Apple Juice

Makers of apple juice products linked to the illnesses of 13 young people in the Seattle area scrambled to pull the beverages from grocery shelves in California and elsewhere Thursday, the latest in a string of incidents raising safety concerns about the food supply. The U.S.

Apples are the magic ingredient in many old-fashioned comfort desserts, but we often forget about their value for breakfast. Diced or shredded apples can add tang to your favorite muffins, pancakes, quick breads, hot cereals, yogurt toppings and waffles. These apple hot cakes and apple-currant corn muffins are moist and flavorful, with a good dose of apples' straightforward virtues. The caramel apples are mouthwatering enough to start off a brunch or to conclude an informal meal.

Sonoma County might come to mind, and so might Normandy, while traveling through the Monteregie, also known as Le Jardin du Quebec (the garden of Quebec). Like its counterparts in California and France, the Monteregie is known for its cornucopia of home-grown products, from apples to hard cider. Barely 45 minutes from the heart of Montreal, hundreds of acres of apple trees blanket the soft rolling hills of the Monteregie and banks of the Richelieu, one of the tributaries of the mighty St.

Fall provides an array of apples that are unavailable during the rest of the year. I especially like tart red-skinned apples for eating out of hand or for use in salads and quick simmers. They don't bake well, though; they tend to become mushy with long cooking. Green Granny Smiths, fortunately available year-round, are tart, hold their shape and work best for baking.

On a cold day in London, businessmen who don't rush home for dinner often pop into a local pub and sip a hard cider before hopping on the tube. Ciders are a fast-growing segment of the drinks market in England, accounting for about 10% of all alcoholic beverages sold in pubs. And now, almost overnight, cider is taking off in the United States--largely without fanfare. Indeed, the word "cider" itself isn't well understood; many people believe that it refers to apple juice.

Sometime last summer, when the sun was shining and hummingbirds were buzzing around our back-yard feeder, I remember looking at the flawless blue sky and saying, "Man, I wish it would rain." Well, I've changed my mind. I am trapped on Island Topanga, you see, and it has been raining--like, man, pouring --steadily for what seems an eternity.

In the beauty business, a woman's place is in the kitchen (that being just another word for lab). In the first half of this century, the grande dames of cosmetics--Helena Rubinstein, Elizabeth Arden and Estee Lauder--started out behind the stove, cooking up batches of face cream from scratch. The results--Creme Valaze, Venetian Cream and Super Rich All Purpose Creme, respectively--launched cosmetic empires.

Fetzer Vineyards announces a recipe contest ("The Great Salad Toss") for "wine-friendly" salad recipes. This is more of a challenge than you might think; most connoisseurs insist vinegar spoils the flavor of wine. The deadline is June 15; 15 finalists and their guests will get to spend a September weekend at the Fetzer Food & Wine Center, where the winner of the $5,000 grand prize will be announced. Call (800) 959-4035 for contest guidelines.

Procter & Gamble Co. said Thursday that it is closing its Citrus Hill orange juice division, ending a decade-long effort to squeeze its way into the pure fruit juice business. Chairman and Chief Executive Edwin Artzt said the company decided to quit the 100% juice business after it started slowly and was unable to gain on its two main rivals, Seagram Co. Ltd.'s Tropicana and Coca-Cola Co.'s Minute Maid. "You can't make money in a business if your primary entry is a No.

Juice Maker Pays $6 Million to Settle With Pentagon: A California company has agreed to pay the government $6 million to settle charges that a plant manager sold the Department of Defense diluted juice at the price of pure orange juice. The settlement by Paramount Citrus Assn. of San Fernando kept the case from going to court, U.S. Atty. Michael M. Baylson announced in Philadelphia.