Food file

By Times staff

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 16, 2001

Special events and food tastings

"CORN-UTOPIA": 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Sat.-Sun., off Highway 441, on Ponkan Road, Zellwood, northwest of Orlando. Feast on all the corn you crave at Zellwood's 28th Sweet Corn Festival. Live entertainment (Jimmy Van Zant, Willie Nelson), midway, arts and crafts, plus locally grown corn by the crate available for purchase. Tickets: $11 advance, $14 at gate, adults; $4 advance, $5 at gate ages 5-12; under 4 free. Price includes meal of ham, potato salad, baked beans, roll and all the fresh corn you can eat. Call (407) 886-0014 or visit online at http://www.zellwoodsweetcornfest.org.

VEGETARIAN VIETNAMESE: 7 p.m. Tue., Trang Viet Cuisine, 1524 E Fowler Ave., Tampa. Both vegetarians and those interested in learning more are welcome to join the Tampa Bay Vegetarians dinner meeting. Vietnamese cuisine is on the menu this month, with vegetable steamed buns, cucumber and bean curd salad, stir-fried rice noodles, jasmine rice and fried bananas for dessert. $11. To reserve, call (727) 392-0268.

ALASKAN SEAFOOD FESTIVAL: Fifth annual Seafood Alaska Festival continues through June 15 at Fulton's Crab House, Downtown Disney, Lake Buena Vista. Events include interactive culinary demonstrations 8-10 p.m. every Wed., Thur. and Sat.; Chef's Showcase workshop lets guests sample seafood creations from celebrity chefs, 1-4 p.m. Sun., $39.95; Sidewalk Seafood Fest 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m. May 26-28. Hotline: (407) 934-8424. Proceeds benefit Food Bank Kid's Cafe.

Wine and beer tastings/classes

NEIGHBORHOOD TASTING: 5-7 p.m. Fri., ABC Fine Wine and Spirits, 6398 Ninth St. N, St. Petersburg. A selection of food-friendly wines: $2. Call (727) 527-1579.

VINTAGE TASTINGS: Vintage Wine Cellars, 3629 Henderson Blvd., Tampa. "Centre for Women" benefit tasting, 7-9 p.m. Thur., with eight red and white wines, cheeses and bread: $17.50 donation; and "Mother-lands" seated tasting, 7 p.m. aperitif, 7:30 p.m. tasting Fri., where the origins of today's popular New World wines are explored. Try 1999 Fess Parker white Riesling, 1998 Lolonis "Orpheus" petite syrah, Bonterra 1997 sangiovese and more: $20. Limited seating. Call (813) 879-2931 to reserve.

ZEALOUS ABOUT NEW ZEALAND: 6-8 p.m. Fri., the Grapevine at Westchase, Westchase Square, 12125 W Linebaugh Ave. (east of Racetrack Road), Tampa. Weekly Wine Professor series tasting presents wines from New Zealand. $10, includes $5 discount on wine purchase. Call (813) 818-9463 to reserve.

Cooking classes

QUICK QUINOA: 7-8 p.m. today, 10-11 a.m. Thur., Nature's Harvest Market, 1021 N MacDill Ave., Tampa. Chef Debby DeGraaff shows how to make fast and easy vegetarian dishes using quinoa grain. Free. Call (813) 873-7428.

CAPA'S ITALIAN CUISINE: 7-9:30 p.m. today, Capa Italian Deli, 10839 Ulmerton Road (west of Seminole Blvd.), Largo. Hands-on Italian cooking class. $20 includes meal and recipes; wine extra. Call (727) 518-6222.

BACK TO BASICS: 10 a.m. Sat., Cafe l'Europe, 431 St. Armands Circle, Sarasota. "Cooking 101" class starts with a continental breakfast, then teaches how to produce restaurant-quality stocks including veal, chicken and shellfish, basic sauce making and plate garnishing. $40 plus tax and gratuity (includes continental breakfast and luncheon after class). Limited class size; reservations required. Call (941) 388-4415, or register online at http://www.neweuropeancuisine.com.

VEGETARIAN WITH AN ISLAND FLAVOR: 6:30 p.m. Mon., Saffron's Restaurant, 1700 Park St., St. Petersburg. Cook up a three-course vegetarian meal (chicken or fish available on request) with Caribbean chef Edyth. $15. Call (727) 343-5410 for reservations (required).

CUBAN CUISINE: 7:30 p.m. Tue., Williams-Sonoma in Olde Hyde Park Village, 732 S Village Circle, Tampa. Chef Quinn Timmerman of Old Hyde Park's Samba Room prepares menu of Cuban favorites with a contemporary twist. $35. Reservations required; call (813) 253-0743.

DINNER PARTY CLASS: 6:30-9 p.m. May 23, Home Gourmet Kitchen Emporium, 471 Main St., Dunedin. Prepare a home dinner party menu of salmon cakes, pork tenderloin with red currant sauce, maple peach puff pastry tart. $45. Call (727) 736-6400.

SOY SUPPERS: 7-8 p.m. May 23, 10-11 a.m. May 24, Nature's Harvest Market, 1021 N MacDill Ave., Tampa. Chef Debby DeGraaff's weekly cooking class makes soy a main meal dish. Free. Call (813) 873-7428.

Cooking demonstrations

SPRING DINNER: 7-9 p.m. Thur., Home Gourmet Kitchen Emporium, 471 Main St., Dunedin. Chef Dawn makes salmon and ginger pie with lime, daikon and carrot slaw, turkey casserole with nectarines, sage and Madeira, quinoa pilaf and strawberry fool. $35. Call (727) 736-6400.

-- 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.

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