STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE COLUMNS

Pam Silvestri writes about dining for the Staten Island Advance

• Fragrant herb papalo a substitute for cilantro
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- It's 8:45 a.m. on a hazy Saturday, pretty late by standards of some St. George Greenmarket-goers. Thirty or so Hispanic women crowd the area of the municipal parking lot where these farmers usually pitch market umbrellas or canopies.

• Corn smut intensifies squash flower flavor
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- August brings to mind a few items that smack of summertime freshness. Consider delicate, golden-orange colored flor de calabaza, otherwise known as squash blossoms, and sweet corn on the cob.

• TURNING TABLES
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Freshly opened Neptune's Bistro perks up Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden in Livingston.

• Opening a can of worms
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Jon Park cracked open a can of worms. No, he doesn't serve the stuff at Dee's, his West Brighton deli. And on the day he peeled back the metal lid from a short can of preserved chrysalis, a snack otherwise known as silkworm pupae, there were no takers among store regulars and lottery customers for indulging in the bounty.

• When mint grows wild
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- If mint has overtaken your garden, there are a few outlets for the wild stuff. Consider ethnic recipes and the borough's unique markets for assistance in purchasing ingredients.