My daughter just brought me a huge bunch of fresh oregano and a huge bunch of fresh spearmint, which she grows every year. I clean it and then hang it in bunches to dry.

I use a lot of oregano when I cook for my family and a lot of the Greek recipes call for spearmint. Of course, I also always get oregano from the Greek store in Syracuse. Greek oregano has a stronger flavor. I use it on broiled steaks and chops, some soup and some sauteed vegetables. That and garlic are seasonings I could not go without. And, of course, cinnamon.

The foods you grow up with sure do stay with you, so of course you need the right seasonings for them. I'm lucky enough to have a friend who goes to Greece every summer and is kind enough to bring me Greek oregano. For years I would get oregano, extra virgin olive oil and Kalamata olives sent to me from a relative in Greece.

I inherited my grandmother's home in a village in Greece, and there is a cousin living in it so they make sure I get to share. The women in the village harvest the olives in the fall and then go to Kalamata, 20 miles away, to process them. The groves are owned by everyone in the village. My few remaining relatives in Greece are elderly now, and the one who used to make sure I received things has passed away, so I guess that does it for my supply of great things from Greece.

I was told the New York Dance Festival was a great success. I don't always get to all the things I would like but I'm delighted to know there are so many things offered. Sean McLeod does a wonderful job at his New York Institute of Dance and Education. He is an extremely talented man, and it's wonderful that our community has a chance to share his talent.

Growing up, I was always exposed to a lot of shows and events. My sister Adriana was of course into everything so my family always got there. Adriana is still directing shows and teaching voice so I still try and get to at least one of her shows every year. She has an opera workshop every summer, and in the fall and winter or spring, they put on a couple of shows. When it's a musical, I would be sure to get to it.

Another great-sounding event last weekend was the Renaissance Festival in Sterling. That sounds like the most different theater entertainment I have ever read about. Gary Izzo has been the artistic director for nearly 30 years. I didn't get to go there either, but it sounded like it was an amazing presentation.

The Merry-Go-Round Playhouse shows have been very special. I hope our summer keeps on going as well. Enjoy.

My ethnic recipe for this week is Greek. Since this is squash season, it is for fried zucchini. It's called Kolokethia Tiganito. My other recipe is for bread pudding cake.

Today's blooper:

My blooper today is another one about a bride's experience. She invited company for dinner and made pasta sauce, which came out very good. She decided to make capellini for the pasta. She put it to boil, and when it was cooked, because she had not stirred it, it came out a solid ball of pasta. She took it out of the pan, covered it with sauce and sliced it into pieces to serve. Very clever of her, I'd say.

Diana Sobus, of Auburn, specializes in making ethnic foods.

Kolokethia Tiganito

Makes 6 servings

3 pounds. squash, sliced

3 onions, chopped

3 tablespoons chopped parsley

salt and pepper to taste

garlic powder or chopped cloves to taste

olive or vegetable oil

3/4 teaspoons oregano

1 tablespoon tomato paste and anything optional

Saute ingredients in oil until tender. If paste is used, add after squash is sauteed and cover and

simmer about 10 to 15 minutes. The fried

zucchini is delicious as a topping on spaghetti.

Bread pudding cake

Makes 12 servings

1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt

1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1 3/4 cups sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

2 large eggs

3/4 cup buttermilk

4 cups peeled, sliced

peaches (about 3 pounds)

Preheat oven to 250 and spray 13-by-9-by-2 glass baking dish with vegetable oil spray. Whisk flour, baking powder, salt and optional item in medium bowl. Use electric mixer. Beat butter in large bowl. Gradually add sugar, add eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition.

On low speed, beat in flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk. One third at a time, beating well between additions. Transfer batter to baking dish. Spread evenly. Arrange peach slices over batter, overlapping slightly. Spray sheet of foil with vegetable oil. Cover cake with foil sprayed side down, seal edges. Bake 45 minutes. Remove foil. Some cake may stick. Bake until top is golden brown and edges are crusty. Test center of cake to make sure it comes out clean, about 40 minutes longer. Cool 1 hour. Serve warm with whipped cream. Fruit will sink to bottom of pan as it cooks.