COMPILED BY BARBARA ROLEK
Times Features Writer
219.933.3256
SIMPLE, EASY, COOKING CLASSES | Hobart
Are you looking for simple, yet delicious recipes? Well look no further. At 1 p.m. Monday and Oct. 1, a recipe will be demonstrated and taste tested at the Hobart Branch Library, 100 N. Main St. Recipes will be given out to help enhance your recipe collection. Classes are limited to 10 participants. Register.
FYI: (219) 942-2243
BISCOTTI MAKING | Chesterton
Deborah Landry will share her biscotti-making secrets at 7 p.m. Thursday at Molly Bea's Ingredients, 761 Indian Boundary Road. This is a free demo, but registration is required.
FYI: (219) 938-9401 or www.mollybeas.com
SPAGHETTI DINNER | Hammond
St. Catherine of Siena School and Parish will host a spaghetti dinner from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday in the school cafeteria, 6525 Kentucky Ave. The dinner will be prepared by chef Elida Abeyta's culinary students from Ivy Tech Community College in East Chicago. The dinner is $7 adults, $3 children ages 4 to 12 and free for children younger than 3.
FYI: (219) 845-1217
STARTING A SPECIALTY FOOD BUSINESS | Crown Point
This workshop will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 4 and is for current or former food entrepreneurs, small farmers interested in vertically integrating and homemakers. Its purpose is to provide knowledge, contacts and resources about starting a new food business in Indiana through formal lectures and question-and-answer sessions with speakers and entrepreneurs, as well as with written materials. It will be held at the Purdue Extension Office, 880 E. 99th Court. Cost is $75. Registration deadline is Sept. 27.
FYI: Brad Clinehens (219) 755-3240
BREAST CANCER AWARENESS TEA | Hobart
The 6th annual Breast Cancer Awareness Tea will be held from 11 a.m. Sept. 30 at Avalon Manor, 3550 U.S. 30. A silent auction, boutiques, tea and luncheon will be at noon. Cost is $30 per person.
FYI: (219) 663-4990 or www.pinkribbonsociety.com
COOKING CLASSES | Chicago
World Kitchen, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs culinary arts program, located in the Gallery 37 Center for the Arts, 66 E. Randolph St., presents hands-on classes for adults. All classes are $30 and require registration by phone, online or in person.
* Cutting Up Knife Skills: This class will explain which knife to use for what and how to choose them properly. Owning a good knife or two and knowing exactly how to use them will make cooking chores go more smoothly. 6 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday.
* Get Into the Kitchen: This basic four-class series introduces kitchen novices to cooking. This is THE class for people who say "I can't cook!" A menu will be produced each night. 6 to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 27, Oct. 4, 11, 18. Series of four classes is $100.
* Kitchen Confidence: This series offers more basics and techniques for intermediate cooks or graduates of the Get Into the Kitchen series. Each class contains a full menu of recipes plus shopping and timing tips. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 29, Oct. 6, 13, 20. Series of four classes is $100.
FYI: (312) 742-8497 or www.cityofchicago.org/Gallery37Center
KNIFE SHARPENING CLINIC | Chicago and suburbs
Macy's and Wusthof are pleased to offer you the opportunity to learn essential knife skills and have your cutlery sharpened. Bring in any dull Wusthof knife and a Wusthof representative will sharpen it at no cost. Limit three per guest, please. Excludes serrated. All Wusthof cutlery will be on sale during this event.
* 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Macy's Water Tower
* 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Macy's on State Street
* 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday -- Macy's Oakbrook
* 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 26 -- Macy's Old Orchard
* 4 to 6 p.m. Sept. 26, Macy's Woodfield
FYI: www.macys.com/events
CREATE-A-PEPPER | Nation
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, in partnership with Chili's Grill & Bar, invites people to help fight childhood cancer through Sept. 30. Guests at participating Chili's restaurants nationwide can contribute in the following ways:
* Make a donation to St. Jude.
* Purchase Create-A-Pepper T-shirts.
