BILL AND BOB: WE NEED MORE FOOD FOR THOUGHT.

Byline: John Lehndorff Knight-Ridder Tribune News Wire

Millions of Americans watched last week as Bill Clinton and Bob Dole staged their final presidential debate. Voters in San Diego peppered the candidates with questions, but few of the queries gave me a new sense of who the men really are. The dynamic duo had too many opportunities to serve stale-as-month-old-bread answers.I wish they would stage a third debate - possibly on the Television Food Network - revealing how they eat, dine, feed others and cook. Then we might know how they truly relate to family and community.

We know much about Clinton's fast-food passions, which have been subject to much ridicule. We know he likes pie and we know he likes fast food. Elizabeth Dole suggested recently that one reason her husband should be elected president is that ``There'll be no more Big Macs at White House state dinners.'' Al Gore has said that one of the best things about being vice president is that he gets Clinton's leftover french fries. The president's hedonistic chow-down with Helmut Kohl has become the stuff of legend.

We know much less about Dole's taste buds, including whether he truly loves to eat. His recently released medical report notes that he ingests Metamucil every day and he has admitted downing a bowl of oatmeal EVERY morning. Dole did eat Barbecue Chicken Pizza in a recent visit to the California Pizza Kitchen chain but Americans admitted in a survey that they would like to have Clinton, rather than Dole, top their pizza for them.

Americans clearly have strong opinions about what their leader consumes. A recent poll, for instance, found that 43 percent of voting-age Americans think the president should drink wine and not beer. Only 26 percent think he should choose beer over wine, but no mention was made of water. ``The Good Water Guide'' (Rosendale) reveals that President Clinton prefers to sip home-state Mountain Valley Spring Water from Hot Springs, Ark.

Perhaps, as the campaign rolls to a conclusion, the prime question we should ask ourselves should be: Would we rather sit down and eat Sunday dinner with Bill or Bob?

What a relief: ``Irradiation involves subjecting the food to a low dose of ionizing radiation. The process does not cause the food to become radioactive.''

Men and minibars: In a recent survey of 500 American travelers, Fodor's Travel Publications found that 43 percent eat the mints left on their pillows, and men raid minibars more than women (33 percent to 19 percent). About 7 percent admit they have been caught naked - intentionally or unintentionally - by a chambermaid, although not necessarily when they were eating the mint on their pillows.

Food romance: Good food convinced Faith Hill to woo fellow country singer Tim McGraw, whom she recently wed. The singer said true romance arrived over dinner when he served her chicken dumplings and corn bread. ``I was thinking, `Yeah, right, homemade,' '' Hill said. ``It tasted just like my mom's.''