Culinary calendar

Food for Fines in Whitman County - Library users at all 14 branches can exchange nonperishable food donations of equal or greater value for up to $10 in outstanding library fines. All food will be collected during the month of February and distributed to the food bank in the community where it is collected. Main branch is Colfax Library, 102 S. Main St. (877) 733-3375.

Camp Fire Candy Sale - Sales continue through March 2 throughout the area. Varieties available: Creamy Smooth Mint Patties, Almond Roca Buttercrunch, Caramel Clusters and P-Nuttles. $5. (509) 747-6191, ext. 20.

Burgers with a Heart Fundraiser - Eighth annual fundraiser benefiting the Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery. Red Robin will donate 50 cents from every gourmet burger sold through Sunday to the nursery. Restaurant guests will also be able to purchase specially designed paper hearts for $1. Local Red Robin locations include: Downtown, 725 W. Main Ave. (509) 838-5260; North, 9904 N. Newport Highway. (509) 467-3382; Valley, 14736 E. Indiana Ave. (509) 921-1634.

Chinese New Year Celebration - Chinese dancers, delicious food, traditional music and educational activities. Menu consists of Chinese dumplings, egg rolls, Chow Mein, beef and broccoli and steamed rice. Reservations required. Today. 11 a.m., East Central Senior Center, 500 S. Stone St. $5. (509) 625-6693.

Cooking Classes at Greenbriar Inn - Tapas II-Round II of beverage-accompanying dishes. Today, 6-9 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; Mediterranean II, March 5, 6-9 p.m. and March 8, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; Low-Fat, Low-Sugar Cooking, March 15, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., and March 26, 6-9 p.m.; Southwest and Southeast Dishes, March 19, 6-9 p.m. and March 22, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Classes available in April by special reservation only. Greenbriar Inn, 315 E. Wallace Ave., Coeur d’Alene. $45 per class/includes total dining experience and beverage. (208) 667-9660 or (800) 953-2379.

Kids at Heart Charity Lunch - Benefiting Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital, to expand the pediatric emergency center. Guest speaker is Kellie Lim, who at 8 years old lost three limbs to bacterial meningitis, but didn’t give up her dream to become a pediatrician. Today. 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Spokane Convention Center, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. $100. (509) 474-2822.

SFCC Service Learning Farmers’ Market - Thursday. 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Spokane Falls Community College, Student Union Building Lounges C, 3410 Fort George Wright Drive. (509) 533-3694.

Fish Fry - Presented by SFCC African-American Club. Friday. 11:30 a.m., Spokane Falls Community College, Student Union Building Lounges A and B, 3410 Fort George Wright Drive. $5. (509) 533-4197.

Fish Fry Dinner - Hosted by the Elks Lodge, with fish, fries and coleslaw. Reservations required. Friday. 5:30-7 p.m., 2605 N. Robie Road. $6.50. (509) 926-2328.

Hobo Dinner - Stew, rolls and dessert. Friday. 5:30 p.m., Sons of Norway Tordenskjord Lodge, 6710 N. Country Homes Blvd. $8.50. Reservations requested by today. (509) 326-9211.

Youth Cooking Class - For ages 9-13. Sponsored by the City of Spokane Parks and Recreation Department. Learn how to make Stroganoff on Friday; Pasta Salad on Feb. 29. Pre-registration is required. 6-8:30 p.m., Corbin Art Center, 507 W. Seventh Ave. $22/class. (509) 625-6200.

An Evening with the Winemaker - Gourmet dinner with wine, live and silent auctions and musical entertainment. Benefits Center Point, a United Way member agency that provides social and recreational activities for adults with disabilities. Saturday. 6 p.m., Manito Golf and Country Club, 5303 S. Hatch Road. $100. (509) 325-5451 for reservations.

Chili Feed - Sponsored by Spokane Potters’ Guild. Choose from a large selection of hand-thrown pottery bowls. Enjoy chili, cornbread, drink and dessert, plus you take your bowl home. Saturday. 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Corbin Activity Center, 827 W. Cleveland Ave. $12. (509) 532-8225.

Dessert Buffet and Wine Flights - Join us for a dessert buffet and a selection of 13 wines. Each guest will get a flight of three wines of their choice and finish off with a full glass of their favorite. Saturday. 7-11:30 p.m., Twig’s Bistro, 4320 S. Regal St. $20 per person. (509) 443-8000.

Dumplings, Noodles, Biscuits and Pie Crust - Sponsored by the City of Spokane Parks and Recreation Department. Pre-registration required. Saturday. 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Corbin Art Center, 507 W. Seventh Ave. $32. (509) 625-6200.

Grape and Grain Expectations 2008 - Annual wine tasting and silent auction. All proceeds benefit Grad Night at Shadle Park High School. Saturday. 7-10 p.m., Assumption Parish gym, 3618 W. Indian Trail Road. $20. (509) 484-3307.