* Purchase Create-A-Pepper Gift Cards and dog tags. Chili's will donate $1 to St. Jude for every $25 purchased.
* Eat at Chili's on Monday when Chili's will donate 100 percent of its profits from restaurant sales to St. Jude.
Last year's Create-A-Pepper campaign raised more than $5.2 million to benefit the kids of St. Jude.
FYI: www.createapepper.com or www.stjude.org
HARVEST FEST | New Buffalo, Mich.
The festival will be held from noon to 10 p.m. Oct. 6 in Lion's Park. Planned in conjunction with Harbor Country Harvest Days, the festival will offer everything local from live music to world-class wines, tasty fare from area restaurants, a farmers market and hayrides to a pumpkin patch, and free activities for the kids. Suggested donation at the gate is $5 per person, free for children 12 and younger.
FYI: (574) 215-8712 or www.newbuffalo.org
BEER FESTIVAL | Denver
Three Floyds Brewing Co. and Flossmoor Station Brewing Co. will compete in the Great American Beer Festival Oct. 11 to 13 in Denver. If you've got the time and the means, make it to the Mile-High City and cheer on your favorite craft brew.
FYI: www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com
HONEY IN RECIPES | Chesterton
Linda Laney of the Laney Family Honey Farm will share information on honey processing, honey flavors, bee behavior and more at 7 p.m. Oct. 18 at Molly Bea's Ingredients, 761 Indian Boundary Road. She also will address how honey can be used in recipes. There will be plenty of honey for tasting, too. This is a free demo, but registration is required.
FYI: (219) 938-9401 or www.mollybeas.com
GLUTEN-FREE INFORMATION | Chesterton
Registered nurse Eileen Heinze has practical information for those with gluten-free needs at 7 p.m. Nov. 15 at Molly Bea's Ingredients, 761 Indian Boundary Road. She will share her personal experiences as well as numerous resources in managing celiac disease. This is a free presentation, but registration is required.
FYI: (219) 938-9401 or www.mollybeas.com
KITCHEN KRAFTS | Merrillville
Kitchen Krafts, 7215 Taft St., offers hands-on cake decorating and cooking classes from 7 to 9 p.m. Registration required.
* Roses Only: Learn to make buttercream roses. Friday. $20.
* Garnishing: Simple ways to make the most of your platters and dinner presentations. Garnishing tools are yours to keep. $35. Sept. 26.
* Gum Paste Rose: Learn to make roses, leaves and Forget-Me-Nots. Supplies included. Sept. 27. $35.
* Basic Cake Decorating: Session 2: Oct. 3, 10, 17 and 24. $25 plus the kit.
* Advanced Cake Decorating: Oct. 8, 15, 22, 29, Nov. 15, 12, 26 and Dec. 3. $50 plus the kit.
* Basic Candy: You'll paint, dip and mold candies. Oct. 9. $30.
* Kids in the Kitchen: This class is hands-on geared to 11 to 16-year-olds. Hot and cold foods will be prepared and each child will take home their own apron. 10 a.m. to noon Oct. 13. $25.
* Halloween Treats: Make and take home cute Halloween treats. Oct. 19. $20.
* Cheesecake: Classic Old World and modern methods for making cheesecake. Springform pan is yours to keep. Oct. 23. $35.
* Candy Centers: Learn how to make your own centers, some using one basic recipe. Oct. 25. $20.
* Two-part Gum Paste Poinsettia: Learn to make in time for holidays. Supplies included. Nov. 6 and 13. $40.
* Soups and Stocks: Learn to make really great soups and sauces. Take home your own 8-quart stockpot. Nov. 8. $40.
* Cupcakes: Have fun decorating cupcakes. Nov. 9. $20.
* Turducken: Have you heard of this one? Chicken stuffed into duck and stuffed into a turkey with no bones. Take home an oven-ready bird and also a professional-grade knife. Nov. 19. $60.
* Pizza: We will make them and bake them and you will take home a pizza stone of your own. Nov. 28. $35.
