T H I S+W E E K School trip! On the road with 60 fifth-graders By Don George, Editor Tiger Leaping Gorge By Simon Winchester Greed menaces a Chinese treasure -Books on China D E P A R T M E N T S >The Surreal Gourmet By Bob Blumer An all-star meal for your sports-loving papa Mondo Weirdo Strange foods around the world Postmark Seattle: The Liquid City By Jenn Shreve Passages: "Trout Fisher's Almanac" Trout-fishing: The art of the unexpected Readers' Tips and Tales The eruption of Paricutín - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Your virtual travel agency - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - LA S T+W E E K Tuesday, June 3 Cuba libre! By Mark Schapiro A hot art scene brings the world to Havana's door A full list of all Wanderlust articles

Screw ties! THIS FATHER'S DAY CREATE A SURREAL MEAL FOR YOUR SPORTS LOVIN' PAPA. "I like children ... if they're properly cooked." -- W.C. Fields-- THE SURREAL GOURMET | an appropriate mantra if there ever was one for a contented bachelor who plays with food for a living. I am not a father, but I keep practicing in the event that my paternal instincts change. In the meantime, I answer to two godchildren and a slew of little (and now, not-so-little) people who relate to me -- just a little too easily -- as their Uncle Bobby. Being unfettered by the clutchings of ripened sperm allows me the luxury of spending time in the kitchen experimenting with the surreal dishes I create for this column. With Father's Day less than a week away I thought I'd share a few simple-to-replicate presentation tricks that will add an element of big game excitement to the dinner table. Whether you're cooking for your father or the father of your children, this sporting twist on the traditional meat and potatoes dinner should make him feel like an all-star athlete on his special day. SIRLOIN STEAK: DALLAS COWBOYS STYLE (Serves 2) Ingredients 2 12-ounce sirloin steaks 1 tablespoon salt 1 tablespoon fresh-ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 portobella mushroom 1 tablespoon butter 1 onion 1. Trim steak into football shape. 2. Combine salt, pepper and cayenne to form a dry rub. Rub it on both sides of each steak. 3. Cook steak in a skillet to your desired degree of doneness. 4. Cut mushroom into thin strips and sauté in butter over medium-high heat for 1 minute. 5. Place sautéed mushroom strips on steak to form lacing. 6. Cut onion and place part of a single ring on each end of the steaks. THE GRASS: CANDLESTICK PARK GREEN BEANS Ingredients 1 and 1/2 pounds green beans 2 tablespoons butter Juice of 1 lemon Salt to taste 1. Steam beans for approximately 3 minutes, or until cooked, but still crunchy. 2. Drain water, then add butter, lemon juice and salt. Toss, then place on plate. THE BASEBALL: DAMN YANKEE ROASTED GARLIC MASHED POTATOES Ingredients 1 head of garlic 1 and 1/4 tablespoons olive oil 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and quartered 1/2 cup whole milk 1/2-1 teaspoon salt 1 roasted red bell pepper (purchase in a jar) 1. Cut the top third off the pointy end of the garlic bulb and discard. Place remaining bulb on an 8-by-8-inch sheet of aluminum foil. Dribble 1/4 tablespoon of olive oil over the exposed cloves and then wrap the foil around the bulb. 2. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. 3. Remove garlic from oven, allow to cool, then squeeze out cloves by squeezing the base of the bulb like a tube of toothpaste. 4. Boil potatoes for 20 minutes, or until soft. 5. Drain off water, then mash potatoes until smooth. Slowly add milk, remaining olive oil, garlic and salt while continuing to mash. 6. Cut a dozen "V" shaped pieces from the red bell pepper. 7. Using your (clean!) hands, form the potatoes into a ball shape and smooth the surface with a table knife. Place bell pepper "V's" on "baseball" to resemble stitching. Note: Recipe actually makes 4 servings of mashed potatoes so that once you have gone to all of the trouble, you can enjoy the spoils the next day. Le Secret: This ain't the big leagues, so don't worry about errors. The Adventure Club: Make a dark chocolate mousse hockey puck for dessert (see Valentine's column for mousse recipe). Wine: Cabernet Sauvignon Music To Cook By: The Temptations "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" Five cooking-related gifts any father should love: "Patio Daddy-O" by Gideon Bosker (Chronicle Books) '50s recipes with a '90s twist A juicer A charcoal starter chimney -- a gift for Dad and the environment A bottle of single malt scotch (my favorite is Oban 14-year-old) -- after all, a happy cook is a good cook A week-long dish-washing waiver June 10, 1997 - - - - - - - - - - - - Photo by Dick Kaiser, food styling by the Bob Blumer (a k a the Surreal Gourmet). Browse the Surreal Gourmet Archives The Surreal Gourmet's Web Site is located at http://surrealgourmet.com.

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