Meet the Makers Taste Fair - Held Saturdays through March 1. Provides an opportunity for consumers to meet and talk with the people who make many of the local products sold at the Moscow Food Co-op, and to sample those products. A variety of locally produced foods, as well as health and beauty products, will be available for sampling. Everyone is invited to come meet the makers and learn more about local products from the owners and representatives of the companies. This week’s scheduled vendors are: Bumble Bar, Spokane, with gluten-, wheat- and dairy-free snack bars; Cafe Mam, Eugene, Ore., with coffee; Camas Wine, Moscow; Extravagonzo Oil, Boise, with garlic oil; Herbs of Grace Cosmetics, Mossyrock, Wash., with mineral make-up; Orchard Farm, Moscow, with soap; Small Planet Tofu, Spokane; Traditional Medicinals, Seattle, with tea; Virginia’s Tortillas, Moscow. March 1 scheduled vendors are: ATP Beverage, Pullman, with nutrition beverages; Bumble Bar, Spokane; Doma Coffee, Coeur d’Alene; Landgrove Coffee, Troy, Idaho; Mary Jane’s Farm, Moscow, with baking products; Namaste Foods, Coeur d’Alene, with gluten-free, wheat, corn, soy, potato, and dairy-free baking mixes; OHA, Seattle, with facial care; Small Planet Tofu, Spokane; Linda Kingsbury, herbal teas, Moscow. 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Moscow Food Co-op, 121 E. Fifth St., Moscow. (208) 882-8537.

Mostly Merlot - Gourmet five-course meal with a different wine for each course. Samplings and a silent auction take place before the dinner, with a live auction. Proceeds benefit Cancer Patient Care clients who are battling cancer and facing devastating financial challenges at the same time. Saturday. 5:30 p.m., Spokane Club, 1002 W. Riverside Ave. $150/person. (509) 456-0446.

Blazing Saddle Chili Bike Ride - 9-mile bike ride through Riverside State Park (may be shortened depending on weather conditions) with a chili feed to follow. Registration will start at 10 a.m., race begins at 11 a.m., helmets required. All proceeds going to the park. Sunday. Meet at Seven Mile airstrip, access via bike from the Seven Mile Aubrey L. White roundabout parking spot. $15. (509) 863-3150.

St. Paschal’s Catholic School Spaghetti and Meatball Feast - Spaghetti, meatballs, salad, rolls, dessert, coffee and milk. Take out available. Sunday. 11:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m., at the church, 2521 N. Park Road, Spokane Valley. $8/adults, $5/seniors and children, free/age 4 and younger, $30/family. (509) 924-5090.

Co-op Kids at the Moscow Food Co-op - For children and their caregivers. Kids events are all free, with snacks and materials donated by the Co-op. This week: make healthy snacks. Next Wednesday. 9-11 a.m., 121 E. Fifth St., Moscow. Free. (208) 882-8537.

Winemaker Dinner - A five-course, five-pour gourmet, white linen affair with Arbor Crest Wine Cellar and winemaker Kristina Mielke-van Loben Sels. Feb. 28. 6:30 p.m., Mountain Cafe and Catering at Silver Mountain, Kellogg. $48, tax not included. Advance tickets required. (208) 783-0562.

Wine, Stein and Dine Fundraiser - To raise funds for creative classroom teaching grants in the Post Falls School District. Age 21 and older. Includes food and beverages and a complimentary wine glass or beer stein. Includes entries by more than 85 wineries, microbreweries and restaurants, silent auction, wine tree raffle and live entertainment. Tickets available at Idaho Washington Trust Banks, Dr. Gibbon’s office, Post Falls Chamber of Commerce, Post Falls Super One, and Vino! A Wine Shop in Spokane. March 1. 7-10 p.m., Greyhound Park and Events Center, Post Falls. $45/advance, $60/door. (208) 661-7225.

Eggplant Parmesan - Italian Cooking - Sponsored by the City of Spokane Parks and Recreation Department. Pre-registration required. March 1. 6-8 p.m., Tullia’s Sauce House, 1407 W. Mansfield Ave. $22. (509) 625-6200.

Breakfast with the Elks Officers - Open to the public. March 2. 9-11 a.m., 2605 N. Robie Road. $5. (509) 926-2328.

Uniontown Sausage Feed - 55th annual all-you-can eat. March 2. 10 a.m.- 5 p.m., Community Building, Highway 195, across from the park, Uniontown, Wash. $10/adults, $6/ages 6-12, $1/age five and under. (509) 229-3440.

Compass Club Luncheon - A women’s club for welcoming newcomers to the area. Menu includes: meat loaf, Caesar salad, carrot cake, coffee, and tea. Wine will be available to purchase by the glass. March 4. 11 a.m., Ramada Inn at the Airport, 8909 Airport Drive. $20/includes lunch. (509) 465-4043.

H.O.M.E. Annual Child care Scholarship Tea - Hosted by the Home Advisory Board, H.O.M.E. students and the EWU Women’s Studies. H.O.M.E. is a scholarship program to help low-income, continuing, undergraduate, graduate, or incoming students pay for daycare expenses. RSVP with a check to Women’s Studies Center, 207 Monroe, EWU, Cheney, WA 99004; or purchase tickets at the door. March 4. 2:30-4:30 p.m., Eastern Washington University, Monroe Hall, Room 205, second floor lounge, Cheney. $20/advance, $25/door. (509) 359-2898.

Spaghetti Feed Dinner - In conjunction with the Merchant’s Association Organization meeting to share ideas on how merchants in Cheney can work together to help Cheney businesses prosper. March 5, 7 p.m. Cheney Delights, 513 First St., Cheney. Dinner $6. (509) 559-5818.

Wine Tasting and Silent Auction Fundraiser - Proceeds benefit the Panhandle Autism Society’s Skill Building Program. March 6. 6 p.m., The Barrel Room No. 6, Sherman Ave. $35/person, $65/couple, $300/group of 10. (208) 665-9496.

Chicken Fried Steak Dinner - Hosted by the Elks Lodge. March 7. 5:30-7 p.m., 2605 N. Robie Road. $7. (509) 926-2328.