Food File

By PEGGY ANDERS, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published August 21, 2002

Special events and food tastings

FRENCH WINE DINNER: 6 p.m. Fri. , Grand Ballroom of Aston Gardens, 12951 W Linebaugh Ave., Tampa. Cote du Rhone, Medoc, Vouvray and other wines from France, paired with menu of lobster with fennel and saffron sauce, citron sorbet, endive and asparagus salad, veal medallions with truffles, crepes Suzette and more; $60 per person. Limited seating, call the Grapevine at (813) 818-9463 for ticket purchase.

TAMPA BAY CULINARY CLUB: noon, Sat. the Grill at Feather Sound, 2325 Ulmerton Road, Clearwater. Chef Marshall Jewell creates a dish for sampling at this month's meeting of the Tampa Bay Culinary Club. New members welcome. Cost: $10. Call Jeanne at (727) 789-2605 to RSVP (required).

LA DI DA GODDESS PARTY: 12:30-3:30 p.m. Sat. , Viva La Frida, 5901 N Florida Ave., Tampa. Delicacies and elixirs of ancient times. Learn about mythological goddess energies. $40, plus tax and gratuity. Call (813) 874-3044

FOOD & FILM: 5:30-9:30 Mon. , Viva La Frida, 5901 N Florida Ave., Tampa. A four-course dinner featuring godorniz en petalos de rosa (quail in rose-petal sauce) along with the film Como Agua Para Chocolate (Like Water for Chocolate). $36, plus tax and gratuity. Call (813) 231-9199

TAMPA BAY VEGETARIANS: 7 p.m. Tues. Angithi Indian Cuisine, 2047 E Fowler Ave., Tampa. Monthly dinner meeting of Tampa Bay Vegetarians with Indian cuisine menu that includes vegetable samosa, chana masala with chick peas, naan bread; $9.75, plus tip and tax. Ruth Jeffords and Justine Mikoy are speakers. Limited seating, call (727) 392-0268 by Sat. Aug. 24.

Wine and beer tastings/classes

MONDAVI SERIES: AN EVENING IN THE NAPA VALLEY: 6:30 p.m. Fri., Apron's Cooking School at Publix Supermarket Shoppes of Citrus Park, 7835 Gunn Highway (corner of Ehrlich Road), Tampa. Chef Jay Minzer leads sampling of Mondavi wines and shares some new California Wine Country cuisine. $40. Call (813) 926-4465 to RSVP.

RED WINES: 7-9 p.m. Fri., Grand Cru Wine Cellar, 11724 N Dale Mabry Highway (Main Street Shopping Center), Tampa. This week's "Work Week Wine Down" features up to six red wines. $15, includes snacks and coupon for wine purchase. 7-9 p.m. Aug. 30 session features wines from Oregon and Washington, same location and price. Call (813) 269-8463.

SUMMER BLOCKBUSTER: 7-9 p.m. Fri. Vintage Wine Cellars, 3629 Henderson Blvd., Tampa. Wine seminar features reds and whites from around the world including Caymus Conundrum 00, Jaffers Santa Barbara Rousanne 01, Frog's Leap Napa Zinfandel 99, Terrabianca Super Tuscan Campaccio 97 and more; $20. Call (813) 879-2931 .

Cooking classes

COOKING BASICS NO. 3: 6:30-9 p.m. today, La Maison Gourmet, 471 Main St., Dunedin. Hands-on classes designed for beginning cooks. This class focuses on baking, with sun-dried tomato biscuits, custard and seasonal fruit tart, baklava fingers with honey orange syrup and warm chocolate souffle. $164.99 for three classes or $59.99 each. Call (727) 736-3070.

COOKING WITH CHEF FRED: 7 p.m. today, Drew Coffee Shop, 1907 Drew St., Clearwater. Dishes such as baked salmon stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes and other culinary treats round out the menu in monthly cooking class; $24.99, includes dinner. Call (727) 441-2572.

PERFECT SUMMER PILAFS: 7 p.m. today, 10 a.m. Thur. Nature's Harvest Market, 1021 N MacDill Ave., Tampa. Learn to beat the heat with pilaf recipes for summer meals. Call (813) 873-7428.

CHOCOLATE LOVERS TRUFFLES: 5 p.m. Thur. Morton's Gourmet Market, 1925 S Osprey Ave., Sarasota. Chef Mario Martinez discusses origin and history of chocolate and offers hands-on opportunity for guests to make rolled and dipped truffles. Free class. Call (941) 955-9856.

AMERICAN REGIONAL TECHNIQUES: 6 p.m. Thur., and Aug. 29 at Apron's Cooking School at Publix Supermarket Shoppes of Citrus Park, 7835 Gunn Highway (corner of Ehrlich Road), Tampa. Coast-to-coast tour of American cuisine, this second of three classes in a hands-on advanced series features Southern cuisine, with Southwestern for final class; $150 for three-class series. Call (813) 926-4465.

COUPLES COOK A GOURMET DINNER: 6:30-9 p.m. Fri., La Maison Gourmet, 471 Main St., Dunedin. Hands-on class leads couples through the preparation of beef tataki, broccoli mango salad, walnut-crusted salmon with ginger aioli, southwestern style rice with dried apples, roasted peppers and pine nuts, carrots Provencal and chilled raspberry souffle. $85 per couple, $45 individual. Call (727) 736-3070.

INDIAN FOODS MADE EASY NO 3: 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Sat., La Maison Gourmet, 471 Main St., Dunedin. Hands-on class with cookbook author Dr. S.P. Nanda teaching preparation of dahi vadus, shahi palak chicken, poories and halwa semolina. $45. Call (727) 736-3070.

KIDS COOK: 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Sat. Mise en Place, 442 W Kennedy Blvd., Tampa. Chef Marty Blitz leads "Kids Cook" class where kids ages 6 to 12 (in two groups) become chefs for a day and learn to create lunch and dessert using culinary basics; $25, includes goodie bag and lunch. Call (813) 254-5373.

HEART SMART COOKERY: 2-4:30 p.m. Aug. 29, La Maison Gourmet, 471 Main St., Dunedin. Classes designed by registered dietitian Christine Miller and La Maison chef Dawn Algieri focus on preparing healthy gourmet meals. Menu for the first class in the series includes crab pancakes with jicama-ginger salsa, southern black-bean soup, grilled chicken with orange cilantro sauce, jalapeno polenta, grilled asparagus with minced red onions and balsamic drizzle, apple brown betty. $45. Call (727) 736-3070.

GOURMET ITALIAN: 6:30 p.m. Aug. 30, Apron's Cooking School at Publix Supermarket Shoppes of Citrus Park, 7835 Gunn Highway (corner or Ehrlich Road), Tampa. Guest chef Giuliano Hazan offers a menu from his Every Night Italian Cookbook, featuring rustic porcini mushroom soup with chick peas, veal braised with green and yellow peppers and tomatoes, fennel gratineed with parmesan cheese and chocolate amaretti custard. $60 per class. Call (813) 926-4465.

- Send news of coming events at least two weeks in advance of the publication date to Food File, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731.

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