Food File

By PEGGY ANDERS

© St. Petersburg Times, published April 13, 2000

Special events and food tastings

"PICK OF THE DAY" CHEF: 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Sat., St. Petersburg Public Library, Main Branch, 3745 Ninth Ave., St. Petersburg. Curtis Aikens, Food Network's Pick of the Day chef and literacy advocate, will be on hand to give produce tips, share meatless meal secrets and sign copies of his cookbooks in conjunction with the literacy celebration program "Learn to Read -- Now You're Cookin'." Cookbook signing 9-10:30 a.m. and following cooking program; cooking demonstration at 1 p.m. For more information, call (727) 893-7724.

EASTER DESSERT AND WINE SAMPLING: 3-6:30 p.m. Tues., Fancy's Specialty Market, 1003 Fourth St. N, St. Petersburg. Sample Easter bunny cake, sparkling fruit cocktails, spring wines. Free. Call (727) 894-5300.

FLORIDA WINEFEST AND AUCTION: April 26-30, Resort at Longboat Key Club, 301 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Sarasota (exit 39 off I-75). 10 annual event with six days of feasting and celebrating the wines of Far Niente, Iron Horse, Seghesio, Rodney Strong. Winemaker dinners, lunch tastings, wine seminars, brunch and charity wine auction. $40-$150. Call (941) 952-1109, or (800) 216-6199 for information and tickets or online at http://www.florida-winefest.org.

JEKEL VINEYARDS DINNER: 7 p.m. April 26, Ashley St. Grille, 200 N Ashley Drive, Tampa. Single vintner wine tasting dinner features the Jekel Vineyards family of wines paired with dinner creations by Chef Ralph Sitero that include roasted salmon and d. All-inclusive cost: $65. Reservations required; call (813) 226-4400.

Wine and beer tastings

HARR'S FINE WINE TASTING: 7-10 p.m. today, Harr's Surf and Turf, 3235 Tampa Road, Palm Harbor. More than 50 wines priced at $20 a bottle and higher, paired with hot and cold hors d'oeuvres. $25. Call (727) 785-8873 to reserve.

FRENCH WINE AT FANCY'S: 3-6:30 p.m. Fri., Fancy's Specialty Market, 1003 Fourth St. N, St. Petersburg. Sample four wines from France paired with hors d'oeuvres. Free. Call (727) 894-5300.

SPRING WINE TASTING: 4-7 p.m. Fri., Grand Cru Wine Cellar, 11724 N Dale Mabry, Tampa. Sample from 80 new selections at free wine tasting. Call (813) 269-8463.

WINE TOUR DE FRANCE: 6-9 p.m. Fri., Vintage Wine Cellars, 3629 Henderson Blvd., Tampa. Sampling of 25 wines from Bordeaux, Alsace, Rhone plus French cheeses and baguettes. $15. Call (813) 879-2931 to reserve.

"BLIND' TASTING: 6 p.m. Sat., A Taste for Wine, 241 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. Blind wine tasting with appetizers. $15. To reserve, call (727) 895-1623.

BERN'S WINE TASTING: 1-4 p.m. Sat., Bern's Fine Wine and Spirits, 1002 S Howard Ave., Tampa. Sampling of Beaujolais and answers to your wine questions from the experts. $5 ($5 off any wine purchase). Call (813) 250-9463.

RABBIT RIDGE FAVORITES: 6-8 p.m. April 21, the Grapevine at Westchase, Westchase Square, 12125 W Linebaugh Ave. (east of Racetrack Road), Tampa. Sample varieties from Rabbit Ridge wines with accompaniments. Free. Call (813) 818-9463.

WINE AND LIQUOR TASTING: 5-8 p.m. Fridays, Gulfport Liquors, Fine Wines and Beer Depot, 4918 Gulfport Blvd., Gulfport. For more information, call (727) 327-4897.

FINE WINE TASTING: 5-7 p.m. Fri., Pic-Pac Fine Wine and Spirits, 6609 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. Free tasting of selection of wines. Call (727) 347-0743.

Cooking classes

CAKE DECORATING: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Fri. and two four-week class series beginning Mon. and Wed., Michael's Crafts, 33541 U.S. 19 N (Highland Shopping Center), Palm Harbor. Two four-week series, one basic and one advanced with flowers, fondant and tier cake decorating. Also, one-day fondant class on Fri. Cost for each series: $25 plus supplies; one day class, $15. Call (727) 781-6625.

GRACIOUS LUNCHEONS: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tues., Margaret Ann's Gourmet Cookies and Catering, 5625 Fourth St. N, St. Petersburg. Class designed to put luncheon host and guests at ease with simple and elegant recipes. $35. Limited class size; reserve by calling (727) 525-3983 (Evelyn or Judy).

SUPER SOY: 7-8 p.m. Wed., 10-11 a.m. April 20, Nature's Harvest Market, 1021 N MacDill Ave., Tampa. Learn how to use soy foods in recipes with vegetarian chef Debby DeGraaff. Free. Call (813) 873-7428.

MAGNIFICENT MUSHROOMS: 10-11 a.m. today, Nature's Harvest Market, 1021 N MacDill Ave., Tampa. Chef Debby DeGraaff shows new ways to enjoy mushrooms. Free. Call (813) 873-7428.

FRENCH COOKING: 11 a.m. Sat., Cafe l'Europe, 431 St. Armands Circle, Sarasota. Chef Jeff Trefry leads cooking class featuring the cuisine of Normandy, the Loire valley and Lorraine regions in France. $40, includes luncheon. Limited class size; reservations required. Call (941) 388-4415 or register online at http://www.neweuropeancuisine.com.

KIDS MAKE DESSERTS: 9:30 a.m.-noon April 20, Home Gourmet Kitchen Emporium, 471 Main St., Dunedin. Kids try their hand at making cherry cobbler, upside down chocolate cake in hands-on class. $25. Call (727) 736-6400.

Cooking demonstrations

SUMMER ENTERTAINING: 7-9 p.m. Tues., Home Gourmet Kitchen Emporium, 471 Main St., Dunedin. Chef Dawn prepares summer fare such as pineapple chipotle barbecue. $35. Call (727) 736-6400.

Food bytes

EASTER HELP: These Web sites all offer Easter menus, recipes and tips to make Easter planning easier. Try http://www.potatohelp.com for potato recipes for for your next family gathering. The National Pork Producers Council (http://www.nppc.org) has recipes for leftover ham plus rubs and marinades. End a classic Easter feast with apple desserts from http://www.bestapples.com.

Worth sending for

SUPERSWEET CORN: "Southern Supersweet Corn: the Fresh Taste of Summer When You Least Expect It" free leaflet has tips on keeping corn fresh, cooking and seasonings to bring out the sweet flavor. For a free copy, send business-sized, self-addressed stamped envelope to the Southern Supersweet Corn Council, 49 E 21st St., 8th Floor, New York, NY 10010.

VERSATILE BEANS: The Bean Education and Awareness Network has produced a booklet of bean recipes, "Meals for a New Millennium," containing food trends, bean basics and recipes. For free copy, send a self-addressed, stamped, business-sized envelope to Millennium Meals, 115 Railway Plaza, Scottsbluff, NE 69361. Or visit its Web site at http://www.americanbean.org.

Table talk

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? Please 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.

Readers, if you have questions and comments about shopping, cooking and eating, write to the Taste Section at P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731, or call the Foodline at (727) 892-2312. We will try to share them and our answers here in Food File.

Information from Times wires was used in this column.

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