Fresh Sheet : An evening of martinis and Legos

Martinis at Mobius? Don’t worry. They’re for the parents.

Mobius Kids, in the lower level of River Park Square, will host a fundraiser for the children’s museum Nov. 10 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Tickets include two martinis, mingling, hors d’oeuvres and music by the Nick Herman Trio. Also, guests will get a private “hard hat” tour of the renovation and loft project at 809 W. Main Ave.

Tickets are $40 each or $75 per couple. They can be purchased at www.mobiusspokane.org/news_events.html or call Mobius for more information at (509) 624-KIDS (5437).

Cork and Keg tickets available

Tickets are on sale for the annual Cork and Keg Festival.

It is the 13th year of the wine and microbrew tasting. Hors d’oeuvres are made by the students at the Inland Northwest Culinary Academy, and there will be a discount wine store and silent auction.

Cork and Keg is sponsored by the Washington Restaurant Association, and proceeds from the event are donated to the Inland Northwest Culinary Academy Knowledge Bowl team who will be in the national competition in Coeur d’Alene in the spring.

The event is Nov. 10 from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Mirabeau Park Hotel, 1100 N. Sullivan Road. Tickets are $40 each and can be bought at any area Rosauers stores or Vino! A Wine Shop. Tickets also can be purchased by calling (509) 467-7744.

Tea earns students $10,000

A University of Idaho food science team recently won top prize and $10,000 in a national food product development contest.

The team developed a ready-to-drink green bubble tea, enhanced by beneficial organisms. Food science senior Brian Huber was team captain. The groups was advised by Stephanie Clark, a Washington State University associate professor. The other team members were Colin Seeley, Kameron Pecka, Jennifer Cholewinski and Kristin Pecka.

The tea developed by the UI team was picked over entries from Virginia Tech and Michigan State, according to a news release. The UI team introduced two flavors, called Pearls of Wisdom and PandaBerry.

Bubble tea is sweetened tea with chewy tapioca balls that originated in Taiwan. It is usually made when it is ordered because the tapioca breaks down quickly. But the UI team found a way to produce a ready-to-drink version by substituting alginate for the tapioca.

Huber said consumers may see products based on their research on store shelves in the next few years, according to the news release.