Get A Hair Style, Eat In High Style

How about a shampoo, and a perm, and maybe some ravioli and asparagus in goat cheese sauce?

“Cook for the Cure,” a benefit cookbook to fight breast cancer, is now available at MasterCuts hair salons in Spokane’s NorthTown Mall and Coeur d’Alene’s Silver Lake Mall.

Along with 350 homey recipes from MasterCuts stylists from throughout the United States, there are tips on everything from setting a table to cooking without meat.

Cost is $9, with proceeds going to benefit the Regis Foundation for Breast Cancer Research.

Cans can

If you never expected to read about canned foods in a column called The Fresh Sheet, here’s a little surprise.

According to The American Dietetic Association, canned foods can play an important role in meeting the recommendations of the Food Guide Pyramid for a healthy, balanced diet.

Through September, callers to the ADA’s Consumer Nutrition Hot Line (1-800-366-1655) will hear a recorded message about canned foods and can order a free fact sheet, including recipes.

The recording is available between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., PST. To speak personally with a dietitian, call between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m.

It’s so … plain

Ever wondered why airplane food tends to taste lousy?

It’s not necessarily the cook’s fault, according to a recent report in the Orange County Register.

Dry, pressurized aircraft cabins dull both the taste buds and sense of smell, doctors and aviation officials agree - a phenomenon also reported by astronauts.

Fluid shifts inside the body at high altitudes, apparently affecting taste. And to prevent condensation and keep aircraft controls from freezing, humidity aboard commercial airliners is typically kept as low as 1 percent.

That means passengers produce less saliva, a key component in the taste process. Which is why airplane meals are so often soaked in sauces in an attempt to replenish mouth fluid and restore flavor.

Scout it out

There’s more to the Girl Scouts’ culinary accomplishments than just cookies.

On Saturday, the Girl Scouts Inland Empire Council will present a Western barbecue dinner, dance and auction from 9 to 11 p.m. at the Masonic Temple, 1108 W. Riverside.

Tickets are $20, with proceeds going to benefit Girl Scout services in Eastern Washington and North Idaho. For information, call 747-8091 or 1-800-827-9478.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Drawing

MEMO: We’re always looking for fresh food news. Write to: The Fresh Sheet, Features Department, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210. Call 459-5446; fax 459-5098.