MAC ‘N CHEESE AT MAC’S: Is it the light night Mac ‘N Cheese at Mac’s Steakhouse (12 Gerrard St. Huntington 631-549-5300) frequently sent out by the chef to feed the late night bar patrons or is it the magic of the place which attracts the “in” crowd? We wonder if Cincinnati Red Bronson Arroyo, who was spotted there last week, heard about the complimentary late night goodies. Or, how about the recent visits by Bill Parcels and get this . . . John Edwards? Do the big boys like Mac ‘N Cheese too? Or perhaps it’s the steaks.

RED’S SECRET GARDEN: A three course prix fixe menu from Sunday – Thursday for $32 and you can enjoy it in their secret garden – shhhhh! That’s at Red, 417 New York Avenue, Huntington Village, 631 673-0304. Tell Nino the Foodies sent you.

FOODIE FACT: The 1964 World’s Fair in Queens, New York introduced two new smash foods. While many of you may remember that Belgian waffles made its debut at the Flushing Meadows Fair; it’s a lesser known foodie fact that Sangria was invented at the New York World’s Fair of 1964-65. Ole!

WINE WINNER: Jonathan’s Ristorante (15 Wall Street, Huntington, 631 549-0055) is a recipient of the coveted 2006 Wine Spectator?s Award of Excellence. You can celebrate with them at their Wine by the Glass Special at the Bar, August 14th through 20th. The impressive selection for the special includes at least a dozen fine wines – half white, half red. If you know fine wine don’t miss the chance to taste some winners. If wine names are usually foreign sounding to you, imagine what they’ll sound like after sampling several. Seriously, Jonathan’s Ristorante is one of the few establishments to combine a temperature controlled wine cellar, Riedel glasses and a wine list with a selection of nearly 150 wines, mostly from small vineyards in Italy, California, Australia and France. If you like your wines, don’t miss this opportunity. Salute!

TRY IT: Lunch on the Patio of NYIT’s de Seversky Center includes mesclun greens with grilled shrimp, mango, avocado and champagne vinaigrette, balsamic glazed breast of chicken with rosemary and garlic infused whipped potato, baked tomato and sautéed sugar snap peas. Raspberry sorbet with sugar cookie dessert. $24.95 per person includes one glass of wine. Tuesday, Aug. 15, seatings at noon or 12:30 p.m Reservations: 516-686-1249.

GOOD HUMOR: Summer means ice cream. Ice cream brings back memories of our youth and the magical sound of the ice cream truck. In our neighborhood, the Good Humor truck reigned supreme. Yes, Mr. Softee and Bungalow Bar were also omnipresent signs of the vernal equinox when out-of-school kids played in the street all day – without cell phones to keep in touch – and celebrated their freedom with an appetite-busting cold afternoon snack. Our favorite was the Good Humor Chocolate Éclair. In retrospect, there’s nothing about them that resembles the wonderful éclair available at your favorite pastry shop. We must at this point pay brief homage to Harry Burt a candy maker from Ohio who created the Jolly Boy Sucker, a lollypop on a stick. Later, while working in his ice cream parlor, he came up with a smooth chocolate coating that was compatible with ice cream. Unfortunately, the new combination was too messy to eat. Burt’s young son, Harry Jr., suggested that his dad take some of the wooden sticks used for the Jolly Boy Suckers and freeze them into the ice cream. The first ice cream on a stick was born. The name Good Humor came from the belief that a person’s “humor” or temperament was related to the humor of the palate (one’s sense of taste). To market his Good Humor Bars, Burt sent out a fleet of 12 chauffeur-driven trucks with bells to make door-to-door deliveries. The Good Humor Man was born. From 1930 through its heyday in the 50’s, 60’s, New York businessman M.J. Meehan built the brand. It was sold in 1961 to Unilever’s U.S. subsidiary, the Thomas J. Lipton Company. In 1976, when the company’s direct-selling business was phased out in favor of grocery stores and free-standing freezer cabinets, the trucks were parked for the last time. You can still find some of the original Good Humor trucks on the road today, but they’re owned by ice cream distributors or private individuals.

LOBSTER LOVERS: H2O Seafood Grill (215 West Main Street, Smithtown, 631-361-6464) has resurrected their summer lobster menu. Chef Scott Szekretar offers this special menu, available until Aug 23, with lobster lovers in mind. Appetizers: Roasted Maine Lobster Over duck confit ravioli in carrot lobster nage ($17) Lobster & Watermelon Salad Tomatoes, lime segments, and Bermuda onions ($14); Sushi: Tomo Lobster Roll, sweet corn, cucumber, and sherry lobster sauce $16; Pasta: Rigatoni tossed with lobster, red and gold grape tomatoes, sweet corn, and basil ($32); Entrees: (Entrees available as 2-, 3-, or 4-pound lobsters) Roasted Lobster & Artichokes. Traditional cous cous, basil balsamic butter sauce ($49, $71, $93); Millennium Lobster Dusted in angry flour, served atop mashed potatoes with lemon garlic confit sauce ($44, $66, $88).

ARTISANAL COOKING: Terrance Brennan’s, passion for simple yet flavorful cuisine has fueled the success of his two acclaimed New York City restaurants, Picholine and Artisanal In his new cookbook, “Artisanal Cooking: a Chef Shares His Passion for Handcrafting Great Meals at Home,” Chef Brennan shares his approach to what he calls “artisanal cooking,” reflecting a devotion to detail, reverence for the best and freshest ingredients, simple presentations, and an inspired blend of tradition and creativity, all of which leads to memorable meals at home.

GAZPACHO: a cold soup – a liquid, Spanish salad – that is a refreshing snack, light meal or starter in the hot summer months. Gazpacho descends from an ancient Andalusian concoction based on a combination of stale bread, garlic, olive oil, salt, and vinegar — a cold breadsoup. In 1492, the tomato and bell pepper were introduced to Europe and they have become an integral part of gazpacho. Red gazpacho, where tomato is a key ingredient, is the most popular form in our country, while many vairieties including white gazpacho are served in Andalusia. There are about as many gazpacho recipes as there are Spanish cooks. But on a hot summer day, try one of them.

GAZPACHO - SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS
4-5 large fresh ripe tomatoes, quartered
1 small sweet onion, quartered
1 large green bell pepper, seeded and quartered
2 medium cucumbers, scrubbed and coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Hot sauce (optional)
Place the onion, pepper, cucumbers, garlic and fresh tomatoes in a processor (or blender); process until very finely chopped. Add basil, salt, pepper, vinegar, olive oil and optional hot sauce. Process until soup is the desired texture. Taste for seasoning; chill for at least one hour before serving. (If the soup is too thick stir in tomato juice.) Serve chilled.
Present for garnish in separate little bowls on the table, so that guests can sprinkle on their own toppings: 2 tomatoes diced small, 1 green pepper, diced small, 1 cucumber, diced small, croutons.

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