Food File

By PEGGY ANDERS

© St. Petersburg Times, published April 25, 2001

Special events and food tastings

SAFFRON'S VEGETARIAN NIGHT: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Mon., Saffron's Restaurant, 1700 Park St., St. Petersburg. Vegetarian dinner features the flavor of the islands. $15. Reservations required; call (727) 345-6400.

TASTE OF THE NATION: May 2, Tampa Marriott Waterside, 700 S Florida Ave., Tampa. Five-course wine-paired dinner from chef Roy Yamaguchi of Roy's restaurants and chefs Jeannie Pierola (SideBern's), Eric Neri (Maritana Grille at Don CeSar Beach Resort), Marty Blitz (Mise en Place), Jayson Polansky (Zazarac) and others at Share Our Strength's food and wine benefit, with wine tasting reception and silent auction at 6 p.m. followed by live auction and dinner at 7. Proceeds benefit Divine Providence Food Bank. $150. Call (813) 254-1190.

TASTEFUL TOMATOES: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. May 5-6, E.G. Simmons Park, 2901 19th Ave. NW, Ruskin. Highlights of this year's Ruskin Tomato Festival include a tomato cookoff contest, farmers market and Cinco de Mayo celebration. Admission: $2. Call (813) 671-7655 or (813) 645-3808.

Wine and beer tastings, classes

ITALIAN WINES: 6-8 p.m. Thur., Wines by Morrell, 2009 N 22nd St., Ybor City. Class aimed at wine novices. Wines from northern and southern Italy. $30. RSVP: (813) 241-8587.

VIANSA WINES: 7 pm Thur., Basta's Ristorante, 1625 Fourth St. S, St. Petersburg. Tampa Bay Wine Brats tasting features varietals from Viansa Winery, producing Italian wines in California's Sonoma Valley. $15 in advance, $20 at door. Order tickets online at http://tampa.winebrats.org or call Wine Brats' hotline at (813) 740-2728 or Basta's at (727) 894-7880.

MAGNIFICENT MERSAULTS: 6-8 p.m. Fri., The Grapevine at Westchase, Westchase Square, 12125 W Linebaugh Ave., Tampa. Experience four mersaults, chardonnays from France, at weekly Wine Professor series tasting class. $5. Call (813) 818-9463 to reserve.

TOUR DE FRANCE: 6-9 p.m. Fri., Vintage Wine Cellars, 3629 Henderson Blvd., Tampa. Celebration of France's newest bottlings and latest releases includes tasting of 25 wines from Bordeaux, Burgundy, Alsace, Loire, Rhone, Provence, and French cheeses and breads. $15, includes $5 coupon toward purchase. Call (813) 879-2931 to reserve.

PURPLE PELICAN TASTING: 6-8 p.m. Sat., Purple Pelican Cafe, 14705 Gulf Blvd., Madeira Beach. Sample wines and appetizers. $10. Benefits Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary. Call (727) 394-0944 for more information.

Cooking classes

FANCIFUL FARE: 7-8 p.m. today and Thur., Fancy's Specialty Market, 1003 Fourth St. N, St. Petersburg. Chef Emil's cooking class includes a glass of wine and tasting of his entree creations. Cost: $10. Limited space, call: (727) 894-5300 to reserve.

SPRING FLING: 7-8 p.m. today, 10-11 a.m. Thur., Nature's Harvest Market, 1021 N MacDill Ave., Tampa. Chef Debby DeGraaff makes spring vegetarian dishes in weekly cooking class: free. Call (813) 873-7428.

FLORIBBEAN CUISINE: 7:30 p.m. Tues., Williams-Sonoma in Olde Hyde Park Village, 732 S Village Circle, Tampa. First of a four-week series of cooking classes; this week, Jan Simon from Green Iguana in Ybor City prepares Floribbean cuisine: $35 a class. Reservations required; call (813) 253-0743.

HEALTHY MEXICAN: 7-8 p.m. May 2, 10-11 a.m. May 3, Nature's Harvest Market, 1021 N MacDill Ave., Tampa. Vegetarian class celebrates Cinco de Mayo with Mexican dishes. Free. Call (813) 873-7428.

CHOOSE YOUR CLASS: Margaret Ann's Catering private group cooking classes, designed for friends' night out, club meetings or parties. Minimum 15 participants. Topics include "Brunch," "Gourmet Atkins/Low Carbohydrate," "Worn Out Cooks," "Mediterranean Buffet," "Wrap it Up." Two-hour classes meet 6:30-8:30 p.m. (727) 525-3983.

Cooking demonstrations

TRIBUTE TO EMERIL: 7-9 p.m. today, Home Gourmet Kitchen Emporium, 471 Main St., Dunedin. Recipes from TV chef Emeril Lagasse's cookbook, Emeril's TV Dinners, are prepared by Home Gourmet chefs, including truffle potato chips, smoked salmon and brie strudel, duck tacos, praline bread pudding and more: $35. Call: (727) 736-6400.

BLUE RIBBON BAKER: 9-11 a.m. Sat., Home Gourmet Kitchen Emporium, 471 Main St., Dunedin. Ellen McFarland, blue ribbon winner at the Florida State Fair, shares her secrets for making peaches and cream cake, coconut cream pie with pineapple and eggnog crust and apple pie: $25. Call (727) 736-6400.

GARDEN HARVEST: 11:30 a.m. May 2, Summerhouse Restaurant, 6101 Midnight Pass Road, Siesta Key. Summerhouse International Cookery School's summer series, designed to enhance culinary skills, features demonstration-style classes with chef Paul Mattison that includes lunch with the chef, wine and recipes. This week's class uses bounty from the vegetable garden. Limited class size. $40. To register call (941) 349-1100 and ask for Sally Barkley. Visit online at http://www.internationalcookery.com or http://www.internationalcookery.com.

Worth sending for

VEGETARIAN FAST FOOD: What can you eat if you are a vegetarian and on the road? The bean burrito from Taco Bell, Subway's veggie sub and Pizza Hut's regular pizza sauce and marinara are all meatless and vegetarian. The Vegetarian Resource Group's 32-page guide to vegetarian options at fast food chains offers detailed information on about 80 chains and quick service outlets in all. Send $4 check to: Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore MD 21203.

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

Information from Times wires was used in this report.

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