When it's this hot outside - the delawareonline.com weather report says its 90 degrees but feels like 103 ! - I don't feel like eating much. Fish, veggies and fruit tend to be my go-to foods.

Lunch today was a tomato and basil sandwich and some fresh plums. I purchased the tomatoes, basil and plums from Glen Willow Orchards in Avondale, Pa., one of my favorite farm markets. I went a little crazy there this past weekend and bought all kinds of produce, which I've been putting to good use. The dozen ears of corn I got were so sweet and juicy - you could almost eat them raw. I stripped the corn from the cob and used it for a corn nugget crab cake recipe (see photo) that I've been experimenting with from Washington, D.C. chef Michel Richard's fabulous cookbook "Happy in the Kitchen" (Artisan, 2006.) I can't wait to share this recipe with readers - look for it in the Aug. 15 Life section. It takes some work, but the payoff is worth it. The cake is paired with a homemade, chive-flecked tartar sauce.

Tonight, for dinner, I may do take-out sushi or sashimi from Okura Japanese Cuisine Restaurant, 703 Ace Memorial Drive, Hockessin; 239.8486. I was there for dinner last Friday - a shout out to the "Canterbury" crew for such a good time! - and forgot what a fine Japanese restaurant this is. We loved everything except the edamame, which was overcooked.

What's the deal with dill pickles?

I've spent hours of my life searching groceries for rare and delectable ingredients, from fresh foie gras to mushroom soy sauce to buckwheat flour. It's fun, and sometimes frustrating, but I've never encountered a more difficult mission than I have during my recent (and ongoing) search for dill pickles.

As a kid, there was always a jar tucked in the fridge, a salty treat that I favored on sultry summer days, and which I recently began craving again. No problem, I figure, just head out to the Acme or ShopRite and all will be right in my pickle-craving world.

Wrong. Despite diligent searching, I have yet to find a store that carries dill pickles, with the sole exception of Zingo's just outside of Newport. Oh, stores have plenty of "Kosher Dills," which fail to match the herby gusto of an authentic dill. I will continue the hunt -- a foray to Super G this morning was fruitless, but I suspect the good ol' Food Lion will be there for me.

Can anyone help me out of this pickle?

We all scream for paletas

When the mercury and humidity rise and the human spirit wilts, people seek icy relief.

One of the best places to find it is at Paleteria y Neveria Tocumbo, a Mexican-style ice cream parlor at 3322 Old Capitol Trail. It's located behind the Prices Corner Shopping Center in a small strip center that includes a discount cigarette outlet, a pizza shop and a taqueria.

I wrote about these fruity, juicy homemade ice pops two years ago, but haven't been there lately.

Tocumbo, a Mexican city, is considered the birthplace of paletas, Mexico's most popular frozen treats on a stick. (Paleteria is Spanish for an ice-pop parlor and neveria is an ice cream parlor.)

Paletas can be nondairy or cream-based. Tocumbo offers such fruit flavors as mamey, cherimoya, pineapple, lime, tamarind and mango.

Blogger Mike Matthews of Down with Absolutes told me he recently got a coconut bar and was "bowled over!"

"It was heavenly!" Matthews writes. "It was like sweetened coconut milk on a stick with all the delicious and chewy shredded coconut. My aunt and uncle RAVE about the butterscotch bars."

I'm so there.

Pala's: I'm not dead, yet

Don't shovel dirt onto Pala's Cafe grave just yet.

I just spoke with someone at the sixtysomething year-old Little Italy tavern a few minutes ago. Looks like the "World's Worst Pizza" place on Union Street in Wilmington will be open for another 30 days.

Enjoy this old school Wilmington institution while you can.

Asian Palace closed - for now.

The Asian Palace in Independence Mall shopping center off U.S. 202 has closed its doors, according to a recorded message. The restaurant will return somewhere else soon. Leave a message, 778-1488, if you're interested in finding how where the eatery will relocate.

There seems to be no middle ground when it came to the Palace. You either loved it passionately or hated it passionately.

And, believe me, I heard from readers in both camps.

