Food File

By PEGGY ANDERS

© St. Petersburg Times,
published July 4, 2001

Special events and food tastings

EAST MEETS WEST AT SUNKEN GARDENS: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat., Sun., and 7:30-10 p.m. Sat., Sunken Gardens, 1825 Fourth St. N, St. Petersburg. Taste sushi, noodles, grilled items and more from bay area Asian restaurants such as Redwoods and Edo, plus exotic and tropical fruits in Japanese garden setting. This festival commemorates the 40th anniversary with sister city, Takamatsu. Saturday evening fund-raiser benefits Fossil Park youth baseball's trip to Japan and includes Japanese cuisine, beer and wine; cash bar. Day admission: $6 adults, $4 seniors, $2 kids (includes gardens admission). Sat. evening: $20 adults and $10 for kids. Tickets available at Sunken Gardens. Call (727) 551-3100.

UNKNOWN WONDERS: 6:30 p.m. reception, 7 p.m. dinner, July 12, Roy's, 4342 W Boy Scout Blvd., Tampa. Chef Rand G. Packer's five-course dinner is paired with the some of the unusual, eclectic wines on Roy's wine list. Cost: $75, plus tax and gratuity. Limited seating, call (813) 873-7697.

SICILIAN PASSION: 6:30 p.m. July 12, PattiGeorge's Restaurant, 4120 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key. Monthly Interactive Dinner during which patrons choose a "chef" from each table to follow Chef Tommy Klauber's lead in preparing one of three dinner courses, paired with wines from different wineries. This month, dinner theme is "Sicilian Passion." Cost: $85. Call (941) 383-5111.

Wine and beer tastings/classes

GREAT WINE BUYS: 6:30-7:30 p.m. Sat., La Maison Gourmet (formerly Home Gourmet Kitchen Emporium), 471 Main St., Dunedin. Both red and white varieties from Australia, New Zealand and Chile are on this value-minded tasting list, with price per bottle ranging from under $10 to under $40. Finger foods accompany: $10. Call (727) 736-3070.

CHEERS FOR BEER: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sat., Dunedin Brewery, 937 Douglas Ave., downtown Dunedin. Samples of cool brews celebrate American beer brewing; features handcrafted Dunedin and guest beers, plus root beer, brewery tours, tastings and music, all in conjunction with nationwide celebration of American Beer Month. Free. Call: (727) 736-0606.

SWEET ENDINGS: 6:30 p.m. July 11, J.D. Ford Fine Wines, 1925 S Osprey Ave., Sarasota. A Champagne and dessert pairing is the focus of this month's wine seminar. Cost: $35. To reserve, call (941) 362-9463.

AMERICA THE BOUNTIFUL: 6-9 p.m. Fri., Grand Cru Wine Cellar, 11724 N Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa. Work week "Wine Down" offers sampling of American wines from California, Oregon, Washington and Idaho to celebrate Independence Day, accompanied by cheeses made in the U.S. Cost: $12 (includes $5 coupon toward wine purchase): (813) 269-8463.

BASIC GRAPES: 6:30-8 p.m. Mon., Bern's Fine Wine and Spirits, 1002 S Howard Ave., Tampa. Discover the major grape types such as merlot, chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon as wine expert David Black leads this weekly wine class through the basics of winemaking and tasting. Cost: $25. Call for reservations (required), (813) 250-9463.

Cooking classes

QUICK AND EASY: 7-9 p.m. Fri., La Maison Gourmet (formerly Home Gourmet Kitchen Emporium), 471 Main St., Dunedin. Menu includes corn, chili, and shrimp chowder, red snapper tacos, 7-minute chocolate cake: $35. Call: (727) 736-3070.

BASIC VEGETARIAN COOKING: 7-8 p.m. July 11, 10-11 a.m. July 12, Nature's Harvest Market, 1021 N MacDill Ave., Tampa. Chef Debby DeGraaff shares the basics of healthful vegetarian cooking: free. Call (813) 873-7428.

Cooking demonstrations

ITALIAN INFLUENCE: 7-9 p.m. Tue., La Maison Gourmet (formerly Home Gourmet Kitchen Emporium), 471 Main St., Dunedin. Chef Eric Webber of Sutherland Cafe makes Italian menu of scallop-stuffed artichoke bottoms, fire roasted corn polenta and fresh tomato sauce, Parmesan crusted chicken, Champagne sabayon with fresh berries: $35. Call (727) 736-3070.

Hotline

COOL TIPS: Ask the tea experts at Lipton's Tea and Lifeline for timesaving tips, drink ideas, information about tea and health or nutrition, or any questions you may have about brewing tea at toll-free hotline: (888) 547-8668. Tea experts are available to help 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays.

FREEBIE: Coking for a family reunion, picnic or other outdoor gathering this summer? Then you'll want to play it safe and get a copy of the just-published "Cooking for Groups -- A Volunteer's Guide to Food Safety," from the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service. The colorful, 40-page guide is designed to assist consumers in safely planning and serving food for large Single copies are available by writing to Federal Consumer Information Center, Item 604H, Pueblo, CO 81009, or can be ordered on its Web site www.pueblo.gsa.gov.

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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