it's time to bring the palate firmly back to earth.

If you want to land with a jolt, the following recipes, taken from Square Meals by Jane and Michael Stern, could be the answer.

Described as "a joyful celebration of American food from the 1920s through the 1950s'', the authors term the recipes "pure fun''.

Of course, that depends on your definition of fun. Chefs, gourmets and serious cooks will doubtless run a screaming mile, but for those who consider themselves kitchen slobs, culinary philistines, or convenience food converts -- this is your celebration! Square Meals is available at the Bermuda Library: TV PARTY MIX Party Mix is the archetypal snack food. It can be stored forever; and it goes great not only with TV, but at cocktail hour or any time neighbours pop in unexpectedly. This recipe comes from the Checkerboard Kitchens of Ralston Purina, but, for variety's sake, we occasionally substitute other cereals, like Cheerios or Kix for one of the Chex. Or use Spanish peanuts or pecans, straight, instead of mixed nuts. For what might be called Nouvelle Party Mix, modern nibbles such as sesame sticks and corn Bugles would be appropriate. If you do add other ingredients, increase the butter and seasonings accordingly.

8 tbsp. butter 1 tsp. seasoned salt 4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 2 cups Corn Chex 2 cups Rice Chex 2 cups Wheat Chex 3 cup salted mixed nuts (not dry-roasted) PRE-HEAT oven to 250 degrees F. Melt butter in a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan.

Remove pan from oven, stir in seasoned salt and Worcestershire sauce. Add cereal and nuts. Mix until all pieces are coated. Return pan to oven and heat 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spread on paper towels to cool. Makes 1 1 quarts.

CHEESE BALL The cheese ball's phenomenal popularity during the 1950s corresponded to the success of that indispensable suburban appliance, the kitchen blender.

Originally invented as a bartender's tool, the blender stood side by side with the chafing dish as a totem of cooking ease and sociability. Without blenders, there would be no cheese balls.

Have the cheese at room temperature when you begin, and make the ball a day ahead to let the flavours blend.

1 cup milk 3 ozs. blue cheese, cubed 4 ozs. Cheddar cheese, cubed 1 small wedge onion 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 6 ozs. cream cheese, cubed 1 cup pecans 4 sprigs parsley BLEND milk and blue cheese in food processor or blender at high speed. Add Cheddar cheese, onion, Worcestershire, and cream cheese. Blend until smooth.

Refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight. Next day, shape cheese into a ball.

Coarsely chop pecans and parsley in blender. Roll cheese ball in nut-and-parsley mixture. To serve: place in centre of a plate surrounded by crackers. Serves 8.

EXOTIC EGG DUNK 4 hard-boiled eggs 2 tsp. Good Seasons dry Italian salad dressing mix 2 tsp. grated onion 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 1 cup sour cream RESERVE 1 egg yolk for garnish. Chop remaining eggs finely. Combine all ingredients, blending well. Spoon into bowl. Sieve reserved egg yolk over top.

Serve with potato chips. Serves 4.

The following dip was created in 1954 by Lipton as an ingenious transformation of dry onion soup mix into party dip by the addition of sour cream. Since then inventive cooks have found dozens of ways to use their packet of dehydrated onions and flavour enhancer like a magic powder, turning the humblest ingredients into special fare.

CALIFORNIA DIP There are two styles of preparing the classic dip. The safe way is to mix the soup and the sour cream an hour before serving, giving the onions time to soften and all the enhancers time to spread their savour evenly through the sour cream. A punkier approach is to mix the soup and sour cream immediately before serving -- and don't even mix them extremely well! The onions will retain a dehydrated crunch for a good half hour, and the sour cream will be streaked with veins of zest, little nuggets radiating a raunchy salt sting.

Don't blend dip so far in advance that it must be refrigerated for more than an hour or two. When chilled too long, it attains a gluey texture reminiscent of drywall! 1 pkt. dry onion soup mix 2 cups sour cream Combine.

SOUPER DOOPER BREAD 2 pks. dry yeast dissolved in 1 cup tepid water (110 degrees F) with 1 tbsp. sugar 1 pkt. dry onion soup mix 1 cup warm water 8 tbsp. butter, melted and cooled to tepid 3 1 to 4 cups sifted flour 1 cup grated Cheddar cheese WHEN yeast mixture is dissolved, stir in soup mix, 1 cup water, butter, and 2 1 cups flour. Beat until well blended. Add enough flour (about 1 cup) to produce a sticky but workable dough. Turn out onto floured board and let rest while you clean and butter bowl. Knead 10 minutes, adding flour if needed, to produce a resilient but not too stiff dough. Return to bowl, cover, and let rise in warm place until double in bulk, about 1 hour. Beat down dough, knead a few minutes, and form into buttered baking dishes.

