Food File

By PEGGY ANDERS, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published July 3, 2002

TASTE OF THE ISLANDS: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. today, Nature's Finest Foods, 6651 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. Sample fresh veggie island rolls, Oriental blend dipping sauce and organic stir-fried rice: Coconut Bay Trading Co. is on hand with free tastings of its products. Call (727) 347-5682.

MANGOMANIA: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sat., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sun., German American Club on Pine Island Road (exit 26 off Interstate 75), Pine Island, west of Fort Myers. Annual tropical fruit festival that draws more than 10,000 fans features an array of mango tree varieties for sale, tasting tables with mango and tropical fruit specialties, mango cookbooks, tips on how to (gracefully) peel and eat a mango, and mango-inspired dishes at local restaurants. Admission: $5, kids under 12 free. Call (239) 283-4842 or visit www.mangomaniafl.com.

Wine and beer tastings/classes

THREE CHEERS FOR BEER: 11 a.m.-midnight Sat., Dunedin Brewery, 937 Douglas Ave., Dunedin. Quench your thirst with Apricot Wheat Ale or handcrafted root beer as the brewery celebrates American Beer Month with an all-day party; summer beers and ales on tap for sampling, beer-related glasses, clothing for sale, live music. Free admission. Call (727) 736-0606.

ITALIAN REDS: 6:30 p.m. Mon., SideBern's, 2208 W Morrison Ave., Tampa. Explore wine origins as David Black leads a class on Italian reds, including barberas from Piedmont, chianti classicos from Tuscany and more, $50. Call (813) 250-9463 to reserve.

ABC SAMPLING: 5:30-7:30 p.m. July 10, ABC Fine Wine and Spirits, 2330 E Fletcher Ave., Tampa. More than 70 wines, plus beers and light hors d'oeuvres; $7, includes logo glass and $5 coupon toward wine purchase. Call (813) 971-2122.

Cooking classes

SUMMER SIZZLERS: 7 p.m. July 10, 10 a.m. July 11, Nature's Harvest Market, 1021 N MacDill Ave., Tampa. Chef Debby DeGraaff makes summer vegetarian dishes in a free class. Call (813) 873-7428.

TEX MEX: 11 a.m. Sat., Nature's Food Patch, 1225 Cleveland St., Clearwater. Tex Mex recipes to try at home include vegan tangy tomato lime soup, fresh homemade enchilada sauce, enchilada casserole; free. Call (727) 443-6703.

COLLEGE COOKING: 6 p.m. Mon., Aprons Cooking School at Publix Supermarket Shoppes of Citrus Park, 7835 Gunn Highway, Tampa. Learn how to avoid the "freshman 15" weight gain, how to make smart food choices and snack wisely and how to cook with dorm room appliances from registered dietitian; $25. Call (813) 926-4465.

COOKING FOR ONE OR TWO: 7-9 p.m. July 10, La Maison Gourmet, 471 Main St., Dunedin. Tired of takeout? Learn to cook for one or two and make pan seared tenderloin of beef with artichoke hearts, chicken cordon bleu with broccoli flan, grilled duck with honey, shallot and ginger sauce; $35 per person; call (727) 736-3070.

CULINARY BASICS: 6-10 p.m., beginning July 10, Aprons Cooking School at Publix Supermarket Shoppes of Citrus Park, 7835 Gunn Highway, Tampa. Six-part class series for everyone from the home chef to experienced cook focuses on professional techniques and uses seasonal ingredients; students receive certificate upon completion; $300 for series. Call (813) 926-4465.

Worth sending for

SOUTHERN, SANS SUGAR: "Oooh, Mmm, Aaah" recipe collection from NatraTaste sugar substitute pares down traditional Southern dishes by recreating them without sugar. The 12-page color booklet includes recipes for marmalade brownies, savory stuffed vidalias, black-eyed pea salsa and peach smoothies, all made with the sugar substitute, plus tips on substituting the product for sugar in cooking. For a free copy, send your name and address, legibly printed, to: NatraTaste Southern Recipes, Stadt Corp., 60 Flushing Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11205.

Contests

ALL AMERICAN APPLE PIE: A culinary scholarship of up to $25,000 awaits the grand prize winner of the All American Apple Pie Recipe contest, open to those interested in a foodservice career and who meet the Culinary Institute of America's (CIA) admissions criteria. Entrants must submit completed application, along with their best original apple pie recipe, a photo of their pie and supporting documentation of admission requirements no later than July 31 to be eligible. Finalists compete in bakeoff in Hyde Park, N.Y., in September. For more information, call toll-free 1-800-285-4627.

- Does your group or business have special food or wine events of interest to people who like to eat, shop or cook in the Tampa Bay area? Send news of coming events at least two weeks in advance of the publication date to Food File, the Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731.

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