A prep course for the month-long World Cup soccer tournament, a worldwide pheno

plant flowers with vegetables . These will attract birds and insects that prey o

n many pests . The classic example of this is nasturtium , with its peppery , ed

ible foliage and its aromatic , edible flowers , themselves a magnet for humming

birds . WORTH A TRY : Plant bush beans among tomatoes . I did this a couple of y

ears ago and was delighted with the beans ' ability to keep down weeds . In addi

tion , they will fix nitrogen in the soil , providing an important nutrient to t

omatoes . As a living mulch , low-growing bush beans ensure an even moisture con

tent in the soil , important in the prevention of blossom-end rot in tomatoes . 

One caveat on this companionship , however : My bean crop was poor , I think bec

ause the tomato vines robbed the beans of their full measure of sunlight . WORTH

 A TRY : Combine corn with pumpkins , melons or other climbing squashes , althou

gh I have never tried cucumbers . The rough foliage of the squashes is reputed t

o dissuade raccoons from invading the corn at the time ears are ripening . The c

orn is thought to deter the squash vine borer moth from laying its eggs on pumpk

in vines . The squash shades the ground around the corn and even climbs up stalk

s but does not hinder the corn 's growth and development .

 Sow or plant cucumber , pumpkin , winter squash and melons . All of them love t

o wander about in the garden , and they will grow more tidily on strong supports

 . Pallets , fences , trellises or even an old stone wall will support these ram

bling squashes .

 The following editorial appeared in Tuesday 's Washington Post : Even the most 

draconian welfare rules are said to be aimed at giving welfare recipients `` bet

ter incentives '' or `` the right messages . '' It isn't only a view expressed b

y right-wing Republicans eager to cut programs . It has also been offered by Pre

sident Clinton in defending his proposal to require welfare recipients to accept

 jobs after two years or be tossed off the rolls . His point is that if the cycl

e of dependency is not broken at some point , it can go on forever , sometimes a

cross generations . But there are more and less intrusive requirements that can 

be placed on the recipients of government assistance . It is one thing to say th

at if someone gets a government check , the taxpayers have a right at some point

 to demand some work . It is another to use the welfare rules to affect other , 

more personal aspects of individual behavior for example , whether someone shoul

d have an additional child . New Jersey and a growing number of other jurisdicti

ons have decided that this , too , should come under the welfare rules . They ha

ve denied additional benefits to women who have children while they are on welfa

re . These recipients continue to collect what they were receiving before , but 

no more . Clinton has decided to include in his reform plan a provision allowing

 but not compelling states to follow New Jersey 's lead . In one sense , Clinton

 's proposal simply marks an extension of current practice . The federal governm

ent has already given New Jersey a waiver to pursue its experiment . Clinton is 

on record as supporting this and similar waivers to other states . Some civil-li

berties advocates have argued that because the New Jersey rule affects one of th

e most personal decisions a person can make , it is unconstitutional . A case on

 the matter is now in court , but the civil-liberties argument is not entirely c

onvincing . New Jersey is not telling anyone that she cannot have a child , simp

ly that the state will not support an additional newborn . Is the New Jersey rul

e actually reducing the number of children born to the welfare rolls ? An early 

study showed a 16 percent reduction in the number of children born to mothers on

 welfare in New Jersey , but a subsequent analysis found that the number of birt

hs had been underreported , and that the real reduction was about 9 percent . ``

 I never pretended or intended to have the law bring about a dramatic decrease i

n births , '' said State Assemblyman Wayne R. Bryant , leading supporter of the 

new rules . `` It was a responsibility issue . '' The truth is that welfare refo

rm is very much about influencing behavior or , at the very least , about keepin

g government rules from offering the wrong incentives . The New Jersey approach 

strikes us as being within the range of state experiments the federal government

 could permit . But as Bryant suggests , no one should pretend it will produce m

iracles .

