Food File

By PEGGY ANDERS

© St. Petersburg Times,
published November 7, 2001

Special events and food tastings

BOUNTY OF BREWS: 2-10 p.m. Sat., 2-8 p.m. Sun., Universal Studios CityWalk, (leave I-4 at exit 30A), Orlando. Domestic and imported beers, ales and microbrews from more than 40 brewers at the Orlando Beer Fest, plus "Taste of Citiwalk" restaurant samplings and seminars on home brewing. Tickets: $20 advance, $25 day of event, $30 advance 2-day ticket, available at Ticketmaster; purchasers must be age 21. Call (407) 224-2690, press 4 for more information.

ERIC'S HARVEST WINE DINNER: 6:30 p.m. reception, dinner follows, Thur., Eric's @ Sutherland (formerly Sutherland Cafe), 1026 Florida Ave., Palm Harbor. Harvest-time wine dinner paired with autumn wines: $55, plus tax and gratuity. Call (727) 787-7734 to reserve.

RIBFEST: gates open 11 a.m. Fri.-Sun., Vinoy Park, downtown St. Petersburg on Bayshore Drive, between Fifth and Seventh avenues NE. Annual cookoff competition benefits All Children's Hospital and children's charities. Tickets: $6 in advance, $10 at the gate, kids under 12 free. Call Ticketmaster at (727) 898-2100 or (813) 287-8844, or visit www.ribfest.org.

GREEK FESTIVAL: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Fri.-Sat., noon-7 p.m. Sun., St. John's Greek Orthodox Church, 2418 Swann Ave., Tampa. Foods and pastries, plus music, folk dancing. Donation: $1, kids under 12 free. Call: (813) 876-8830.

TASTE OF SARASOTA: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sun., Phillippi Estate Park, South U.S. 41, Sarasota. Samples from area restaurants such as Fumi's Ocean Dream, Morton's Group, Sarasota Brewing Co.; master ice carvers competition, arts and crafts, music, all to benefit the All Faiths Food Bank. Tickets: $5, kids under 12 free, food tastes from 50 cents to $3.50. Call (941) 925-8841, or visit www.tasteofsarasota.org.

SYRAH DINNER PAIRING: 6:30 p.m. Mon., Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, 4322 West Boy Scout Blvd., Tampa. Syrahs from around the world, including a sparkling Shiraz from Seppelt, Penfolds shiraz and Fess Parker Melange de Rhone Rouge, are paired with sesame-ginger ahi tuna tartare, foie gras on potato crisps, shredded duck roll in chervil pancake and tenderloin with black peppercorn sauce: $75. To reserve, call (813) 874-9463.

EMPTY BOWLS THANKSGIVING LUNCHEON: 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Nov. 15, Lykes Gaslight Park, at 400 block of Franklin St. Mall, Tampa. For $10 donation to benefit the Divine Providence Food Bank, guests enjoy a simple lunch of soup, bread and apple and choose a clay bowl handmade by area elementary students to take home; silent auction for painted bowls created by local artists. Call (813) 254-1190.

CULINARY CLUB: New members are welcome to join the Tampa Bay Culinary Club's meeting, 2 p.m. Sat., at SideBern's, 1002 Howard Ave. S, Tampa as Chef Jeannie Pierola cooks. Cost: $10. Call Jeanne at (727) 789-2605 to RSVP (required).

Wine and beer tastings/classes

GLOBAL SAMPLER: 6 p.m. Sat., A Taste For Wine, 241 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. Worldwide cheeses, matched with wines of their native countries: $18. Call: (727) 895-1623.

"FALL" IN LOVE WITH WINE: 4-6 p.m. Sat., Grand Cru Wine Cellar, 11724 N Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa. A tasting that showcases wines suitable for autumn sipping and holiday giving: free. Call: (813) 269-8463.

MURIELLE WINES: Murielle Winery, 13131 56th Court, Suite 305, Clearwater. Murielle Winery offers tastings of its new varieties noon-4 p.m. Sat., and 5-8 p.m. Nov. 15. Free, but reservations required. Call (727) 561-0336.

SPAIN'S AND ITALY'S NEWEST: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sat., Mazzaro's Italian Market, 2909 22nd Ave. N, St. Petersburg. Free wine tasting of the newest wines from a variety of producers in Spain and Italy: (727) 321-2400.

AMERICAN RED ZINFANDELS: 6:30 p.m. Mon., Bern's Fine Wine and Spirits, 1002 S Howard Ave., Tampa. Bern's tasting class samples six American zinfandels from different growing regions, each with its own style. Cost: $25. Limited seating, Call (813) 250-9463 to reserve.

BEAUJOLAIS NOVEAU: 6-8 p.m. Nov. 15, Westchase Golf Club, 11602 Westchase Golf Drive, Tampa. Grapevine's wine "professor" tasting samples this year's beaujolais nouveau wines: $10, includes discount on wine purchase. Call: (813) 818-9463.

Cooking classes

SWEET POTATO DISHES: 7-8 p.m. today, 10-11 a.m. Thur., Nature's Harvest Market, 1021 N MacDill Ave., Tampa. Sweet potatoes star in fall-themed dishes such as sweet potato tofu salad with ginger dressing at vegetarian class: free. Call (813) 873-7428.

VEGETARIAN THANKSGIVING: 11 a.m. Sat., Nature's Food Patch, 1225 Cleveland St., Clearwater. Guest Chef Debby DeGraaff shows how to make vegetarian Thanksgiving menu of glazed winter squash topped with roasted pecans, wild rice pilaf with shitake mushrooms, cranberry braised tempeh. Call (727) 443-6703.

HOLIDAY DESSERTS AND LIL' CHEFS: La Maison Gourmet, 471 Main St., Dunedin. Hands-on class makes sweet endings for the holidays, among them macadamia fudge torte, apple raisin honey bread pudding with maple cream sauce, gingerbread roll with sauteed apples, 6:30-9 p.m. Thur.: $39.50, includes light meal. Lil' Chef's class (ages 4-7) makes kid's Thanksgiving menu of turkey with homemade cranberry sauce, popcorn balls, corn bread, peanut butter fudge, 2:30-4:40 p.m. Sat.: $25; Call (727) 736-3070.

SEAFOOD AND SIDES: Take the mystery out of preparing perfect seafood, 11:30 a.m. Fri. ($30); "Sides by Sides" class rounds out holiday menus by making accompaniments that use vegetables, potatoes and grains, 6:30 p.m. Fri. ($25), both at Aprons Cooking School at Publix Supermarket Shoppes of Citrus Park, 7835 Gunn Highway, Tampa. Call (813) 926-4465 to register.

CHIPOTLE TURKEY: 6:15-7 p.m. Tue., Outdoor Kitchen Store, 3925 W Kennedy Blvd., Tampa. Chef Bret Mailhot prepares chipotle-rubbed turkey breast, grilled sweet potatoes with lingonberry glaze, honey-grilled grouper: $30. Call (813) 875-3447.

Worth sending for

COOKIE COOKBOOK: Need new cookie ideas for the upcoming holidays? Free cookbook with more than 80 cookie recipes, from old-fashioned favorites to new recipes such as Lemon Sugar Tea, Church Windows and Million Dollar cookies is available by sending a no. 10 business-size, self-addressed, stamped (with two stamps) envelope to: Cookie Cookbook, Box 629, Burgin, KY 40310.

- 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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