Owner Barry Nickle had no tolerance for patrons who didn't follow his rules. (Woe to the customer who tried to seat themselves or, worse still, use a cell phone in his establishment.) Some people even referred to him as a popular Seinfeld character. You know whom I'm talking about. I thought the food made by his wife Selena was fantastic, but I must admit, I was always on edge when I dine there.

Nickle could be prickly. It was his house, and you played by his rules or - no food for you!

Reader mail

Reader mail is every Friday. You ask, we answer.

QUESTION: Hi Patricia, I wondering if you could recommend a nice, casual restaurant for about six this Friday night. We are celebrating my husband's birthday and would love to go somewhere highly recommended but, not too fancy. We were thinking Italian or maybe seafood. Thanks for your help. Kim.

ANSWER: Hi, Kim. Thanks for the letter. Not sure if you’re in New Castle County or not and what your price range is. If you’re looking for seafood, try Feby’s Fishery on Lancaster Pike (Del. 48) in Wilmington. The fresh fish of the day is listed on a black board at the entrance and you can get it fried, broiled or steamed. It’s a popular place. Eric Ruth gave a 2 1/2 star (good-to-very) review to Pomodoro, a new Italian restaurant on Union Street in Wilmington. Caffe Gelato on Main Street in Newark is another good Italian option - and you cannot leave without ordering the fantastic gelati. Not necessarily Italian or seafood restaurants, but I think you can never go wrong at Culinaria in Brandywine Hundred or Eclipse Bistro in Wilmington.
Check out the menus and see what appeals to you. Call for reservations at all of these restaurants, especially on a Friday night.

QUESTION: Hi, Patricia. Do you happen to have a copy of The News Journal article that ran a couple months ago about Whole Foods' plans to build a store at the intersection of Rt. 202 and Namaan's, please? I searched google and delawareonline without success. Also, nothing on the Whole Foods' website, but I do remember the article. Thank you. Lisa

ANSWER: Maureen Milford wrote that Woodlawn Trustees Inc. of Wilmington, one of the most influential Brandywine Valley landowners for more than 100 years, is moving forward with a plan to develop nearly 43 acres at U.S. 202 and Beaver Valley Road as an upscale shopping center. Whole Foods Market Inc. in Austin, Texas, a natural and organic foods supermarket, has expressed serious interest in leasing a more than 62,000-square-foot free-standing store in the center, said Pamela J. Scott, the lawyer on the project. Whole Foods would anchor the 200,000-square-foot center. It would be the chain's first supermarket in Delaware.
Amy Schaefer, spokeswoman for Whole Foods, said because of competitive pressures the company doesn't discuss potential sites. No other retailers have been named for the center. The project, which would require rezoning of the parcel, is expected to face an uphill battle from the community in getting the necessary land approvals.

Pala's Cafe to say goodbye?

I got a phone call that Pala's Cafe is bowing out on Saturday night after more than 60 years on Union Street in Wilmington's Little Italy neighborhood.
Delaware longtimers know Pala's, a city institution, as the home of the "World's Worst Pizza." The sign was always a big joke to family and regulars. Actually, the tavern - not a restaurant - used to serve one of Wilmington's best pizzas, along with good strombolis and chopped antipasto salads.
Wow. Pala's gone? This bums me out. I'm going to make a few phone calls and see what's up. I'll keep you posted.

Top Chef recap

"Top Chef" guest judge Rocco DiSpirito got little respect from the contestants. (Joey even called him an a--hole. Leave it to the New York boy to tell it like it is.)

Rocco needs a new stylist - stat. Why, oh, why orange hair? And the overly plucked eyebrows? What's up with that? Guys, I understand getting rid of a unibrow, but pluck a few too many hairs and you're just inviting comparisons to Joan Crawford. Or one of those Gotti brothers.

Instead of shilling cat food, the Big Roc now has pledged his allegiance to frozen pasta and Bertolli products. Big sigh! Rocco - you used to be someone! You used to be a contender! Sell-outs make me sad, sad, sad.