 CyberSurfing : Potholes , perturbations and predicaments observed on the inform

ation superhighway : Most visitors to Paris are satisfied with their little Eiff

el Tower souvenirs , but that 's obviously not enough for Michael Hayward , who 

seems to be an unusually sentimental sort . `` I 'd like to locate a source for 

the benches which are found everywhere in Paris city parks , '' he wrote in a re

cent posting on the Internet newsgroup soc.culture.french . `` The older design 

.. . ( is ) shaped like an elongated ` S ' with narrow ` slats ' ( roughly squar

e in cross section ) running lengthwise . The supports ( legs/backs ) are a some

what ornately designed cast iron . As I recall , these benches are ( always ? ) 

painted a distinctive shade of high gloss deep green. .. . Has anyone else got f

ond memories of these benches ? Has anyone else made an attempt to track down a 

source ? '' From France Olivier Clary responded with the lyrics of a popular son

g : Les amoureux qui s ' becotent sur les bancs publics/ bancs publics/ bancs pu

blics/ en s ' foutant pas mal du r ' gard oblique/ des passants honteux . ( `` T

he lovers kissing on the public benches/ the public benches/ the public benches/

 don't give a damn about the nasty glances/ of the shameful passersby . '' ) Par

isian Gregory Miezelis , however , actually had an answer : The first place to l

ook , said Miezelis , is Les Domaines , a French government agency that auctions

 off surplus equipment . He also suggested checking the Paris flea market 's man

y antique dealers . Selling price ? About 950 francs plus 10 percent tax , or ro

ughly $ 200 , although cybernaut Miezelis said he saw one sold at auction for on

ly 350 francs . Evan Roth evanr ( at ) aol.com GETTING THERE : Once you 've gain

ed access to the Internet , go to Usenet or Newsgroups and type : soc.culture.fr

ench . On America Online , for example , go to the Go To menu , click on Keyword

 and type in Newsgroups . At the Newsgroups menu , click on the Expert Add icon 

. Type in soc.culture.french in the blank space and click Add . When asked if yo

u want to add the newsgroup , click Yes . When the menu returns , click on the M

y Newsgroups icon , and you will see soc.culture.french added to the list . Doub

le-click on it and you 're there . -0- They Want His mtv.com Adam Curry wants hi

s mtv.com . Curry , a longtime video jock for MTV , set up a music-news bulletin

 board on the Internet a year ago , using his home computer and the address mtv.

com . Now he 's being being sued by his ex-employer for copyright infringement .

 Curry uses mtv.com to dish industry gossip ( `` cybersleaze , '' he calls it ) 

, and offers concert schedules , band interviews and commentary . He estimates 3

5,000 log-ins daily . Many of those users are now following the saga of Curry vs

. MTV-from Curry 's viewpoint only . The cable music network , which prides itse

lf on up-to-the-minute hipness , isn't `` jacked into the net , '' as Curry put 

it in a recent missive to his supporters . The on-line faithful have been flamin

g MTV as `` totally lame '' and `` a pitiful network of corporate pigs . '' Wrot

e a user named Daredevil : `` DON ' T LET THE LAMERS GET YOU DOWN ! '' Curry cla

ims mtv.com began with the `` blessing and support '' of MTV execs , but after h

e resigned April 25 , `` things got ugly . '' ( It probably didn't help that Cur

ry posted a resignation letter on the Internet accusing MTV of selling out the `

` M '' in its name . ) In federal court in Manhattan in May , MTV 's lawyers arg

ued for an injunction against Curry 's use of mtv.com . Further hearings are sch

eduled . `` This has nothing to do with Adam 's departure , '' says an MTV spoke

swoman . `` We 've tried unsuccessfully for a year to get Adam to stop using the

 MTV trademark to market his services . '' Said the defiant Curry in e-mail : ``

 mtv.com will always exist on the net . '' Richard Leiby leiby ( at ) aol.com GE

TTING THERE : To follow the Curry case using America Online , select keyword Int

ernet ; then select WAIS & Gopher databases ; then select category Music ; then 

select the MTV Gopher folder ; then brainwaves.txt .

 Found something intriguing , improbable , insane or especially useful on the In

ternet ? Tip The Washington Post 's Karen Mason Marrrero kmarrero ( at ) aol.com

 or Joel Garreau garreau ( at ) well.sf.ca.us .

