`TOO HOT TAMALES' FANS EAT UP CASUAL TV SHOW : FRESH FRUIT PUNCH.

Byline: Jennifer Lowe Orange County Register

The peppy music kicks in, and the screen fills with two smiling women in pastel-colored chef's jackets standing before colorful bowls of food. No starched smocks here. No stern faces and strict directives.

They're giggling.

``Hi, I'm Mary Sue Milliken,'' says the taller one with the blond hair.

``And I'm Susan Feniger,'' says the shorter, spunkier one with eight or nine earrings climbing her ears.

Another episode of ``Too Hot Tamales'' is on the air.

If you haven't channel-surfed cable TV, you may not know Milliken and Feniger, chef-owners of the Border Grill in Santa Monica. They are among a new generation of celebrity chefs who appeal to a public that probably watches more TV but cooks less than the generation first courted by Julia Child and the Galloping Gourmet. Along with chefs such as Emeril Lagasse of New Orleans and public television's Martin Yan, the Tamales are as much entertainers as culinary instructors.

Milliken and Feniger are zany. Silly. Slightly sloppy. During an episode - broadcast four times a day - it's not unusual to see garlic cloves go flying, onions splaying awkwardly after being sliced, or one of the Tamales facing the wrong camera and chatting away.

``We have to make great, entertaining TV. It's not enough to have great chef skills,'' says Erica Gruen, president of the TV Food Network. ``We're one of 50 channels on any cable system, so if somebody is not going to watch `Seinfeld' and watch the Hot Tamales ... we have to put on shows that ... people cannot stop watching. Mary Sue and Susan are wonderfully fresh and appealing characters.''

Fans flock to Santa Monica to catch a glimpse of them, and any local cooking show they do sells out quickly. Their books, including their newest - ``Cooking With Too Hot Tamales'' (Morrow; $22) - are in demand at shops.

``They've never been the sort to have that pompous chefly distance,'' says longtime Los Angeles food critic Merrill Shindler, who also hosts a radio show on KMPC-AM (710). ``They're just a pair of slightly nutty women who are clearly having a good time and laugh a lot.''

The Tamales also bring a knowledge and love of ethnic food to their viewers. Since their early days in Los Angeles in the '80s, Milliken and Feniger scoured the barrio for authentic taco stands and traveled to Mexico. Their mission: Learn the simple flavors and techniques of Latin cuisine and interpret them their way.

``They were really the first to start improvising on the South American and Mexican themes,'' says Michael Roberts, executive chef of Twin Palms in Pasadena and Newport Beach, whose former L.A. restaurant Trumps was also on top in the '80s.

Much of what is prepared on their show is Latin, from grilled whole sea bass wrapped in collard greens with salsa, to shrimp sauteed with ancho chiles, to Colombian empanadas. Their restaurant features items such as Guatamalan tamales, Yucatan chilled tacos, grilled cactus salad and fried plantains.

Some critics have found their food uneven and disappointing, yet the Border Grill packs them in. In the newest Zagat Survey, it earns accolades for ``the best salsa'' and ``strong margaritas.''

The ``Too Hot Tamales'' show is not really a starting point for novice cooks, being more a ``you can do it'' than a ``how to do it and have fun.'' Sometimes, as Milliken and Feniger hasten through three or four recipes during a half-hour episode, they look like they're on the edge of losing it. Maybe that's what happens when you tape five episodes a day in one week at the network's New York studios.

``Really, how we are when we're on the show is really similar to our kitchen here, when no cameras are on,'' says Feniger, 43, sipping mineral water with Milliken, 38, on a recent afternoon at the Border Grill. ``We're really not acting. We give each other (grief), but that's what we do anyway in life.''

Fans say they like watching the pair's interaction as much - if not more - than the dishes they prepare.

``They make it look easy,'' says Gourmet magazine restaurant critic David Rosengarten, who hosts two shows on the Food Network. ``But it's fun to follow the unfolding relationship between them.''

You won't see knockdown, drag-out tiffs; they're more subtle. Milliken often rolls her eyes and makes wry cracks at Feniger; Feniger just says things like she's going to teach proper onion chopping since ``Mary Sue chops it improperly.'' Sometimes one will mutter some crack to the other that viewers can't hear. There aren't many takes during taping of the shows, some 350 of which have been made since October 1995.

``My theory is that boomers have given up sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll in favor of food,'' says Gruen, the Food Network president. ``That's where we're at these days. Our focus has shifted to taking care of ourselves and the ones we love. Food is the way we express that.''

Not many kitchens can hold more than one cook. But the Tamales have cooked together 17 years.

Their closeness extends beyond the kitchen. Milliken is married to Feniger's ex-husband. Feniger introduced them.

That was more than a dozen years ago, long before they were the Tamales, back when they rode the crest of L.A.'s hot restaurant scene.

In the mid-'80s they were splitting their time between the Border Grill, then on Melrose Avenue, and City, a huge, noisy, cavernous restaurant that served pureed squash and pork chops in a casual setting. After opening the Santa Monica Border Grill in 1990, they sold the Melrose restaurant, and closed City several years later.

Today, though their hands seem full with the one restaurant and their TV and radio popularity, they're planning several new Latin restaurants, including one possibly for Newport Beach. And a new Food Network series, ``Tamales on Tour,'' is planned.

