because you are wrapped up in your covers. Lindsey, 14, Esperanza High The New Car PINT-SIZED PUNCH LINES PART 4 My father agreed with Coach Wiggens and promised we would leave in plenty of time.

"This is a special occasion," he said. "Saturday morning I will wash the car, again." Thursday: slow, slow driving. Writer Michele Serros is the author of the book "Chicana Falsa" (Riverhead Books, 1998) and CD (Mercury Records, 1997). The early parts of this week's story are on The Times' Web site at http: www.Iatimes.comkids TV in the living room!" "Who says?" my father insisted. "This is better! Just like the drive-in in the old days! Come on in and join me!" But no one ever did.

My mother was angry, my sister was embarrassed and I was confused by his behavior. He started to slick his hair back and say things like "cool!" He had even hung his high school graduation cap tassel on the rearview mirror. My father tried to get everyone interested in his car. The mailman, the man who delivered our water. Even the woman who came by to check our gas meter was pulled away from her job and had to listen to my father talk about his wonderful car.

"So, you want to check out the goods under the hood? It's way cool!" he bragged. I didn't have time to look through my father's new car. I had other things on my mind. The following Saturday was soccer tryout, and it was my big chance to make the team. "If you keep up the good work," Coach Wiggens promised me.

"You're sure to make left wing. But don't be late," he warned. "That's one of the most important things in sports discipline!" BY MICHELE SERROS My dad started living in the rocket Batmobile car. I mean really living in it. Every morning he would wake up, take his portable razor and shave his face in front of the rearview mirror while listening to basketball scores on the car radio.

He even rolled the TV out to the driveway and watched basketball from the front seat. "Dad," my sister Irene complained. "This is so embarrassing. You're supposed to watch In which state can you watch the most tennis? Tennessee, of course. (Lindsay Apatow, 8, West Los Angeles, Overland Avenue School) Got a joke or a riddle? You must include your full name (type or print), age, hometown and school, or we can't publish your submission.

Send it to Pint-Sized Punch Lines, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA 90053, or by fax to (213) 237-0732. Please note we try to avoid jokes we've published before. And please be patient. Knock, knock. Who's there? Orange.

Orange who? Orange you glad to see me? (Kayla Bonds, 7, El Segundo, Center Street Elementary) Knock, knock. Who's there? Funny. Funny who? Funny, I don't know. Do you? (Arielle Nomura, 7, El Segundo, Center Street Elementary) Why was the little ghost crying in the doctor's office? He wanted to give her a boo-ster shot. (Katri-na Martinez, 9, Norwalk, Chavez Elementary) Why did Santa Claus have three gardens? So he could ho, ho, ho.

(Shane Matthews, 7, Tarzana, St. Martins School) Food i 1. Place flour, sugar, salt and butter in bowl. Use 3. Mix in egg yolk, then water and gather the dough until it forms a ball.

2. When properly mixed, flour and butter should resemble coarse meal with a few pea-sized lumps. pastry cutter, fork, food processor or, best of all, your own hands to combine mixture. Fast: Turkey Continued from D6 shoulder pad. Good meat, but really bad appearance and inedible stuffing.

Next we tried putting an herb butter under the skin, and a pound of sliced bacon over the top. The bacon burned and stuck to the skin. The turkey tasted great, but with the tattered skin it looked a little scruffy. With the temperature this high, we discovered that nothing should go under the skin you need the skin intact to protect the meat. Still, we liked the smoky flavor from the bacon.

Finally we came up with the perfect combination of our own flavor ideas and the Kafka method. Here it is: Use a shallow roasting pan, about 2 inches deep. Ours is 6 inches deep, so we used the top of the roaster, and it worked fine. To cook at 500 degrees, be sure the bird Is thoroughly thawed and at room temperature before putting it into the oven. Also, wash the turkey inside and out, and dry the skin with a clean towel.

Cut off the last joint of the wing or it will burn. Fill the cavity of the turkey with herbs such as rosemary, sage, garlic, thyme and chives. Cover the top of the turkey with bacon, layering the strips over the breast and legs. Cover the tips of the drumsticks with aluminum foil. Roast at 500 degrees on the bottom rack of the oven.

Remove the bacon from the top of the turkey after 25 minutes and put the bacon into the drippings and the cavity. At this time, generously baste the turkey with melted butter. Put the turkey back in the oven until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 in the thickest part of the thigh. Be sure the thermometer is not touching bone when you take the temperature. Our turkey weighed about 12 pounds and took 50 minutes total.

A larger bird will take longer, but we do net recommend this recipe for a turkey larger than 15 pounds. Let the turkey stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before carving. ANDYBRODER THE PUMPKIN PIE i 5. Pour pumpkin filling into pie shell then bake. Photos by IRIS SCHNEIDER Los Angeles Times 4.

Roll dough flat and lay over 9-inch pie plate. Pumpkin pie is all about sugar, spice and other things that are nice. Balancing the amount of spice is the trick to good pumpkin pie. Several years ago, Times Test Kitchen cook Mayi Brady came up with what we believe to be the perfect pumpkin pie. Actually, it has a little more sugar than she originally wanted, but you may notice that it doesn't have any cloves.

Brady dislikes them and believes they overpower the rest of the filling. If you like pumpkin pie on the spicy side, add a pinch of ground cloves or two. But don't blame Brady if you can't taste the pumpkin. Make the crust and filling two days ahead. Then assemble and bake the pie the day before Thanksgiving so the oven is free to roast the turkey.

plate, then trim and crimp edges. Chill 20 to 30 minutes. FILLING 112 cups canned pumpkin 34 cup brown sugar, packed 14 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon 12 teaspoon ginger 12 teaspoon nutmeg 14 teaspoon salt 2 cups half-and-half 4 eggs, beaten 2 tablespoons melted butter Combine pumpkin, brown and granulated sugars, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt in mixing bowl. Beat until well-blended. Add half-and-half, eggs and butter, and stir to combine.

Pour filling into prepared pie shell. Bake at 425 degrees 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 35 to 40 minutes more, until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool to room temperature or chill before serving. 8 to 10 servings. Each of 10 servings: 401 calories; 292 mg sodium; 193 mg cholesterol; 22 grams fat; 44 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams protein; 0.81 gram fiber.

PUMPKIN PIE Total Preparation Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes Active Work Time: 20 minutes CRUST 112 cups flour 1 tablespoon sugar 18 teaspoon salt 6 tablespoons butter, cut into 6 pieces 1 egg yolk 6 tablespoons water To make by hand: Combine flour, sugar and salt in work bowl and stir to combine. Add butter and cut into dry ingredients with fork or pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add egg yolk and stir to combine. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring with fork in between, until dough forms ball. Wrap and refrigerate 20 minutes.

To make in food processor: Pulse flour, sugar and salt to combine. Add butter and pulse 4 or 5 times until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add egg yolk and pulse to mix. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing briefly between, until dough forms ball. Wrap and refrigerate 20 minutes.

Turn dough out on floured work surface, roll flat and lay over 9-inch pie plate. Pat dough into 'a A Kafka-esque turkey..