OK, the quickfire challenge with contestants guessing the ingredients placed before them was boring - I want cooking, people! - though it was encouraging to see arrogant Hung get knocked out when his smug mug incorrectly identified celery seed.

Elimination round was about making a frozen pasta that could be reheated. Wow, what a big surprise given that the new Bertolli pitchman was a guest. Timeout for a soap box moment. How hard is it to cook pasta? Please, it's between 6 to 11 minutes at the most. Are people in that much of a hurry that they can't take the time to toss pasta in salted boiling water and make something that would taste so much better than frozen bag food? This is the weird kind of thinking about cooking that makes Italians scratch their heads about Americans and their approach to food. That and drive-thru fast food. (Some friends and I tried once to explain drive-thrus to an Italian friend Stefano and he thought we were joking. He couldn't believe anyone would eat a meal in their car.) People in Italy drive really fast, but they slow down - and rightly so - when it comes to cooking and eating. Alright. I'm stepping down from the box.

Here are the episode highlights:

- During the quickfire challenge, did you know those green globes that Brian thought were heirloom tomatoes were eggplant? I didn't.

- Rocco trying oh-so earnestly to tout frozen pasta (a.k.a BERTOLLI pasta) and pontificating why home meal replacement (a BERTOLLI MEAL, that is!) is so important to consumers. Way to earn your paycheck, buddy. But you could tell Colicchio wasn't buying it. Have I said how much I like Tom?

- Rocco does, however, earn points by arguing with Tom about truffles being Mediterranean. I'm with you there, Roc. I'm not sure Tom made his point.

- How funny was it when CJ called Hung a douche?

- I'm with "bulldog" Howie. Tri-colored fusilli is cheesy - and boring.

- But Howie needs to wear a bandanna or something when he cooks. The ball of sweat hanging from his nose while he was cooking made me want to barf. I don't want someone's body fluids in my food.

- Joey didn't go out "screaming like a lunatic." Nope, he just cried like my favorite 4-year-old when she doesn't want to go to bed. I'm going to miss one of the Bruiser Boys. Howie is BB No. 2.

- Should Joey have exited this episode? I think the judges made a mistake. Sara would have been my choice.

Drinking and dining sometimes don't mix

The New York Times has a pretty amazing story today about diners who get tanked up in restaurants and do all kinds of crazy things - from undressing and acting like strippers to actually vomiting on the table.

I go to restaurants quite frequently and I must say I've never seen anyone spew at the table. (OK, well, I did see a couple of people lose it one year at The Starboard in Dewey Beach during the chicken wing eating contest, but that doesn't really count.)

In Las Vegas, I have seen liquored up people getting a little gropey at the table, but, right now, I can't recall anything really noteworthy.

The one thing that completely grosses me out - and that I see often - is women visiting the restroom and then begin talking on their cellphones once they're in the bathroom stall. Geez, Louise, who wants to be on the other end of that conversation? And once, I overheard a woman at a table near us tell her husband that she couldn't stand him, never loved him and wanted a divorce. I was so shocked. Isn't that something you should do at home?

What's the weirdest thing you've witnessed in a restaurant? Comment below.

Restaurateurs and servers, we'd LOVE to hear your stories.

Rocco rebound?

Top Chef" returns tonight with a new episode. Rocco DiSpirito is stepping in as guest judge.
This is going to be good. Rocco was once the king of New York cuisine - heck, he made the cover of Gourmet magazine due to his success at the former Union Pacific restaurant. Getting real estate in Gourmet is a big deal; Mrs. Ruth herself has to annoint a chef before he or she graces the cover of her magazine.
Then, he did something really stupid. He starred in a horrible reality show "The Restaurant" that showed him more interested in flirting than making fettucine. The restaurants tanked, he got a job on the radio and was then shown the door. Last I heard, he was shilling gourmet CAT FOOD. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
But here's the thing: I met Rocco at a party several years ago, way before "The Restaurant" fiasco. He was a really nice guy, humble even. A chef's chef - not that bozo he became on TV. I'd like to see that Rocco again. Here's hoping.