HE-MAN'S TUNA NOODLE CASSEROLE 6 ozs. medium egg noodles 2 tbsp. butter 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup 1 cup milk 1 cup sour cream 1 tsp. salt 1 cup finely chopped onion 1 cup sliced pimento 1 cup finely chopped green peppers 1 cup chopped celery 1 6 1 oz. can oil-packed tuna, drained and flaked (an additional 3-oz. can is optional, for a meatier casserole) 15 Ritz crackers (half a stack), broken but not crumbled Parsley for garnish COOK noodles in salted water; drain. Coat with butter. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a large saucepan, mix soup, milk, sour cream, salt, onion, pimento, pepper, and celery. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, for 15 minutes. Add tuna.

Combine with noodles and pour into 2-quart casserole. Sprinkle top with crackers. Bake 20 to 25 minutes. Garnish with parsley. Serves 6 large men! MING DYNASTY CASSEROLE 1 3-oz. can chow mein noodles 1 8-oz. can water chestnuts, sliced 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup 1 cup half-and-half 1 cup finely chopped celery Dash pepper 1 1 cups cooked chicken or tuna 3 cup coarsely cut cashew nuts 1 cup minced onion PRE-HEAT oven to 350 degrees F. Set aside 1 cup chow mein noodles. Combine all other ingredients in a 2-quart casserole. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes.

Sprinkle remaining noodles on top of casserole. Bake 15 minutes longer. Serves 4 to 6.

EIGHT CAN CASSEROLE This recipe is streamlined convenience and doesn't even pretend to be real cookery! Make its creation a social event. Invite your guests to help open the cans and dump them into the casserole. No mess, no fuss, no nothing! Yet, despite the lack of talent needed to prepare it, Eight-Can Casserole is a darn good meal, every bit as delicious as it is convenient.

2 5-oz. cans boned chicken 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup 1 8-oz. can mushrooms, drained 1 5-oz. can chow mein noodles 1 13-oz. can evaporated milk 1 can fried onion rings PRE-HEAT oven 350 degrees F. In a 3-quart casserole, mix everything except onion rings. Bake 20 minutes. Sprinkle on onion rings. Bake 15 minutes longer.

Serves 6 to 8.

CHOW MEIN CANDY CLUSTERS These clusters demand the accompaniment of large glasses of bubbling club soda.

12 ozs. butterscotch morsels 1 3-oz. can chow mein noodles 2 cups cocktail peanuts MELT butterscotch bits in top of double boiler. Remove from heat and immediately stir in chow mein noodles until all are coated, then quickly stir in peanuts. Drop on wax paper with a tablespoon. Let cool until firm. Makes about 2 dozen.

Clusters Royale: Substitute 2 cups Rice Krispies cereal for chow mein noodles.

A lighter and less bludgeoning snack! DR. PEPPER BAKED BEANS These are good companions for pork chops, ham loaf, or wieners.

1 28 oz.-can pork and beans 1 onion, chopped fine 1 green pepper, chopped fine 1 tomato, chopped fine 1 cup dark brown sugar 1 cup Dr. Pepper 1 tsp. ground cloves PRE-HEAT oven 350 degrees F. Drain liquid from pork and beans. Pour into baking dish. Gently mix in onion, pepper, and tomato. Combine sugar, Dr.

Pepper, and cloves until sugar is dissolved. Pour evenly over bean mixture.

Bake, covered, 30 minutes. Serves 4 to 6.

LEMONADE FRIED CHICKEN Because this syrupy sweet dish seems so much more difficult than it really is, it makes a perfect entree if you want to impress your mother-in-law or the boss.

1 6-oz. can frozen lemonade concentrate 1 cup water 1 2-21 lb. chicken, cut up 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. ground black pepper 1 cup oil 2 tbsp. butter, melted PRE-HEAT oven to 350 degrees F. Mix lemonade concentrate and water in small bowl. Pour over chicken in larger bowl. Refrigerate 2 hours or longer. Drain chicken and retain liquid. Mix together flour, salt, and pepper in a small paper bag. Add well-drained chicken, one piece at a time. Grasp bag closed and shake to flour chicken evenly. Heat oil in large skillet over moderate heat.

Add floured chicken; cook until evenly browned, turning pieces over carefully.

Remove chicken with melted butter. Add reserved lemonade. Bake, uncovered, about 1 hour, basting chicken with lemonade from pan every fifteen minutes.

About 15 minutes before chicken is done, drain off excess juice from pan.

Serves 4 or 5.

CHERRY COKE SALAD Serve with burgers and fries.

2 20-oz. cans dark pitted cherries 1 3 oz. pk. cherry gelatin 1 20 oz. can crushed pineapple 1 cup Coca-Cola 1 cup chopped pecans HEAT cherries and their juice to boiling. Remove from heat and add gelatin.

Stir. Add pineapple, juice and all. Pour in Coke and nuts. Pour into oiled 6-cup mold. Let cool, then refrigerate at least 2 hours, or until set. Serves 4 to 6.

