I love Arlene Burnett's "What's For Dinner" recipes in each Wednesday's paper [Magazine section]. Please continue. This morning, I'm making the Chicken Marsala.

G. MORENZI
Bethel Park

Nice illustration, Dan Marsula. Of the green beans, that is, to accompany Miriam Rubin's article on same. Who'd have believed that a guy so skilled at exaggerated caricatures was also so tenderly accurate with a common vegetable?

Most papers would have simply grabbed a digitized photo of beans from the USDA or some such, so someone deserves credit for thinking out of the box. Please let your editors know that a lot of us out here appreciate the quality touches that the PG provides.

My wife, Betty, identified immediately with a couple of varieties of beans that Miriam mentioned, bringing back memories of her days as a "coal-miner's daughter" in southern West Virginia, and how they always planted, harvested, and "put up" plenty of beans for a family of eight kids; the beans were always planted with the corn to provide natural vining support.

GLENN SCHILBERG
Franklin Park

Re: Marlene Parrish's story on root beer: Our favorite "local" root beer here in Texas is Barq's. It has a "bite" to it similar to the bite that Vernor's ginger ale has.

My favorite, though, is probably Hires root beer, which you can still get at Kroger stores here in Texas. My real favorite that I pick up in Mississippi on the way back from Pittsburgh -- Grape Nehi.

JOE ZAK
Nederland, Texas

Marlene Parrish's piece on one of my San Francisco favorites, cioppino, was excellent.

As a native of northern California and a one-time resident of The City, I return as often as possible and I dine at Scoma's half a dozen times a year.

I have two recipes for cioppino. One is from the cookbook "San Francisco Firehouse Favorites" (The Bobbs-Merrill Co., 1965) and the other handwritten, whose provenance escapes me. Both of them call for thinly sliced carrots and celery.

One-stop shopping at Wholey's in the Strip will get you all the seafood -- and the carrots and celery if you want to add them -- then stop at Pennsylvania Macaroni for the olive oil and bread.

PETE PETERSON
Fox Chapel

I'd like to respond to Gail Brown's letter regarding her love of hot dogs, especially the ones that have crunch. We can never wait to vacation in Erie, where we can buy Smith's Hot Dogs (made in Erie on Pittsburgh Avenue).

They are sold in all grocery stores in Erie (with and without casings) and some stores in Pittsburgh, but when buying here watch the sell-by date. They are great on the grill.

JOYCE PETERSON
Forest Hills