* Christmas Treats: Make and take home Christmas treats. Nov. 30. $20.
* Crepes: Crepes, blintzes or pancakes. It doesn't matter what you call them, you still get to keep the pan. Dec. 5. $35.
FYI: (219) 769-3845
MACY'S CULINARY COUNCIL | Chicago
* Totally Tapas: Chef Matt Zagorski will involve you in delicious and simple recipes for tapas. Class menu includes Chicken Empanadas with Roasted Poblano Chile Sauce, Chipotle Shrimp and Avocado Tostadas, Bacon-Wrapped Dates and Mushroom Tartlets. 6 to 9 tonight. $75.
* Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate: Chef Mitchell Krenz will show you the differences between chocolates, how to pair them with other flavors and how to make restaurant-quality desserts. You will learn how to make white, milk and dark chocolate truffles, chocolate mousse and flourless chocolate torte. 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday. $65.
* Kids in the Kitchen -- Mexican: A Macy's chef will teach and the kids how to put together a fun, fast, three-course meal. Class menu includes Chips and Guacamole, Mexican Wedding Cookies, Salsa Verde, Chicken Quesadillas, Mexican Confetti Rice and Skirt Steak Fajitas. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. $45 per adult, $25 per child.
* Basic Knife Skills: Chef Juliet Greene will show you how to handle knives safely with skill and confidence. You'll learn practical cuts and the proper care of a variety of knives. 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 26. $50.
FYI: www.macys.com
Notable items
GREAT JEWISH FOOD COOK-OFF | Nation
Deadline is Friday. Win a grand prize package worth more than $25,000 including GE Profile kitchen appliances and more. There is a new ethnic trend on the block -- Simply Kosher! Just as other ethnic foods have gained great popularity, such as Mexican, Italian, Japanese and French, so has Jewish food. Kosher meals of the 29th century are far from mundane and have moved away from the traditional matzo ball soup. Almost any favorite dish you, a friend or family member enjoys can be adapted to meet kosher guidelines and standards. Enter your recipe online or download the entry form and mail to Simply Kosher Cook-Off, w/o BHGPR, 546 Valley Road, Upper Montclair, NJ 07043.
FYI: www.manishcewitz.com
TABASCO AWARDS | Nation
Sept. 28 is the deadline for entries in the 18th annual Tabasco Community Cookbook Awards. Cookbooks published for fundraising purposes by nonprofit organizations in 2006 and 2007 are eligible. Each organization entering a book should submit four copies along with a completed entry form and documentation of how the proceeds will benefit worthwhile community projects. Visit the Web site for an entry form and further awards details. Winners will receive contributions to their charities in the following amounts: first place, $2,500; second place, $1,000; and third place, $750. Six regional awards also may be awarded and will each receive $500.
FYI: www.tabasco.com
SIMPLY MANISCHEWITZ COOK-OFF | Nation
Deadline is Sept. 28. The 2nd annual contest is designed to encourage kosher and non-kosher home cooks to prepare a delicious, simple, kosher entrée using Manischewitz products. This year, Manischewitz is staging three new regional markets including: Philadelphia, Chicago and San Francisco (October through December --exact dates and locations to be determined). Each semi-finalist can select their regional market of preference, if chosen. The finals will be held in New York City in February 2008. Manischewitz invites U.S. residents 18 or older to submit an original, easy-to make entrée for this judged competition. All recipes must be original, must be kosher and must include at least one Manischewitz product, have no more than a total of eight ingredients and be prepared and cooked in one hour. For official contest details and to register, log onto www.manischewitz.com and complete the official entry form online and submit a recipe or enter by mail: Simply Manischewitz
Cook-Off, c/o BHGPR, 546 Valley Road, Upper Montclair, NJ 07043.