PEPSI CAKE WITH BROILED PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING A dreamy cake buoyed by cola bubbles and moistened by miniature marshmallows which disappear into the chocolate, leaving no mallow blobs to embarrass you in front of gourmet guests.

Cake 2 cups flour 2 cups sugar 1 lb. butter 2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa 1 cup Pepsi 1 cup buttermilk 2 eggs, beaten 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 1 cups miniature marshmallows PRE-HEAT oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9 x13 x2-inch pan. Combine flour and sugar in large bowl. Melt butter, add cocoa and Pepsi. Pour over flour and sugar mixture, and stir until well blended. Add buttermilk, beaten eggs, soda, and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in marshmallows. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 40 minutes. Remove cake from oven and frost while still warm.

Broiled Peanut Butter Frosting 6 tbsp. butter 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed tight 2 cup peanut butter 1 cup milk 2 cup chopped peanuts CREAM butter, sugar, and peanut butter. Add milk and stir well. Add nuts.

Spread over warm cake. Place frosted cake under broiler about 4 inches from heat source. Broil just a few seconds, or until topping starts to bubble. Do not scorch! Let cool at least 30 minutes before serving.

RITZ PECAN PIE A true space-age pie -- a single unit with no articulation of crust and filling! As it bakes, the centre will rise, then collapse; but when it is sliced, lo! -- it has become the familiar translucent interior of a traditional pecan pie, but thinner.

20 Ritz crackers, crushed to crumbs 1 tsp. baking powder 3 egg whites 1 cup sugar 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 cup halved pecans 3 oz. milk chocolate, finely shredded PRE-HEAT oven to 325 degrees F. Mix crackers and baking powder. Beat egg whites stiff, then very gradually add sugar, continuing to beat. Add vanilla.

Fold egg whites and crackers together. Put in a buttered 9-inch pie pan.

Arrange pecans across top. Bake 30 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle with shredded chocolate, then put under broiler for a few seconds, watching vigilantly that chocolate melts but does not scorch. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

MILKY WAY CAKE The nougat texture of Milky Ways makes this cake, a Deep South favourite, perfect as a heavy, moist foundation for scoops of ice cream.

4 2.1-oz. Milky Way candy bars 1 lb. butter 2 cups sugar 4 eggs 1 cup buttermilk 2 1 cups flour, sifted 1 tsp. baking soda 2 tsp. vanilla extract 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans MELT Milky Ways and eight tablespoons butter in double boiler. Let cool.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream remaining butter with sugar. Add eggs, one at a time. Add buttermilk alternately with flour and soda. Add vanilla and Milky Way mixture and mix until smooth. Fold in pecans. Pour into greased and floured bundt pan. Bake 1 hour or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes in pan, then turn out on wire cake rack.

POKE CAKE WITH JELLO ICING The classic goofy-textured cake. The secret of a good poke is to choose a cake mix and jello that complement each other: white cake and raspberry jello, banana cake and orange jello, or, for a really mysterious creation in which the blobby sacs of pudding that ooze into the cake are nearly indistinguishable at first glance, devil's food cake and black cherry jello.

Cake 1 18 oz. pkge. pudding-included cake mix 1 3 oz. pkt. jello, any flavour 1 cup boiling water 1/2 cup cold water PRE-HEAT oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare cake batter as directed on package.

Pour into well greased and floured 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool cake in pan 15 minutes, then prick with fork at 1 -inch intervals. Meanwhile, dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Add cold water and allow to cool to room temperature. Carefully pour jello over cake. Chill 3 to 4 hours. Garnish with jello icing (recipe follows).

Jello Icing 1 lb. butter 2 cups confectioners' sugar 1 3-oz. pkt. jello, colour to complement cake 1 cup boiling water CREAM butter and sugar. Dissolve jello in boiling water; cool to room temperature. Slowly mix cooled jello into butter-sugar mixture, until desired colour is obtained. Spread on Poke Cake.

CUT GLASS DESSERT Crust 1 2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs 1 cup sugar 1 cup finely chopped pecans 8 tbsp. butter PRE-HEAT oven to 375 degrees F. Combine vanilla wafer crumbs, sugar, and pecans. Cut in butter. Press into 9 x13 x 2-inch pan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes.

Filling 3 3-oz. pkts. jello in complementary colours 1 3 oz. pkt. lemon jello 1 cup hot pineapple juice 1 cup cold water 1 cup heavy cream 1 cup crushed pineapple, drained IN separate greased 8-inch-square pans, set 3 flavours of jello.When set, cut into 1 -inch cubes. Dissolve lemon jello in hot pineapple juice, then add 1/2 cup cold water. Place in refrigerator until it starts to set. Whip cream. Fold crushed pineapple into whipped cream, then add semi-set lemon jello. Fold in jello cubes and pour into crust. Chill about 1 hour before serving. Serves 10 to 12.