On the Menu This Weekend 02/19/10-02/21/10

Image via Flickr user Adam E. Cole

Get ready for the weekend! There are some delicious events to be had, including some opportunities to help others while enjoying said deliciousness. It is also apparent prime-time to do some fruit tree pruning, and there are several events to help you with that.

Staying in this weekend? If you’re ordering a pizza to enjoy while watching the games, consider contributing to the Olympic Food Drive with Pagliacci Pizza. "From February 12-28, you can drop off food donations at any of our locations or send a donation in with your delivery driver when receiving your order." Click the link above for more info and to see what items they need. (Click here for more charitable events.)

Friday, February 19

• It’s Chocolate Mint Day!
• 11am-2pm: Skillet in South Lake Union. Menu includes burgers, Vietnamese-style sandwiches, baked ziti, and coconut milk rice pudding.
• 5:30-7:30pm: Baltic Beers tasting at Malt and Vine in Redmond. Beers from Poland and Estonia. (Click here for more beer events.)
• 6:30pm: "La Dolce Vita" Supper Club at Art of the Table. Menu includes Kabocha Squash Ravioli, Wild Columbian River Sturgeon, Red Wine Braised Duck Leg, and Pine Nut Tart with Poached Pear and Rosemary Ice Cream. $55

Saturday, February 20

• It’s Clam Chowder Day!
• Pan Africa is going to serve as a tent drop location for the "1000 Tents for Haiti" project. (Click here for more Haiti benefits.)
• Fruit Tree Pruningpalooza! Here’s are several opportunities you’ll have this day to learn about fruit tree pruning. Busy Saturday? No worries, there’s another tomorrow. (Click here for more gardening events.)
  • 10am-1pm: Pruning Fruit Trees Class at Dog Mountain Farm. "Late winter is the time to prune your fruit trees! Join Dog Mountain Farm owner Cindy Krepky as she teaches pruning techniques in the apple, pear, and quince orchard onsite."
  • 10:30am-12pm: FREE! Selecting and Planting - Fruit Trees and Berries through at Master Gardener Demo Garden.
  • 1:15-4:30pm: The Art of Espalier Class through City Fruit. "Espalier is the technique of training trees to create formal ‘two-dimensional’ patterns by pruning and grafting. It is one way to grow fruit trees in a yard with limited space -- plus it is beautiful." $25-30, some options for folks who cannot afford cost, contact organizers.
• 10am-3pm: Care to Shop at Vashon Thriftway and Whole Foods Roosevelt to Benefit Lifelong AIDS Alliance. "As your do your grocery shopping, throw an extra item or two into your cart for Lifelong’s food program, Chicken Soup Brigade. As you exit the store, drop the paid item into our food barrels. Your donation will go directly into the grocery bag of a person living with HIV/AIDS, or other illnesses in the Puget Sound region."
• 10:30-11:30am: FREE! Food and Mood: An Exploration of the Mind-Body Connection at Bastyr Center for Natural Health. "Lack of energy, mood swings and cravings are challenges for many people. Please join us for a lecture and workshop as we discover how eating patterns affect emotional health. Learn which nutrients are essential in regulating health and wellness, and how mindfulness supports optimal well-being." (Click here for more healthy eating events.)
• 1-4pm: Seed Swap N'Sale at South Seattle Community College. "Want to save some money on seeds this year? Avoid ending up with half-used packets at the end of the season and try some new varieties! We have ordered bulk seeds from Territorial, Seed Savers, and Fedco, and will have them divided up into 75 cent mini-packets just the right size for the home gardener. There will also be a ‘free’ swap table – so bring in any seeds you have saved and swap with other gardeners."
• 2-4pm: FREE! "Healthier Without Wheat" Book Talk at the Des Moines Library. (Click here for more gluten- and wheat-free cuisine events.)
• 2-5pm: Great Beers of the Ardennes at 99 Bottles. $5 per person for four fine Belgian ales and slide show about beer touring in Belgium. (Click here for more Belgian Beer events.)
• 5-8pm: FREE! Ethiopian Culture Night at the NW African American Museum. "Join us in the NAAM Café Gallery for what will be the first in a series of exhibits by contemporary Northwest based Ethiopian artists…This is an opportunity to explore Ethiopian culture through food, art, and a lecture!" (Click here for more African food events.)
• 6-9pm: Day of Caring Haitian Relief Fundraiser at Island Soul Caribbean Restaurant. "Come join the Island Soul Family at Island Soul Restaurant for a buffet to benefit the Haitian Relief Fund. Bring CA$H there will be great door prizes and raffles! $20 suggested donation for buffet."

Sunday, February 21

• Pan Africa continues to serve as a tent drop location for the "1000 Tents for Haiti" project.
• 10am-12pm: Couldn’t make it to the events yesterday? Check out today’s Seattle Tilth Fruit Tree Pruning Class. $25-35.
• 4pm: Mostly Nordic Chamber Music (and Smorgasbord!) Series: "Songs of Finland: Hearing Homeward." Professor of Voice and Associate Director of Opera at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, soprano Mimmi Fulmer joins University of Washington opera coach and pianist Rhonda Kline in a lecture-recital in tribute to the song literature of Finland including art song, hymns, children’s songs, and folk song arrangements. (Click here for more Scandinavian cuisine events.)
• 6pm & 8pm: Drinking Lessons Cocktail Class at the Sorrento Hotel. "Guests can expect an animated two hour lesson in the preparation and history of at least three distinct cocktails. To temper the libations the Hunt Club will pepper the evening with a few small bites from the kitchen. Sessions are limited to twelve individuals only." $55 (Click here for more cocktail events.)