The Daily Herald from Chicago, Illinois • Page 27

Daily Herald Wednesday, September 4,1996 of the Week makes tiramisu Dally Herald Kant Kriegshauser pages Good foods, bad reputations HealthDay, Page 9 Suburban Living 9 Television 10 Movie Guide 11 Comics 12 Combine core and black bems in salsa Before Meals, Page 2 FOOD FACTS Americans eat more than 1.4 billion pounds of cookies a year Pepperidge Farm SECTION CLF ummers Autumn won't be here for weeks, so enjoy the flavors of summer while you still can Savor summer sweet corn with flavored butters, near right, or put a harvest of garden vegetables to use in a grilled sandwich, far right. Late summer fruit, such as peaches and plums, can be grilled for an unusual dessert, below. Associated Press Photos wan song abor Day has come and gone. Next thing you know, people are going to start sipping hot chocolate instead of iced latte. a Well, we'd like to remind everyone that summer officially has a few good weeks left.

uit, If you re judging by the availability of sweet corn, "summer" probably will stretch into October. In fact, while delicate spring foods such as asparagus are distant memories, the variety of local produce is at one of its widest spectrums this time of year. If you're one of the growing number of people who grill year- round, the date on the calendar won't mean much when you're throwing dinner over the coals. And of course, ice cream is never out of season. So, in a salute to the waning days of summer, we offer recipes for all three.

Those who live and die by the solstice may be comforted by the fact these foods can easily make the transition to cooler weather. Seasoned butters, for instance, are versatile toppers for everything from pan-fried steak to french bread; grilled foods can be prepared under the broiler when the Weber's lid is frozen shut. A simple scoop of homemade ice cream is a light counterpoint to the heaviest winter meal. But why jump ahead of ourselves? While these summer days aren't the laziest, they are among the testiest Jackie Dulen GRILLED SUMMER FRUIT COMPOTE 6 small ripe peaches, quartered and pitted 6 small ripe plums, quartered and pitted 1 cup water cup orange liqueur cup sugar 1 lemon 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract Thread the fruit on bamboo skewers (soaked in water for at least 20 minutes to prevent burning). Place in the center of the cooking grate and lightly grill over a medium fire for 4 to 6 minutes, until they are just warmed through and grill marks have begun to appear.

Remove from grill and set aside. Combine the liquids and sugar in a saucepan; bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, cut the zest from the lemon and add it in strips to the pan, along with the vanilla extract. Remove from the heat and stir to dissolve sugar completely. Transfer syrup to a serving bowl and add the grilled fruit.

Chill the compote at least two hours so that the fruits will absoit the flavor of the syrup. Compote may be prepared a day in advance and kept in the refrigerator overnight. Serve the compote, if desired, with a little of the liquid spooned over angel food cake or frozen yogurt. Serves 6. Nutrition values per serving: 214 calories, 0.5 fat, 1 protein, 54 carbohydrates, 0 mg cholesterol, 5 mg sodium.

Weber-Stephen Products Co. More summer recipes Page 2 Lots of fluids will keep you going BY BETH WILSON Daily Herald Staff Writer During exercise, what will cause you to burn out most quickly? a. poor diet b. lack of fluids c. improper training The answer is lack of fluids.

"It's the number one cause of early fatigue," says Julie H. Burns, owner of SportFuel Inc. and a nutrition consultant for the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks. You can have the best diet, the optimum training, but if you're dehy- drated, your muscles won't function properly, she said. She counseled Blackhawks goalie Eddie Belfour, for example, to consume more than gallons of fluid on a game day.

"Professional athletes are looking for anything that gives them an edge," she said. Drinking enough fluids can do that. "It's one of those things that's so simple and so easy, but people don't do it," she said. What else don't we do, and don't we know? Burns responded with the following list of common myths regard- ing food, nutrition and exercise. Myth: High-protein diets build the most muscles.

You don't need excessive protein to build muscles. They'll grow just fine with a balanced diet, including a little extra protein and lots of carbohydrates. Exercise is what builds muscles. Myth: I'll lose more weight and be healthier if I run rather than walk. i It depends.

Although running burns more calories per hour, if you hate running, you won't run. If you prefer walking, do that. Find an activ- NUTRITION Second in a three-part series ity you love; the health benefits will follow. Myth: During exercise, it's best to drink water when I'm thirsty. By the time you feel thirsty, youVe already lost percent to 2 percent of your body weight in water and the dehydration process has begun, Burns said.

Instead of waiting, drink before, during and after exercise. Myth: Water is better than sports drinks tor replacing fluids during exercise or outdoor activity. Sports drinks will help you stay hydrated because your body absorbs them faster, Burns said. They also contain some sodium that triggers thirst and causes you to drink more. Next week, read about children and nutrition..