European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 4, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Erma Bombeck i be been doing a lot of thinking about the Guy i saw on the National news just before Christmas. He s the father who travelled to three different cities in Pursuit of the current hot computer game Nintendo. As i recall the Man stood in lines for two weeks drove his body beyond human capacity and was prepared to spend half of his salary. He was doing this because his child needed that toy or life would no longer be Worth living. I wonder How Long it took the child to rip off the paper insert the Cartridge in the control deck play the game non Stop for 12 hours and then banish it to the graveyard of toys past. They do it you know. Every december there s a toy so hot parents quit their jobs and devote their lives to finding it. And every january that same toy is harder to find in the House than it was in the stores. Remember cabbage Patch dolls their appearance unleashed a group of pit Bull mothers who fought and scratched their Way into lines and stores across this nation. Last Christmas grandmothers on pensions paid $125 for a cabbage Patch doll that when turned upside Down activated a microchip which said i just love standing on my  where is it today one thing is certain. From the moment these toys hit the stores critics charge they re addictive do you have any idea How Many years i have shopped for an addictive toy anything so Long As it would hold the interest of a child for five minutes i always wanted to find a doll for my daughter that she did t unwrap rip off All of its clothes punch out the eyes and throw under the bed where it Lay with fear on its face praying for a garage Sale. I always wanted a game that was so riveting my kids would sit up half the night unable to pull themselves away. Instead within two Days i had half of it in my sweeper bag. Psychologists who throw around phrases like a need to create stimuli and provides motivation and challenges Are giving kids More credit than they deserve. There s nothing mysterious or psychological about it. Basically kids like games that destroy an adult s hearing. They gravitate toward toys that Cost More than your first House and Are in Short Supply. Anything with childproof printed on it is a red Flag signalling instant destruction. They lust after toys that need special batteries manufactured Only in communist bloc countries. They want toys where their feet Don t reach the pedals or crafts that stain the carpet permanently. I m telling you when you can find a clean your room kit that costs $149.95 and then limit the kids playing time with it Only after their Homework is done you re going to reverse a trend in this country. C 1988 Erma Bombeck by Pierre Franey new York times the vibrant and endlessly varied combinations of spices in Indian cuisine have fascinate me for  by Indian Curry dishes i recently created a marinade for grilled shrimp. This dish uses Yogurt which is a Fine and healthful alternative for sour Cream roughly equivalent to what the French Call Creme Fraiche. Eight ounces of Low fat Yogurt contains about 150 calories versus 493 calories for sour Cream. Yogurt has the same qualities for sauce making As sour Cream it is an excellent binding agent absorbs spices and herbs Well and holds together when cooked. The recipe below Calls for a tart and Complex marinade made with Yogurt and turmeric Cayenne cardamom cumin All ingredients in Curry powder plus some fresh or dried mint garlic and Lemon juice. I marinated the shrimp just 15 minutes or so before arranging them on Brochette and grilling them. You could leave them in the mixture overnight for added zest. A Fine Side dish is Kasha the coarse textured meal of cracked buckwheat. It has an assertive almost nutty flavor that seemed right with the spicy sauce. I gave it extra texture and flavor by adding peas onions and thyme. If fresh peas Are out of season Frozen peas Are suitable Indian style shrimp Brochette 2 pounds about 24 Large shrimp 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil 1 Teaspoon finely chopped garlic % cup Plain Yogurt 1 Teaspoon turmeric 1 Teaspoon ground cumin dash Cayenne Pepper could you please Tell me what has become of lieder Kranz cheese it used to be sold in All supermarkets and now we can t even find it in specially shops. I know it s american made but what s happened to it mrs. E. Bradow Holmes Beach Fla. Lieder Kranz was a Strong smelling cow s milk cheese invented in 1892 by a Swiss born Dairyman from Monroe . It was named after a singing club called the lieder Kranz which Means Wreath of  eventually the Dairyman sold the cheese to the Borden cheese company which produced it in Van Wert Ohio for years. However the production of this cheese was discontinued by Borden in 1985. Another company bought it but later filed