Potpourri: Aug. 19 through Aug. 25

• Reprints

Chef Warren Jones appears on Aug. 20 as part of Chicago Botanic Garden's Free Garden Chef Series. See listing for complete details.

Article Extras

Updated: August 18, 2011 8:56PM

The Fresh Flavors Cooking Demonstration

Stop by a store near you in August for a demonstration led by local chefs who will lead a free, step-by-step presentation on how to prepare prepare Asian Chicken Salad with Fire Roasted Tomato Bisque. For more information, visit www.thefreshmarket.com.

Ravinia Festival New Culinary Additions for 2011

Levy Restaurants and Executive Chef Tim Radack introduce new Kosher grill cart, gluten-free items, guest chefs and more with options ranging from picnic favorites to fine dining.

Chef Rick Moonen of RM Seafood will appear August 25 and Aug. 26.

Levy Restaurants offers a variety of Picnic Boxes that can be ordered in advance at www.ravinia.org/store and picked up ready-to-eat at Ravinia. Picnic Box options include fresh salads and sandwiches and are perfect for guests coming in from the city or those who don’t have time to pack a picnic in advance. Reservations at the Park View are recommended and information on reservations, performance schedules, scheduling private parties and Metra train schedules is available at ravinia.org.

Chicago Botanic Garden, 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe Free Garden Chef Series, Saturdays and Sundays, through Oct. 2.

More than 40 of the Chicago-area’s best chefs share their culinary expertise, preparing a signature dish with garden fresh ingredients at 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. in the Regenstein Fruit Vegetable Garden Demonstration Kitchen. Summer plant giveaways (while supplies last) are an added bonus from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesdays through Fridays and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Volunteers share information about the featured plant, which changes monthly, and encourage visitors to plant seeds or seedlings (while supplies last) to take home to their own gardens. In August, Garlic Chives and in September, Bronze Arrowhead Heirloom Tomato. Events include: Aug. 20 with Chef Warren Jones of Bluegrass in Highland Park and Aug. 21 with Chef Alvaro Chavez of Masa Azul in Chicago. Admission to the Chicago Botanic Garden and the Garden Chef Series is free. Parking is $20 per car; free for Garden members. For more information, call (847) 835-5440, or visit chicagobotanic.org/chef.

Enjoy Life Foods Sponsors WTTW Fan Van to Help Raise Food Allergy Awareness

The WTTW Kids Great Food Fan Van will be at Whole Foods, 840 Willow Road in Northbrook at 10 a.m. on Aug. 21, where a performance featuring Miss Lori’s CAMPUS is slated to take place, including singing, dancing, healthy and delicious food sampling, book readings, raffles and prizes. Enjoy Life Foods, a company dedicated to providing consumers with gluten-free and allergy-friendly foods, will be co-sponsoring the event and providing product donations to all attendees. See enjoylifefoods.com for more information.

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, 960 Milwaukee Ave., Lincolnshire, (847) 793-0333, FlemingsSteakhouse.com.

Sundays in August (Aug. 21 and 28). Fleming’s offers a three-course Prime Rib dinner at a special price of $29.95 (excluding tax and gratuity). This special Sunday dinner features twelve ounces of Prime Rib, served with a trio of sauces, choice of The Wedge, Fleming’s or Caesar salads, choice of one side dish and choice of dessert.

Morton’s The Steakhouse, 9525 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Rosemont, (847) 678-5155, mortons.com/rosemont

Enjoy sitting on a patio (weather permitting) with a good cigar, great food and an amazing cocktail frm 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 26. Menu includes Filet Sandwiches, Broiled Sea Scallops Wrapped in Bacon, Tuna Tartar Canapés, Assorted Cheeses, Scotch & Port. Cost is $50 per person and includes two premium cigars.

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, 960 Milwaukee Ave., Lincolnshire, (847) 793-0333

Wine Tasting Under the Stars featuring Stags’ Leap Winery at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 27. The evening will feature hors d’oeuvres paired with four Stags’ Leap wines and will take place on Fleming’s outdoor patio (weather permitting). Cost is $59 per person (excluding tax and gratuity). Reservations are required.

Entrants can view official “Skinny Sippin’ Summer Sweepstakes” rules and register by visiting flemingssteakhouse.com/skinny/rules.html and following the instructions to complete the online entry form.  The prizes are as follows, and each prize winner will also receive a $500 Fleming’s Gift Card: August: A $500 Spa Finders Gift Card for head to toe pampering; Grand Prize: A $5,000 Gift Voucher valid toward a Luxury Included® Vacation at any Sandals resort in the Caribbean and roundtrip coach airfare for two from the U.S. to your Caribbean destination. Fleming’s has also introduced a new 99 calorie cocktail called the Russian Prom Queen.   This new summertime beverage is featured on the Fleming’s “5 for $6 ‘til 7” bar menu*, which includes a selection of five full portion appetizers, five premium cocktails and five distinctive wines by the glass for just $6 a piece from open to close in the bar . The latest “5 for 6 ‘til 7” menu also features items such as a Tropical Martini, Mark West Pinot Noir, wicked Cajun barbeque shrimp, sweet chile calamari, tenderloin carpaccio and the Fleming’s Prime Burger.

