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Gary Lipton Media Relations Manager Phone: 1-(800)-222-5551 Fax: 1-(800)-990-4329 Web site: www. napsnet .com e-mail: printmedia@napsnet.com #2630 North American Precis Syndicate, Inc., 415 Madison Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10017 Spice Up Your Dining Room With Color Choosing A Repair Shop Cooking With Fresh, Seasonal Produce by James Parker (NAPSA)—You can jazz up everyday meals by cooking with seasonal produce and considering these fresh answers to questions about keeping mealtime healthy and delicious: 1. What tastes best cooked on the grill? During warm months, vegetables like squash, peppers and eggplant are all in excellent supply and are great for outdoor grilling. Grilling peaches are a delicious dessert option. As weather cools back down, figs, bananas and pineapples taste great on the grill. 2. How can you make a typical salad sing anytime of year? A great salad, no matter the time of year, uses in-season ingredients. In the heat of summer, add berries, peaches or nectarines to your leaf-based salad. Cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and basil are all excellent in the summer and fall. Turn to apples, figs, pears, grapes and citrus to jazz up fall salads. 3. Which ingredients will add a burst of flavor and nutritional value to an ordinary vegetable side dish? Fresh herbs can really add flavor to any dish. For example, try chopped mint over melons, oregano in a saut or parsley sprinkled on a salad. Nuts are nutritionally dense and add texture to any salad or side. You may also care to try this recipe from the experts on taste at Whole Foods Market, in which the richness of smoky grilled vegetables is well complemented by the creaminess of goat cheese: Grilled Veggie and Goat Cheese Pitas Serves 4 4 large portobello mushrooms, stems removed and gills scraped out (NAPSA)—Regular maintenance and service will extend the life of your vehicle, note the pros at the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE)—the group that tests and certifies automotive technicians. To find a good repair shop, they recommend you: Pick a pita pocket of goodness filled with seasonal vegetables. 2 zucchini, sliced lengthwise 1 red onion, cut into 4 even slices 1 red bell pepper, thickly sliced 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 ⁄4 teaspoon sea salt 1 ⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 4 ounces Humboldt Fog or other fresh goat cheese 4 whole wheat pitas or thin sandwich buns, halved Preheat a grill to medium heat. Brush mushrooms, zucchini, onion and bell pepper with vinegar and oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill vegetables, covered, 8 to 12 minutes or until tender, turning once halfway through cooking (mushrooms and onions will take longest). Set vegetables aside to let cool, then roughly chop. Spread cheese in pitas and stuff with vegetables. For more fresh ideas, visit www.wholefoodsmarket.com. • Mr. Parker is the global produce buyer for Whole Foods Market. In the dining room, you can let warm and welcoming shades show off your good taste. Start shopping for a car repair facility before you need one. •Ask others for recommendations; consult consumer groups. •Arrange for transportation so you won’t choose a shop based solely on location. •Look for an orderly facility, with modern equipment. •Look for courteous service consultants willing to answer questions. •Ask whether the shop handles your type of repair work. •Look for signs of professionalism in the customer service area, such as civic, community or customer service awards. •Look, too, for signs of qualified technicians: ASE certifications, trade-school diplomas, and certificates of advanced courses. Visit www.ase.com for car care tips and more. (NAPSA)—Here’s a delicious idea: Perk up your dining room with paint. It’s an instant, economical and effective solution that will help you set the stage for welcoming guests into your home. “Think about adding yummy spice colors that can warm up the ambience and even add a glow,” suggested interior designer Sonu Mathew. An ordinary bead-board paneled room, for instance, was dramatically rejuvenated with a touch of tumeric. “We chose the spicy mustardlike color because the natural light pouring into the dining room causes different tonal effects each season. The color reads a bit more fiery and hot in the summer sun, but in the autumn and winter appears to recalibrate to a deeper, but still warm finish.” Mathew added that it’s helpful to observe such details on how the sunlight affects your space since it, in turn, can make a difference in how the color reads. Regardless of the color choice, said Mathew, the sheen you select is equally as important. She went with a semi-gloss and it’s the glossy finish in that dining room that contributes to the visual “wow,” creating the glow and leveraging the powerful impact of the natural sunlight. Mathew recommends seeking out the advice of your designer, your paint and decorating retail professional or painting contractor about the sheen type that’s best for your project, because it can make all the difference in the final outcome. She also noted that tumeric is just the tip of the “spiceberg” of color offerings from Benjamin Moore. “There are more than two dozen inspiring hues that actually take their name from what’s typically found in the pantry—like Dash of Curry 2159-10, Chili Pepper 2004-20, Cinnamon 2174-20 and Allspice 2101-50, to name a few. Plus, there are many other reds, yellows and oranges that are evocative of nature’s most exotic spices and all the sensory pleasures they spark.” Learn More For more color ideas, visit www.benjaminmoore.com or a Benjamin Moore retailer.