GOOD TASTES.

A BIG MOUTH: If you sometimes have difficulty getting mayo out of the jar, now you'll find it a breeze with the new Kraft Mayo Big Mouth Jar with a snap-top lid. The opening is more than twice as large as the traditional jar's, and the shatterproof plastic container makes for easy handling and storage. Available in both regular and light varieties in 32-ounce jars, suggested retail is $3.65 each.

- Natalie Haughton

JAPANESE BARBECUE & MARINADES: The newest Gyu-Kaku restaurant in the Japanese chain, which just opened in Sherman Oaks, is a fun place to share a leisurely interactive yakiniku (``grilling meat'') meal. Diners grill various foods - vegetables, beef, seafood, chicken and desserts - over smokeless charcoal grills built into each table.

On a recent evening, the restaurant was buzzing with activity - both early and late in the evening. Among the dishes enjoyed were a house salad with daikon strips and miso dressing, garlic shrimp, basil-marinated chicken and miso-marinated skirt steak, asparagus and rib-eye slices of kobe beef (although they were a little fatty and pricey).

Although diners don't cook it, one of our menu favorites was the delicious Bibima, a rice dish with chicken, spinach and other vegetables that arrived at the table in a hot, sizzling bowl. The waiter mixes it up as spicy as you like with a red chile bean paste, then spreads it out, and after a few minutes you end up with a crispy crust. Don't miss it.

If you love s'mores, you'll have the chance to cook your own for dessert here - guaranteed to bring fond memories of days around the campfire.

You'll have a chance to sample two different Japanese sauces/marinades from containers on each table. They include a miso Japanese BBQ marinade and a sweet soy Japanese BBQ dipping suce. An 8-ounce bottle of either is available to take home at $6 each.

The restaurant is at 14457 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks; [phone].

- N.H.

TELEVISION FOOD STUFF

--For four Fridays, beginning this week, ``Life & Style,'' on KCAL (Channel 9), which airs at 9 a.m. weekdays, will be featuring celebrity chefs and cookbook authors preparing their fabulous creations. Each one-hour Friday show will include one personality - Tyler Florence, Paula Deen, Bobby Flay and Sandra Lee, all hosts on the Food Network.

--At 7 p.m. Sunday, turn to the Food Network to see ``Iron Chef America's'' first female chef, Cat Cora (a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America), make her Kitchen Stadium debut. Cora will be going head-to-head with challenger Alex Lee, formerly the executive chef at Daniel restaurant in New York City. It should be an interesting show.

- N.H.

EXPLORE STAGS LEAP WINE DISTRICT: If you're heading up to the Napa Valley soon, you might want to take in the fifth annual Vineyard 2 Vintner: An Exploration Through Stags Leap District on April 9. Sponsored by the Stags Leap District Winegrowers Association, all 13 member wineries will participate in seminars, open houses and tastings from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. A vintner-hosted reception and dinner will be begin at 6 p.m. that evening. Tickets for the day events and evening dinner are $175 per person; day-event tickets only are $100 per person. Call [phone], or go online to www.stagsleapdistrict.com.

- N.H.

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

(color) no caption (Kraft Mayo Big Mouth)