FYI: www.manischewitz.com
STEAK-UMM RECIPE CONTEST | Nation
Deadline is Oct. 15 for Steak-umm Co.'s "Any Time Is Steak-umm Time" recipe contest. Readers may submit their favorite breakfast, lunch or dinner Steak-umm recipes for a chance to win the grand prize -- a Sony Under-Cabinet 3-Disc CD Clock Radio, which includes a docking station for your digital music, in addition to a 10" limited-edition Steak-umm stainless-steel frying pan.
FYI: www.steakumm.com/Any_Time_Contest.htm
KING'S HAWAIIAN CONTEST | Nation
Deadline is Oct. 31. King's Hawaiian is offering "Grill Hawaiian Style," a fresh batch of tips, recipes and a once-in-a-lifetime vacation sweepstakes. Details are available online.
FYI: www.grillhawaiianstyle.com
KIDS COOK-OFF | Nation
Deadline is Oct. 31. The Kids Cook-off Recipe contest encourages parents and kids to get creative and come up with an original recipe to have a chance to win college scholarships or cookout equipment. Visit the Web site to learn how to enter.
WHO INSPIRES YOU | Nation
Deadline is Nov. 15. Do you know an inspiring community leader who deserves recognition for bettering the lives of others? DuPont Corian is accepting registration for the Who Inspires You Contest. Winners will receive a kitchen prize package including a new Corian countertop, KitchenAid appliances and the ultimate adventure experience. One grand prize winner and three runners up will be selected. Entries will be judged on the level of inspiration drawn from the story and the extent to which the nominee's actions impact the community. Submit a story of 800 words or less illustrating why a parent/guardian, civil servant, educator or other community leader deserves to be honored. Visit the Web site to find complete rules and how to enter online, by fax or mail.
FYI: http://countertops.dupont.com/inspire
FREE MICROWAVE COOKBOOK | Nation
As part of the 40th anniversary celebration of the Amana microwave, Amana will introduce its first online microwave cookbook, "Fast Food Redefined: 40 Years Ago, Amana Invented a New Way to Cook." The new cookbook, featuring 40 fast-and-easy recipes, is available free to visitors of the Web site.
HISTORICAL FOOD SITE | Nation
OldCookbooks.com, the Internet's largest Web store devoted to vintage, out-of-print, and used cookbooks, has announced the official launch of its acclaimed accompanying cookbook blog, OldCookbooks.info, where interesting tidbits from old cookbooks make a fun and fascinating read. The culinary blog is comprised of a series of organized and reader-friendly sections which highlight and review selected cookbooks and their recipes. Visitors can read insightful posts about old cookbooks, beef up on food and kitchen trivia, look up old cookbook terminology (do you know what schalet is?) or simply page through remarkable, charming, and often amusing lost recipes for dishes like rich "Pound Cake Waffles" or "Mrs. Rorer's Peach Mangoes" (old-fashioned pickled peaches).
FYI: www.OldCookbooks.com or www.OldCookbooks.info
OPERATION BIRTHDAY CAKE | Nation
Bakemeawish.com, a national gourmet gift cake provider, has officially launched Operation Birthday Cake. U.S. soldiers serving overseas don't have the luxury of celebrating their birthday for a variety of reasons. Josh Kaye, president of Bakemeawish.com, began sending birthday cakes to the troops overseas because he wanted them to still have that experience, to still feel remembered and special, despite their difficult circumstances. Donations help support the Operation Birthday Cake campaign. A gourmet birthday cake costs approximately $75 to send to a soldier serving overseas. Currently, Bakemeawish.com is seeking to recruit program sponsors to help defray some of the costs. Please visit Bakemeawish.com to learn more about how to support Operation Birthday Cake.
FYI: www.bakemeawish.com
TIME-CHALLENGED MOMS | Nation
The Produce for Better Health Foundation has developed a new health initiative, Fruits & Veggies -- More Matters, that offers Moms ideas and tips on easy-to-prepare healthy meals.