 As cool weather gives way to warm , and hot not far off , many people feel the 

need to switch gears in their wine-drinking . Room-temp red becomes less interes

ting than chilled , crisp white , and picnics conjure up stuff that 's soft , sl

ightly sweet and quaffable . Stocking up wine for summer takes just as much thou

ght as buying wine for those dinners by the fireplace , yet few wine shops are s

avvy enough to suggest the right warm-afternoon wines . There is these days a ma

nia in America for Chardonnay , and since so much of this wine is white ( thus c

hillable ) and soft and slightly sweet , one might assume Chardonnay would be a 

great picnic quaff . Many wine shop owners still recommend it . Bad thinking . A

fter Petite Sirah , Chardonnay is my least-favorite picnic wine because of the h

igh alcohol ( above 13 percent in most cases ) and the heavy oak flavor the wine

s often have . And in cheaper wines , that oak flavoring is not derived from agi

ng in a barrel , but from the winemaker 's latest trick : dipping in a huge teab

ag filled with oak chips . What I look for in picnic and patio wine is good , st

rong , fruity flavor something to compete with the charcoal briquettes burning i

n the firepit and alcohol low enough not to intrude on the taste of the fruit . 

Stocking up doesn't require a cellar . In the few months you will have the wine 

before it 's consumed , nothing will happen to it if it 's kept relatively cool 

( 70 degrees is fine ) and out of direct light . And I do suggest buying at leas

t a case of wine to be sure you 'll get good wine before it all sells out , and 

to have a few extra bottles around in case of emergencies , such as friends popp

ing by unexpectedly , which always seems to happen . If you look at the summer a

s comprising 12 weekends during which you and your friends will consume a bottle

 per weekend day , you 'll need two cases of wine at minimum . So with that in m

ind , here are my suggestions for what to buy . Note that you may have to replen

ish the supply faster than you might think , especially if the wine is so good p

eople drink it faster than you expect . Chenin Blanc : This grape makes the grea

t wines of Vouvray in France and , in California , a wine with a softer , more m

elony aroma and taste , perfect for picnics . Four bottles . German Riesling : A

 must for the summer . Try various producers of Kabinett or Spatlese wines , whi

ch are not totally dry but offer marvelous acidity and balance with less alcohol

 than most wines about 10 percent . Four bottles . Gewurztraminer : I am smitten

 with this usually off-dry white wine . I prefer it drier so it matches with can

apes and sandwiches . My summer buying pattern calls for a whole case of various

 producers ' Gewurztraminers , but unless you have the same sort of fetish for i

t that I do , I 'd recommend three bottles . Sparkling wine : Light , crisp and 

a perfect summer beverage . Bubbly is always in fashion , and it is a great subs

titute for heavier white wines . Three bottles . Sauvignon Blanc : You need not 

pay much more than $ 7 for some of the best of these wines , and usually you can

 find excellent wines in the $ 5 to $ 6 range . A great all-purpose wine , excel

lent with food . Three bottles . Rose : Here we have the true all-purpose wine ,

 usually made with enough flavor but still dry enough to match with food . Chill

ed , it is appealing to cool off with all by itself at poolside . Buy only the b

est ( $ 9 a bottle or so ) to make sure you 're getting a high-quality rose , th

ough Grenache Rose is being made better these days and may be found at $ 7 to $ 

8 . Three bottles . Beaujolais : Great light red wine such as this is a real tre

at , especially when chilled and served with hearty foods . Three bottles . Ligh

ter-styled Zinfandel : Buy one bottle of a good Zinfandel for those moments when

 the evening air suddenly chills and demands a better , richer , heartier wine .

 One final tip : Buy only the youngest vintages of any of these wines , and from

 producers whose names you know .

