European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 13, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Focus chef creates Light dishes with a High fun Content by Joyce Rosencrans Scripps Howard news service Mem Arko Ellinger of a 1 Austin Texas says a he s on the fun food Frontier. My a magician Juggler and chef he s a Well a h trained entertainer h w h who graduated from three Clown schools and the Philadelphia school of mime he worked As a chef for nearly 15 years before developing his food is fun act for children and the Young at heart. With youngsters pleading mom what can i do take a Page from this comedic chef s Cookbook fun food to tickle your mood a Cookbook for children who cherish the Earth the paperback is a great guide for teaching children about food and nutrition while disguising it All As great family fun and Quality time. At appearances around the United states Ellinger uses a Little song and dance routine to teach children Why food is important to their health. His accompanying theme is that Cooks who Are buying and preparing food should be sensitive to environmental issues. But Ehinger s act is teaching not preaching. When he s Cookin on stage he s actually cooking. He s working on a pcs show that initially will air throughout Texas. He has just finished the first instalment Complete with costumes and a Lively to Crew. The show will go by the same name As his Book fun food to tickle your mood. He can demonstrate a recipe for blasted bananas zapped by microwaves while showing children How to Shine leather shoes with the inside of banana peels. He can whip up a hot Chili sundae that is not Chili Flavoured Frozen Yogurt but warm concoction ladled into sundae glasses and topped by a Cherry Tomato. Ellinger said he has merged his culinary ability with his Talent As an entertainer. He also has degrees in chemistry and food science. I discovered in my years in the entertainment Industry a tremendous need for healthy alternatives to heavily advertised foods Ellinger said. Kids need positive alternatives. Lots of Little kids have food phobias. They be heard some things Are bad for them and parents can alarm them or turn Mealtimes into unhappy  it s Parton my theory to get children involved in the process of growing food shopping and cooking. They learn More about it and lose some Picky food habits. That Way they re More Likely to be  following Are two of his recipes. A couple of Novice Cooks try their hand at cracking eggs. Spice Island muffins from Indonesia 2 very Ripe bananas mashed 1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple i cup Honey 2 eggs a cup canola Oil grated Orange Peel from one Orange fresh juice of 2 oranges 1 Teaspoon baking powder in 1 Tablespoon water 1 cup grated carrots 1 cup grated Zucchini 2v cups sifted whole wheat pastry flour 2i/4 cups sifted unbleached White flour 1 Teaspoon sifted baking soda a Teaspoon ground cinnamon /4 Teaspoon freshly grated Nutmeg /4 Teaspoon ground doves 3 Tablespoons chopped pecans 2 Tablespoons shredded unsweetened Coconut i cup raisins 2 Tablespoons sesame seeds 1 additional for Garnish first find two muffin tins and fill 16 cups with foil or paper Cupcake liners. Set but two Large mixing bowls. Mix wet ingredients the mashed bananas the untrained crushed pineapple Honey eggs Oil grated Orange Peel Orange juice dissolved baking powder grated carrots and Zucchini. Have oven heating to 350 degrees f. Which is an unusually Low temperature for muffins but these Are moist and heavy so baking must be slower. In other mixing bowl mix the dry ingredients the whole wheat flour unbleached flour soda All sifted cinnamon Nutmeg cloves pecans Coconut raisins and sesame seeds. Pour wet mixture into dry ingredients and mix briefly with a Large mixing spoon. Don t Over mix. It s of to leave some lumps. Spoon muffin Batter into lined muffin cups and lightly Sprinkle sesame seeds on top of muffins. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until a few muffins test done with a pick. Remove with oven mitts and let Cool 10 minutes before removing muffins from pans or liners. Yield about 16 muffins Chiu sundaes 8 Tortilla chips 1 can Chili you can use vegetarian i6 Pound Cheddar cheese 1 cup Yogurt v4 cup Pecan pieces 4 Cherry tomatoes open can of Chili pour into pot and heat Over Low flame stirring with wooden spoon. Fill sundae glasses about a full with heated Chili. Crate the cheese and add layer on top of Chili. Add More heated Chili to the Glass until it s 3/4 full. Fill a pastry bag with Yogurt and squeeze circles into top of Glass. Place a Cherry Tomato on top of the Yogurt cheese. Sprinkle pecans Over Yogurt and Garnish with Tortilla chips. Yield 4 sundaes Marko Ellen gets fun food to tickle your mood suitable for Ages 6 through 10 is available in some bookstores and directly from Piccadilly press . Box 50515, Austin Texas 78763. 22 Short subject the stars and stripes designer foods raise new health concerns by James Walsh Minneapolis is Paul Star Tribune it s hot. You want a salad so you reach in the fridge for lettuce maybe a Carrot and Green Pepper. And of course a Tomato. Unless you grow your own you have to Settle for a store bought Tomato that s red firm and about As tasty As soggy pasta. You wonder in t there supposed to be a better juicier tastier through science Tomato out in the stores right about now yes. And no. The flaw saw Tomato the Long lasting ripened on the Vine genetically altered magical fruit is not for Sale in most markets we re very Supply limited at the moment said Carolyn Hayworth spokeswoman for Cal Gene the Developer of flaw saw. As we. Get More Quantity from the Field Well Branc Hout probably in the  the flaw saw s genes were altered in a Laboratory to inhibit rotting and allow it to Ripe non the Vine longer. But Hayworth said Cal Gene grew Only enough tomatoes initially to sell at a few stores in the Chicago area and in . While people wait to discover for themselves what the new tomatoes taste like science is developing other genetically engineered food for Field and table from virus resistant Squash to Bug fighting spuds. And perhaps Way Down the Road really really big fish. A genetically engineered version of Bovine growth hormone also known As Bovine Soma Tropin already is being injected into about 10 percent of the country s Dairy cows to increase milk production. Genetic engineering has played a role in most cheese production since i 990, when synthetic Thymosin a milk clotting agent that used to be gleaned from cards stomachs went on the Market. Herbicide resistant soybeans and Cotton arson the verge of government regulatory approval the soybeans which can stand arousing of Weed killer without wilting will probably be available to Farmers in 1995. Squash that resists virus is being reviewed by the . Department of agriculture approval could come this summer. Test Fields in Minnesota Are being planted with genetically altered com hybrids that Are insect resistant. Those hybrids  blight As Well As spuds that Battle beetles could hit the Market in a few years. Work has begun on enhancing the genetic defences of Trees As Well As enhancing the growth of Atlantic Sal non Catfish and Carp. During a recent conference at the Minnesota department of natural resources presenters said researchers have developed Atlantic Salmon five to 13 times bigger than naturally bred fish. _ some look at such developments with apprehension even fear. Officials at the pure food Campaign a National group headed by genetic engineering opponent Jeremy Rifkin say not enough research has been done to study the human health risks of such a Brave new world. Does altering the genetic makeup of a Tomato potentially alter the Well being of the person who eats it scientists say no. Othe Saren t so sure. And others say state and Federal regulations must maintain strict control Over the release of such plants and animals into the natural environment. They want to know what a giant Salmon would do to the ecosystem for other fish before one becomes a reality. Scripps Howard news service a by saturday August 13, 1994