bankruptcy. As far As i know no other company has resumed the production of this cheese. Nicki Salmons a nutrition research consultant with the National Dairy Council suggests you try Limburger or fully aged Crick cheese As an alternative. These cheeses Are listed As being similar to lieder Kranz in the 1976 edition of the Signet Book of cheese by Peter a umme. / have been trying to find out what kind of shortening Dunkin donuts uses in their bran and Blueberry muffins. Every time i ask them they say vegetable shortening and when i ask what kind they say they Don t know. I have to know because for health reasons i cannot have Coconut or Palm Oil. A Friend in Pennsylvania. I am pleased to inform you says Michael Murphy director of dunkin1 donuts Quality control that the Viz Teaspoon paprika1 /2 Teaspoon ground cardamom 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh mint or 1 Teaspoon dried 2 Tablespoons fresh Lemon juice Salt and freshly ground Pepper to taste. Preheat broiler or use an outdoor Grill. Peel and Devin shrimp leaving last Tail segment on. Combine shrimp and All of remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand 15 minutes before cooking. Arrange shrimp on 4 skewers. If wooden skewers Are used soak them in water beforehand for an hour. Cover tips of skewers with foil to prevent burning. Reserve marinade for Basting. If broiling arrange Brochette on a rack under broiler about 2 to 3 inches from source of heat with the door ajar. Broil 5 minutes. Do not overcook. Baste with marinade turning skewers As the shrimp Cook. If grilling Grill shrimp Over a hot fire for about 5 minutes. Do not overcook. Baste with marinade turning skewers As the shrimp Cook. Serve piping hot and brushed with remaining marinade. Yield 4 Servings. Kasha Pilaf with peas 2 Tablespoons butter 1/2 cup finely chopped onions Viz Teaspoon finely chopped garlic 1 cup Kasha 1 Bay Leaf 2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 Teaspoon dried 1 % cups fresh or canned Chicken Broth Salt and freshly ground Pepper to taste 1 cup Frozen or fresh peas 2 Tablespoons finely chopped Parsley. Heat 1 Tablespoon butter in a Saucepan. Add onions and garlic. Cook stirring until wilted. Add Kasha Bay Leaf thyme Chicken Broth Salt and Pepper. Bring to a boil cover and simmer for 10 minutes. If peas Are Frozen run them under hot water in a Sieve and Drain. If peas Are fresh Cook them in boiling water until done. Drain. Remove Bay Leaf and thyme sprigs if used. Add peas the remaining 1 Tablespoon butter and Parsley. Stir Well to blend. Yield 4 Servings. Vegetable shortening used in our bakery products is 100 percent soybean  another Reader wanted to know the calorie Content of these muffins As Well As that of the Corn muffin. The Blueberry muffin has 263 calories the bran muffin 353 and the Corn muffin 347. Additionally and you might not want to know this their chocolate croissant has 502 calories. With the vast surplus of Corn wheat etc., Why Are Cereal products so expensive Are vitamins the Cost Factor and if so How do we know they Are even being added we can t see taste or smell them. I buy Cereal for the fiber Content Only. Daniel Murphy Palm coast Fla. Packaged cereals Are so expensive not so much because of their ingredients but because of All the Energy and Cost expended in processing the grains in controlling the Quality of the product in packaging it in promoting it in the various Media in transporting it and then paying All the people involved in the process. After All this the company has to make a profit. When a Label states that so and so Many vitamins and minerals Are in the Cereal you can believe they Are. And it in t their Cost so much that adds to the Price of the Cereal vitamins Are cheap but rather the constant scientific monitoring of their addition. If you buy Cereal for the fiber Content Only consider a suggestion submitted by a Reader in California. She puts together her own Cereal grains and gets about six months of breakfast for an initial investment of $10 to $12. Go to a Large health food store where there is a rapid turnover and buy the following ingredients by the Pound Granola oat bran rolled Oats bran flakes rolled Barley flakes rolled wheat flakes raisins and slivered almonds. Dump it All into a Large cookie Jar and stir with a wooden spoon. There s your Cereal for a half a year. Reader feedback cutting Board Catherine Smith Sarasota Fla in reference to your column about cutting boards a Good alternative to the wooden cutting Board is the plastic cutting Board that is labelled As dishwasher Safe. This is Ideal for meat and poultry because it can be sterilized in the dishwasher after use and is lighter and More easily handled than  have a consumer related question write to Sonia Heinze in care of stars and stripes Apo 09211. . Forces. Page 16 the stars and stripes wednesday january 4,1989