 Q : When I 'm baking , there are so many choices to be had in the fat category 

, even in the wrapped sticks of butter or margarine alone . What 's the differen

ce ? Can I use a vegetable oil spread instead of butter in my baking ? A : There

 are many variables the quantity of cream used , the quality of that cream , how

 much filler has been added and how much salt is used for preservative . General

ly , the most reliable baking product is either unsalted butter or basic margari

ne . These two products have the highest content of fat and are not filled with 

gums or fillers that might affect the baking result in some way . While there ar

e many reduced-fat options on the market now , because of added liquid , they wi

lln't produce satisfactory baking results as easily . If you replace butter in a

 recipe with a vegetable oil spread , you will not get the same result , because

 the basic fat component will be oil and not cream . -0- Q : My granddaughter ca

nnot have sugar . Do you have a recipe for cookies that does not contain sugar o

r honey , but uses artificial sweetener ? A : The following recipe offers some a

lternatives for sugar-free cookies . ALMOND SUGAR COOKIES 5 tablespoons margarin

e 4 packets saccharin or 8 packets aspartame ( Equal ) or 4 packets acesulfame-K

 1 tablespoon egg white  teaspoon almond , vanilla , or lemon extract 1 cup unbl

eached flour 1/8 teaspoon baking soda pinch of cream of tartar 32 almond slices 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees . In a medium-size bowl , combine margarine and swee

tener , beating until light and fluffy . Mix in egg white and almond extract . G

radually stir in flour , baking soda , and cream of tartar ; mix well . Form int

o -inch balls . Place on a non-stick cookie sheet . Dip a flat-bottomed glass in

to flour and press down on each ball to flatten cookie . Top each cookie with an

 almond slice . Send questions to : What 's Cooking , c/o Food & Home , The Balt

imore Sun , 501 N . Calvert St. , Baltimore , Md. 21278 . Distributed by the Los

 Angeles Times-Washington Post News Service .

 Here are some tips on grilling from the National Live Stock & Meat Board , an i

ndustry group in Chicago , Ill. . Prepare coals well in advance so they have tim

e to reach the correct temperature before the food is cooked . To check the temp

erature of coals , place the palm of your hand at cooking height , just above th

e grid . Count the number of seconds you can hold your hand there before the hea

t is so uncomfortable you have to pull it away ( to count seconds , count one-on

e thousand ; two-one thousand , etc. ) . Approximate times-temperatures are : lo

w , 5 seconds ; medium , 4 seconds ; medium-hot , 3 seconds ; hot , 2 seconds . 

In appearance , low coals are covered with a thick layer of gray ash ; medium co

als glow through a layer of gray ash ; and hot coals are barely covered with gra

y ash . Avoid cooking over direct flame so the outside of food is not charred . 

When cooking meats , trim them well of fat to avoid flare-ups . Use spatula or t

ongs to turn foods ; don't pierce with fork or flavorful juices will be lost . I

n warm weather , it is important to keep cold foods cold ( below 40 degrees ) un

til you are ready to cook or serve them . Food should not be left out at room te

mperature for long periods . Two hours is the maximum for most foods ; extremely

 perishable items should not sit out more than 20 minutes . Leftovers should be 

packed quickly in small , covered containers , and returned to the cooler , refr

igerator or freezer as soon as possible . Keep raw and cooked foods separate . W

ash utensils and surfaces that touch raw food with hot soapy water before using 

them for anything else . Distributed by the Los Angeles Times-Washington Post Ne

ws Service .

 Thinking about cooking out tonight ? Why not think big ? That 's BIG , as in ba

rbecued beef tenderloin , stuffed turkey breast , marinated leg of lamb , grille

d salmon roast , or grilled-smoked ham . All these things are perfect on the gri

ll , and can make a mighty nice change from the `` small stuff '' like burgers a

nd dogs . They can turn a family meal into an occasion , or make a memorable fea

st for guests . And they 're really no more trouble than preparing and watching 

over a lot of little things on the grill . `` You can do anything on a grill , '