FYI: www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org
INTERACTIVE COOKBOOK | Nation
FoodNetwork.com makes eating nutritiously simple, scrumptious and entertaining through a collection of broadband videos with Ellie Krieger, the charismatic Food Network host of "Healthy Appetite" (8:30 a.m. Saturdays) and registered dietician. "Ellie Krieger's Healthy Recipes" will roll out four new appetizing recipes weekly. Every week, a new recipe for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks will be available, along with a bonus video tip. Accompanying each of the recipes are printable directions and a comprehensive nutritional breakdown, so users are not left out in the cold about their calorie and nutritional intake.
FYI: www.foodnetwork.com/healthyrecipes
FOOD WEB SITE | Nation
The whole family and your wicked mother-in-law are coming for dinner. You want to impress them. Well, how about inviting a Michelin-starred chef over for a few suggestions? A new Web site, www.gourmandia.com, makes this happen. Gourmandia also presents the lifestyle arts that go with these mouthwatering dishes. You can learn how to fold napkins into the elegant shapes seen in the fanciest hotels of Europe. You'll learn how to order the right wine for your dish, and grocery shop for the right ingredients. You also can watch videos of the top resorts around the world.
FYI: www.gourmandia.com
MARIO BATALI WEB SITE | Nation
Mario Batali's new Web site, mariobatali.com, offers a variety of resources for all who love Italy, good food, wine, and a touch of hedonism tossed in for good measure. Instead of merely featuring information on Mario, the site is a meeting place to learn about all the things he loves that have helped shape his culinary adventures and successes. The "Explore Italy" section, for example, offers travel articles along with information about local wineries and indigenous ingredients for each region.
FYI: www.mariobatali.com
WHAT'S THE BUZZ? | Nation
The Yahoo! Buzz Kitchen offers stove-top tips and tricks on everything from cooking asparagus to cooking lobster, artichokes, crab legs and more. Log on for answers to your culinary questions.
FYI: buzz.yahoo.com
INDIANA'S FAVORITE RESTAURANTS | Region
Reid Duffy's "Guide to Indiana's Favorite Restaurants" (Quarry Books, 2006) showcases 30 iconic Indiana restaurants that have stood the test of time. Local restaurant jewels featured are Phil Smidt's in Hammond, Vanzant's Ribs on the Run in Gary, Strongbow Inn in Valparaiso, Teibel's in Schererville, Heston Bar in LaPorte, Giovanni's in Munster, Miller Bakery Café in Gary, and Joe's Crab Shack in Merrillville. The book is $17.95 and can be ordered from Indiana University Press.
FYI: (800) 842-6796 or http://iupress.indiana.edu
WINE TRAIL | Indiana
Seven wineries have joined together to form the Indy Wine Trail, the third wine trail in Indiana. The trail is made up of central Indiana wineries working together to offer customers the Indiana wine experience. Participating wineries include Buck Creek (Indianapolis), Chateau Thomas (Plainfield), Easley (Indianapolis), Ferrin's Fruit (Carmel), Grape Inspirations (Carmel), Mallow Run (Bargersville) and Simmons (Columbus). Look for a BBQ feast during the summer and visits with the winemakers.
FYI: (765) 496-3842 or www.indianawines.org
WEB SITE LAUNCHED | Nation
Recipe4Living.com is different from other food, recipe and lifestyle sites in a number of ways -- there are more than 80 techniques and original commentary from Wolfgang Puck, a database of over 17,000 user-rated recipes, over 100 coupons for brand-name consumer goods, daily recipe e-mail, chat bulletin boards and more.
FOODIES ONLINE | Nation
BakeSpace.com has launched the first social networking site for cooking enthusiasts. It's for Web users who are passionate about food. Members can post, search and share recipes, customize their own "online kitchen," raid the site's "virtual pantry," create blogs, upload photos and video, download coupons and communicate real time. The site is totally free.
FYI: www.BakeSpace.com
To get your event listed, send the time, date and place with a short description and a phone number to The Times, c/o Features, Food Editor, 601 45th Ave., Munster, IN 46321, by fax to (219) 933-3249 or by e-mail to features@nwitimes.com. No phone calls please. Publication is at the discretion of Times editors.
