GOOD TASTES.

Byline: Natalie Haughton

COOKBOOK: Want to add some sizzle to summer menus? Get a copy of ``High Heat,'' (Broadway Books; $30) by Waldy Malouf, chef and co-owner of Beacon Restaurant in New York City and Stamford, Conn., where roasting and grilling are the basis of his menus. Featuring 125 recipes, with directions included for both open-flame grilling and hot-oven cooking, the book - with short lists of accessible (but not dull or timid) ingredients and no complicated preparations - is designed for home cooks. This volume isn't about cooking like a restaurant chef, but rather consumers have an opportunity to take advantage of Malouf's expertise, sophistication and flavor combinations.

``No matter how the fire is applied, it seems to me that food cooked with very high heat always tastes best,'' writes Malouf, adding that recipes were tested in a home kitchen and back yard. ``Every recipe features vivid elements like the tang of pickled vegetables, the saltiness of olives, capers and anchovies, the bright flavors of fresh herbs, the heat of fresh and dried chiles, the pungency of blue cheese, the aromatic depth of unsweetened cocoa, the bitterness of citrus zest ... the list goes on.''

Among the appealing-sounding recipes - many with overtones of his Sicilian and Lebanese heritage - are Roasted Clams With Garlic, Lemon & Red Pepper; Mustard Shrimp With Capers; Smoky Corn & Cod Chowder; Crisp Penne With Ricotta, Roasted Tomatoes & Herbs; Baby Eggplant With Harissa & Mint, Hot-Smoked Chicken Breasts With Balsamic Marinade & Onion-Parsley Relish; Roasted Summer Berry Shortcakes and much more. With tempting creations galore, fire up the grill or oven and get cooking for family and friends. You're bound to find plenty of bold, innovative creations here that appeal.

LATTE VIA PUCK: Chef and restaurateur Wolfgang Puck in collaboration with Bob Groux of BrandSource have launched a new line of coffee beverages - Wolfgang Puck Gourmet Latte. Available in four flavors - Rich Espresso, Rich Mocha, Dulce de Leche and French Vanilla - all are made with low-fat milk. Calories range from 230 to 250 per 11-ounce bottle with 4 grams fat. I thought the Rich Mocha and Dulce de Leche were the most flavorful - and found the espresso and vanilla rather lackluster.

If you want to mix up a cold summer coffee dessert drink, serve them over ice mixed with a little of your favorite liqueur such as Kahlua or Godiva. You might even blend up the lattes with ice.

Look for them at convenience stores, Bristol Farms and Ralphs. Suggested retail price is $1.59 per bottle or $5.99 for a single-flavor four pack.

SANDWICH GUIDE: Sandwiches can be simple or complex, and now Maille - the mustard makers - are offering a new colorful guide, ``Sandwich Satisfaction.'' It's piled high with tips and recipes from four chefs - Nancy Silverton of Campanile, Los Angeles; Mark Sullivan of the Village Pub, Woodside, Calif.; Scott Campbell of (at)SQC, New York; and Louis Osteen of Louis's at Pawleys, Pawleys Island, S.C.

Recipes reflect different styles, regions and tastes and among them are Tuna Melt, Lobster and Avocado on Brioche, Italian Combo, Classic Grilled Cheese With Marinated Onions and more - of course all with some kind of Dijon or whole grain mustard, mustard glaze or mustard sauce.

For a copy of the 30-page, spiral-bound booklet, send a 9 1/2-by-6 1/2-inch self-addressed stamped ($1.60) envelope to: ``Sandwich Satisfaction'' Guide, c/o Fleishman-Hillard, 220 E. 42nd St., New York, N.Y. 10017.

LIGHTER FARE

With restaurants coming under fire from some for not providing healthy alternatives, Baja Fresh Mexican Grill has just introduced Lighten Up, a new summer menu featuring lower-fat and -calorie fare. Leanest of the offerings are the Fresh Mahi Mahi Ensalada ($5.95) with 280 calories, 9 grams fat and 34 grams protein and the Side-by-Side salad ($4.90) with fat-free salsa verde and charboiled chicken at 320 calories, 6 grams fat and 52 grams protein. Highest among the six offerings are the Bare Burrito ($5.40) served in a bowl with no tortilla with 650 calories, 7 grams fat and 45 grams protein along with Enchiladas Verano ($5.95) at 580 calories, 9 grams fat and 38 grams protein.

DINING OUT

If you're in the Santa Barbara area or nearby Santa Inez wine country and want to experience some delicious fare, head to Brothers Restaurant at Mattei's Tavern in Los Olivos. A tavern that was once a stagecoach stop, brothers Matt and Jeff Nichols have painstakingly renovated the 1886 building and now serve dinner nightly. The restaurant opened a year ago andis thriving.

The brothers have good credentials. Jeff was formerly a chef at Trumps and Ocean Avenue Seafood in Los Angeles and Matt was the kitchen manager at Spago Hollywood from 1990 to 1996. They had a nine-table restaurant in Solvang a few years ago, but it was too small and they closed it.

At Mattei's, first courses range from $7 to $12 and include a popular salad of mixed baby greens with Stilton cheese, poached pears and candied walnuts along with vegetable spring rolls with spicy plum sauce and Asian salad and puree of Yukon gold potato and spring garlic soup. Entrees range from a wonderful prime rib with garlic mashed potatoes ($24) and a terrific grilled prime 8-ounce top sirloin with mashed potatoes and roasted garlic butter ($16) to a baked horseradish crusted Scottish salmon with vegetable brown rice and Dijon herb sauce ($18) and lemon roasted half chicken ($15). Desserts are $7 each, and among the choices are mud pie, creme brulee and brownie sundae with banana ice cream.

Call ahead for reservations, otherwise you might end up dining in the bar. Brothers Restaurant at Mattei's Tavern, 2350 Railway Ave., Los Olivos, [phone].

CAPTION(S):

4 photos

Photo:

(1) no caption (book: ``High Heat'')

(2) no caption (Wolfgang Puck and Bob Groux)

(3) no caption (book: ``Sandwich Satisfaction'')

(4) no caption (Lighten Up! summer menu)