' says Francie George , corporate vice president of Baltimore 's Haussner 's res

taurant and an enthusiastic outdoor griller at home . `` I do Christmas dinner o

n the grill , '' she says . Other favorite items to grill are whole fish , fresh

 ham , turkey , prime rib and spare ribs . Everything is cooked on `` an old , b

eat-up '' kettle-type grill she 's had for nearly 30 years . Statistics show she

 's not alone in her enthusiasm . Americans celebrated 2.6 billion `` barbecue e

vents '' last year , up from 2.3 billion in 1991 , according to the Barbecue Ind

ustry Association , a trade group based in Naperville , Ill. . Eighty-three perc

ent of all families in the United States own a barbecue grill of some type , the

 association says . Gas types have a slight edge over charcoal . And whatever th

e type , 52 percent use their grills year-round . The trend toward more meal pre

paration over coals or flame outdoors doesn't surprise Melanie Barnard , author 

of `` The Best Covered and Kettle Grills Cookbook Ever '' ( HarperCollins , $ 16

.95 ) . Grilling appeals because it 's so easy it 's less formal , and there 's 

less cleanup afterward a factor that appeals in family dining and in today 's en

tertaining . `` Casual entertaining is where it 's at , '' Barnard says . `` Gri

lling speaks casual entertaining , '' she says . `` You don't do formal things o

n a grill because it 's a participatory experience . And that 's what I think is

 fun about it . You get people together and they get their hands in. .. . Maybe 

it 's prehistoric , maybe it 's part of our genetic makeup . Anything you make o

n a grill tastes better . '' While her book offers recipes for such things as Ca

jun burgers and `` the ultimate hot dog , '' there are also recipes for whole ch

icken stuffed with lemons and sage , summer herb stuffed turkey breast , grill-s

moked brisket , ham , and country pot roast , apple and sage-stuffed pork roast 

and spiced rack of lamb . `` You can do chickens and ducks , whole turkeys , big

 pieces of fish '' quite easily on the grill , Barnard says . It takes just a li

ttle planning to make a memorable meal around a grilled specialty , she says . S

imple dishes are the best accompaniment : She suggests starting with such snacks

 as cheese and crackers , or grilled toast with salsa , side dishes such as cole

slaw , potato salad , or old-fashioned macaroni salad , some fresh vegetables fr

om the farmer 's market , all topped off with ice cream or frozen yogurt and sli

ced fresh fruit . `` The biggest mistake people make , '' she says , is planning

 a menu that requires them to be in the kitchen finishing side dishes at the sam

e time they 're outside watching the grill . That 's why easy things that can be

 made ahead , or require only the tiniest bit of last-minute preparation , are t

he most practical choices . And then the centerpiece can really stand out . ( Op

tional add end ) `` The key to doing larger pieces is to roast them slowly at lo

wer temperature , '' George says . She cooks everything with indirect heat , mov

ing the coals aside after they 're hot to encircle the grill , or placing them i

n semicircular piles on each side of the grate . The vents in the grill also hel

p control the temperature , she says . `` When I do something large , I close th

e bottom vents and open the top ones , to let in a little more oxygen . '' She t

ries to keep the temperature between 275 and 300 degrees . ( She recommends buyi

ng a good meat thermometer , commercial-style if you can find one at a kitchen s

pecialty store or restaurant supply outlet . ) `` Doing a whole turkey is wonder

ful , '' she says . `` I do nothing to it . I just let it cook . '' She props up

 less dense areas of the bird by placing an old half-cup measuring cup under the

 tail , and allows half an hour per pound to cook the bird . The skin gets brown

 and crispy and the flesh is firm and juicy , she says . `` Another thing that '

s spectacular on the grill is a whole salmon , '' George says . She divides the 

coals into two semi-circles on opposite sides of the grill , so no part of the f

ish will be directly over the coals . `` The night before I wash it and dry it a

nd make sure there are no scales left on it , then I open it up and fill the int

erior with a paste made of honey and brown sugar . '' You can also put in sprigs

 of fresh herbs dill , tarragon or thyme all work well , she says . The honey-su

gar mixture should be the consistency of thick paste . She stores the fish in a 

plastic bag on a baking sheet in the refrigerator until she 's ready to cook it 

. She puts the fish in a two-sided rack , so it can be turned over halfway throu

gh the cooking process . For perfectly cooked fish , she says , allow 10 minutes