Evolve! — Detroit Evolution Laboratory has been hosting some pretty progressive cooking classes in Detroit's Eastern Market. The unique space offers instruction in yoga, veganism and other practices promoting "health, joy and liberation for the people of Detroit." Upcoming classes include "Vegan Basics" at 4-8 p.m., March 8 ($60) and "Sunday Vegan Brunch" 11 a.m.-3 p.m. March 16 ($60). Whether you're an old vegan brushing up your skills or a new "convert," instructor and vegetarian-vegan chef Angela Kasmala will guide you to health and flavor. At 1434 Gratiot Ave., #1, Detroit; 313-316-1411. Entrance in back.
Jam & bread — Whole Foods Market in West Bloomfield is starting every Sunday in March with a jazz brunch. Between 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., enjoy their breakfast specials and listen to live, local sounds. At 7350 Orchard Lake Rd., West Bloomfield; 248-538-4600.
Taste space — Looking for an excuse to drive into the country for a late-winter excursion, but don't want to spend it all outdoors? St. Julian Winery, which has opened tasting rooms in Frankenmuth, Parma and Union Pier, has now opened a commodious new 3,148-square-foot tasting room at its headquarters in Paw Paw. There visitors can enjoy the winery's line of beverages, and buy knickknacks like glassware and apparel. Open 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday, noon-6 p.m. Sunday. At 716 S. Kalamazoo St., Paw Paw; 269-657-5568.
EAT THE PAGE
Quirky Food Network personality Alton Brown is a professor of food education. Using rather unconventional methods — including costumes, skits, humor and drama — he shows us what makes recipes work. In I'm Just Here for the Food: Version 2.0 (Stewart, Tabori and Chang, $32.50), Mr. Brown presents 15 cooking methods — from pan-searing to pressure cooking to stewing to steaming — with a "master" recipe and a varied selection of recipes that epitomize the technique. The text includes food facts, history and lore, and science along with solid recipes.
A TASTY BEVERAGE
High in the arid, dusty hills near the village of Batea in southern Spain, decades-old grape vines root deep into the slate, clay and limestone soils of the D.O. Terra Alta. Organically tended and profiting from simmering days and cool evening Mediterranean breezes, these vines produce the concentrated, low-yield grape sap that ferments into an $11 bottle of Bodegas Vinos Piñol Ludovicus red wine. A blend of four grape varieties, mainly garnacha and tempranillo, Ludovicus reveals aromas of minerals, and a sip bursts with juicy berry fruit flavors and a bright and enduring acidity.
IT WORKS
Whoever told you not to play with your food surely hadn't seen Tic Tac Toast. Just press the plastic stamper into a piece of bread, then put the bread in the toaster, branding your breakfast with a tic-tac-toe game board. This is a civilized food fight. Select some tasty toppings — perhaps lemon curd and cashew butter — to designate your moves. Winner takes all. Silly, but for three bucks, it's worth a yuck. Other presses are available, but not as playful. Available at perpetualkid.com.
Know of any special dinners, new restaurants or food- related events? Let us know. Send materials two weeks in advance to Food Stuff, Metro Times, 733 St. Antoine, Detroit, MI 48226 or e-mail [email protected].