Feniger heads the restaurant plans; Milliken oversees public appearances. Together they monitor the kitchen, dipping spoons into sauces or checking peppers roasting on the grill, and work from tiny offices on the restaurant's second floor. They're so busy, they say, they have to set meetings to see each other, though they holler at each other through a connecting door all the time.

At times going solo has crossed their minds, especially in tougher years. But they have a tight team surrounding them, including a chef, controller and publicist, which enables them to make the bigger decisions.

``We do make mistakes, and we do make decisions the other one doesn't like,'' Milliken says. ``But I trust the fact that we can deal with the decisions we both make separately.''

And there's always laughter.

``It's just so much more fun to have a partner, to share the success or failures or shock,'' Milliken says. ``To do it alone - I just can't imagine. It would be so much more boring and lonely.''

Here are some easy and tasty recipes from the two zany chefs.

2 cups sugar

1 cup water

1 bottle (750-milliliter) dry white wine

1 bottle (1.5 liter) sparkling water

6 cups chopped, seeded watermelon 

1 cup chopped mango OR papaya 

1 cup chopped pineapple

Combine sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally until sugar is dissolved and syrup is clear. Set aside to cool.

Combine syrup, wine and sparkling water in a pitcher or punch bowl and stir well. Add fruit. Serve ice cold. Makes 12 to 16 servings.

From ``Cooking With Too Hot Tamales'' by Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger (William Morrow).

RICE PILAF WITHCORN, CHILES AND CHEESE

Two of our passions are highlighted in this lovely rice dish. We both prefer pilaf to plain white rice, and we love the challenge of combining two starches, in this case rice and corn, and coming up with a dish strong enough to be a centerpiece.

1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup long-grain white rice

1 small onion, finely diced

2 cups hot vegetable OR chicken stock, preferably homemade

3 medium poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded and cut into strips

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1 cup fresh OR thawed frozen corn kernels

1/2 cup crumbled Mexican queso fresco OR feta cheese

1/2 bunch Italian parsley, leaves only, finely chopped

Heat oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add rice and onion and cook, stirring frequently, about 7 minutes, until onion is softened but not browned. Add hot broth, chiles and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, about 10 minutes.

Add corn and simmer 5 minutes longer or until rice is tender. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, about 10 minutes.

Stir in cheese and parsley, mixing well, and fluff with a fork. Serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.

From ``Cooking With Too Hot Tamales'' by Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger (William Morrow).

SALMON BAKED IN SALSA VERDE

Roasting the fish in its sauce integrates the flavors in the pan, and the cook is saved the bother of making a separate sauce.

SALMON:

6 (4-ounce) salmon fillets

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

SALSA VERDE:

2 garlic cloves

1 poblano chile, stemmed, seeded and chopped

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves only, chopped

1/2 bunch fresh Italian parsley, leaves only, chopped

6 green onions, white and light green parts only, chopped

3 Roma tomatoes, cored, seeded and chopped

1/3 cup water

2 tablespoons fruity olive oil

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

2 teaspoons dried oregano 

1 teaspoon coarse salt

Lemon wedges, for serving

For Salmon, season fish all over with salt and pepper to taste. Place in an oiled baking dish.

For Salsa Verde, combine all salsa ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree.

Pour salsa over fish.

Bake in preheated 350-degree oven, 8 to 12 minutes, until thickest part of fish is cooked through.

Serve hot with lemon wedges and salsa spooned on top. Makes 6 servings.

From ``Cooking With Too Hot Tamales,'' by Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger (William Morrow).

COFFEE BROWNIES

Since we opened our first restaurant, brownies have always found a place on the menu - they are so easy to make and so universally loved. For cocktail parties, try cutting brownies into tiny bite-size squares so everyone can leave the party happy, having had their sweet chocolate ending. Brownies freeze so well that we often keep a tray in the restaurant freezer for emergencies.

BROWNIES:

5 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup finely ground espresso beans

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 cups granulated sugar

5 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

GLAZE:

1/4 cup Kahlua

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon softened butter

1 cup powdered sugar

Butter and flour a 9x12-inch baking pan and line bottom with parchment paper. Butter and flour paper.

For Brownies, combine chocolate, butter, ground espresso beans and salt in top of a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over simmering water. Heat, stirring until melted and smooth. Cool.

In a large bowl, combine granulated sugar, eggs and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Add melted chocolate mixture and whisk until well combined. Fold in flour just until it disappears. Gently fold in pecans. Pour into prepared pan, smoothing top.

Bake in preheated 325-degree oven 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

For Glaze, whisk together Kahlua, vanilla and butter until incorporated. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth icing forms. Spread over cooled brownies and let set 1 hour or more before cutting into squares.

Lift out and transfer to a serving plate or a tin. Makes 12 large or 20 small brownies.

From ``Cooking With Too Hot Tamales'' by Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger (William Morrow).

CAPTION(S):

Photo

Photo: (Color) FMary Sue Milliken, left, and Susan Feniger collaborate at the Border Grill, their Santa Monica restaurant. The duo's cable TV Food Network show, ``Too Hot Tamales,'' has won them a wide following.

Mark Rightmire/Orange County Register