he top of taste memories Jell-O wiggles to t

I can't say the earth shook when I heard the news, but it mighthave wobbled a little.

Grand Rapids, Mich., is the Jell-O capital of America.

The city has earned its place as the jewel in Jell-O's crown.

"Grand Rapids consumed 82 percent more Jell-O than the averagemarketing area," said Cliff Sessions, spokesman for General Foods,the Jell-O makers.

"People there ate 25.5 servings per household, as opposed to13.5 servings per U.S. household."

What molds Grand Rapids into a city of mighty Jell-O consumers?

"Traditional family values are strong there," spokesman Sessionssaid. "They sit down to meals prepared with care." Jell-O takestime. You can't nuke it in the microwave and serve it 30 secondslater.

Maybe. But I have my own theory. Grand Rapids also has morechurches than any other place in America. And Jell-O is the officialfood of the church supper. It is the modern manna, made for anyoccasion. Jell-O with celery is a salad. Jell-O with pineapple is adessert. Jell-O with whipped cream and strawberries is for specialoccasions.

The mayor of Grand Rapids, Gerald Helmholdt, took the news withcautious pride.

"It's got to be because we have such happy, jolly people here,"he said. "We like to see that Jell-O shake and jiggle on the plate."

Somehow, I can't see the 600,000-plus people of Grand Rapidssitting around watching their Jell-O wobble. There's more shaking inthe city than that.

But his honor would not speculate further.

"I've got to be careful," he confided. "A few years ago, somesurvey said Grand Rapids was the largest buyer of rat poison. Areporter called me for a comment. I said those weren't rats, theywere chipmunks. I said that tongue-in-cheek, but the neighborhoodsgot after me."

Frankly, Helmholdt has not been doing his bit to keep GrandRapids the Jell-O capital. He admitted, "I very seldom eat it. WhenI do, I prefer cherry or raspberry flavor with lots of whippedcream."

Jell-O wasn't always paired with homey, ho-hum "family values."

In the early 1900s, glamorous actresses such as Ethel Barrymorerevealed their Jell-O recipes. Young Jack Benny pushed it on hisradio show in the '30s by starting shows with a cheery "Jell-O,everybody!"

Maxfield Parrish and Norman Rockwell illustrated Jell-O ads.

Rose O'Neill, the artist who invented the Kewpie doll, also dida Jell-O girl. Her ads were not saccharin free. A 1921 ad shows agroup of sweet, beribboned children being served red Jell-O for abirthday party.

"Dorothy is 5 years old today," the ad begins. "As usual on suchoccasions, mama has made up a big cherry Jell-O dessert and while Nanbrings it in and serves it, cousin Betty and Peg congratulate eachother on their good fortune."

The ad ends, "for little party affairs, and big ones, Jell-O hascome to be regarded as almost indispensable."

But Jell-O was not an instant success. The first stirrings ofinterest in gelatin desserts were in 1845. In that historic year,Peter Cooper invented the prototype of Jell-O.

He made it sound just yummy. He called the stuff a"transparent, concentrated substance containing all the ingredientsfitting it for table use in portable form, and requiring only theaddition of hot water to dissolve it."

In 1895, Pearl B. Wait, who made corn plasters, adapted Cooper'sgelatin dessert. His wife, Mary Davis Wait, gave it a snappy newname, Jell-O. In 1897, the first Jell-O was on the shelf.

It stayed there. The public was not bowled over. Even theofficial Jell-O history admits the new product " . . . didn't set anysales records. A few years later it was sold for $450 to a neighbor,Orator Francis Woodward."

Jell-O flopped for Woodward, too. In fact, he couldn't evensell the formula for $35.

Then, everything jelled. Woodward started an expensiveadvertising campaign. It had " . . . women with wavy curls andfashionable buns" - put your eyebrows down, buns were a hair style atthe turn of the century - " . . . dressed in white aprons andproclaiming `America's Most Famous Dessert.' "

By 1906, the ads were true. Jell-O was America's Most FamousDessert, with sales just under $1 million.

I've always believed that Jell-O enjoyment was sex-linked. Menliked it better than women. Anyway, the men in my family did. Mybrothers always asked for Jell-O for their birthday dinners. Andthey could have had anything they wanted, even steak and ice cream.

But spokesman Cliff Sessions said sex has nothing to do withJell-O.

"Jell-O enjoyment is not sex-linked," he said. "Males andfemales are not always equal, but when it comes to Jell-O they are." MARGARITA MOUSSE

2 tablespoons lime juice

Sugar

2 cups thawed non-dairy whipped topping

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

3 tablespoons orange liqueur

1 tablespoon grated lime peel

1 (3-ounce) package lime Jell-O

1 cup boiling water

1/3 cup cold water

Lime twists

Dip rims of 6 to 8 dessert glasses in lime juice, then dip insugar. Let stand to dry.

Combine whipped topping, milk, liqueur and peel, blending well.

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Add cold water and chilluntil slightly thickened. Fold in whipped topping mixture and spooninto glasses. Chill until set, about 1 hour. Garnish with limetwists, if desired. Serves 6 to 8. SUNSET YOGURT MOLD

2 (3-ounce) packages or 1 (6-ounce) package orange or lemonJell-O (see note)

2 cups boiling water

1/4 cup cold water

1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple in juice

1 cup coarsely grated carrots

1 (8-ounce) container plain or pineapple-orange yogurt (seenote)

Salad greens and carrot curls (optional)

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Measure 1 cup and chilluntil slightly thickened.

Add cold water to remaining gelatin, then add pineapple withjuice and carrots. Pour into 5-cup mold. Chill until set but notfirm.

Blend yogurt into reserved gelatin and spoon over gelatin inmold. Chill until firm, at least 4 hours. Unmold. Serve with crispsalad greens and carrot curls, if desired. Serves about 8.

For squares: Prepare gelatin-yogurt mixture and pour into 8-inchsquare pan. Chill until set but not firm. Meanwhile, preparegelatin-pineapple mixture. Chill until slightly thickened and spoonover creamy layer. Chill until firm and cut into squares.

Note: One (3-ounce) package orange Jell-O and 1 (3-ounce) lemonJell-O can be used. If desired, substitute 1 cup sour cream foryogurt. GELATIN POKE CAKE

1 (18.5-ounce) package white cake mix or pudding-included cakemix

1 (3-ounce) package Jell-O, any flavor

1 cup boiling water

1/2 cup cold water

Whipped topping and fruit or marzipan (optional)

Prepare cake batter as directed on package and pour intowell-greased and floured 13-by-9-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees 30 to35 minutes, or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.Cool cake in pan 15 minutes. Pierce with utility fork at 1/2-inchintervals.

Meanwhile, dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Add cold waterand carefully pour over cake. Chill 3 to 4 hours. Garnish withwhipped topping and fruit or marzipan, if desired. Serves about 12.

Note: Alternately, cake can be baked in 10-inch tube pan 45 to50 minutes. Remove from pan and place on waxed paper before addinggelatin. Or use 2 (8- or 9-inch) layer pans and bake 30 to 35minutes. Remove from pans and place in clean pans or on waxed paperbefore adding gelatin. Fill and frost with 3 1/2 cups (8 ounces)non-dairy whipped topping, thawed.