Brainerd Building, 416 W. Park Ave. Libertyville, (847) 722-8517, NorthShoreWineBeerFest.com

North Shore Wine Beer Cigar and Food Festival and Benefit takes place from 3 to 8:30 p.m. on Aug. 27. Festival features 350+ wines, 150+ craft beers, fine cigars, delicious food, live music and eight food vendors. Tickets are $25 in advance and $35 at the gate and includes a souvenir glass and 10 free tastes from the wine, beer or cigar vendors. This festival is the major fundraiser for the Save Brainerd group looking to restore and repurpose the historic building into a community center. Tickets are available online or at Libertyville Village Hall, S&S Wine and Spirit Warehouse, Mickey Finn’s Brewery, Cigars and More, Morgan’s Bar & Grill, Wisma and Nirvana.

JEWEL-OSCO stores, select locations, (1-800-403-8238)

JEWEL-OSCO stores will offer “Eating Healthy with my Diabetes” educational tours through December. On the free, in-store tours, consumers will learn to choose better-for-you foods and eat healthfully, while incorporating foods they love into their meals. Tours will be led by a registered dietitian and specially trained pharmacist. Upcoming tours will include: Sept. 7, 6 p.m., JEWEL-OSCO, 16 S. Waukegan Rd., Deerfield; Sept. 8, 6 p.m., JEWEL-OSCO, 150 W. Main, Barrington; Sept. 10, 10 a.m., JEWEL-OSCO, 920 N. Green Bay Rd., Waukegan. Learn more or register at (1-800-403-8238) or see eatinghealthywithmydiabetes.com.

Jerry’s, 507 Chestnut St., Winnetka,(847) 441-0134 or see cornercooks.com

Ravinia Boxed Dinners for Two can be delivered straight to the train for concertgoers. Just give Jerry’s 48-hours notice and they’ll prepare a meal that you can pick up on your way to the performance or have delivered to you at the Winnetka Metra stop. Dinner options include (price reflects dinner for two): The Elegant Mexican which includes oregano herb garlic and mild chili marinated chicken breast, black bean and rice salad, greens with lime cilantro vinaigrette, and guacamole with chips for $42; The Mediterranean, beef tenderloin roasted peppers and onion skewers (with vegetarian skewer options), couscous with cucumber, parsley and tomatoes, asparagus with feta crumble, and a side of hummus with pita triangles for $50 and If By Sea, grilled shrimp with pineapple salsa, poached salmon with dill sauce, pasta with herbs, tomato, breadcrumbs and lemon, and asparagus with Dijon and balsamic for $52. Jerry’s also offers an artisan cheese and bread platter for six priced at $48. Any of the restaurant’s bottles of wine are also available at retail pricing and additional dessert options can be added as well.

Kaufman’s Bakery and Delicatessen, 4905 W. Dempster, Skokie, (847) 677-9880, kaufmansdeli.com

Ongoing, in conjunction with the USO, “The Great Salami Drive,” a fund-raiser where money raised will send 1-pound salamis and other deli items to Illinois troops deployed overseas. A $5 tax deductible donation buys a “Kaufman’s Taste of Home” and includes a 1-pound salami, bagel chips, pretzels and condiments. A $45 donation will send 120 salami sticks. The salami, salami sticks and other items will be shipped by the case and distributed to troops.

Pizano’s Pizza and Pasta in Glenview, 1808 Waukegan Road, (847) 486-1777

Pizano’s new catering menu features many of its famous dishes at affordable prices and can cater your next party for 10 to 1000 people. Pizano’s pizza truck is equipped to prepare and bake pizzas on-site for a minimum of 200 guests. We cater to many small businesses, large corporations, private parties, schools and fundraisers. Pizano’s also features food steeped in Italian tradition and skillfully prepared from the highest quality ingredients. Other great dishes include fried calamari, delicious salads, chicken dishes, sandwiches plus house-made ravioli, tortellini, fettuccine and gnocchi with a variety of sauces.

Q-BBQ, 70. S. La Grange Road, La Grange, (708) 482-8700, q-bbq.com.

New Doggie Dining Menu, Bark-B-Q Menu consisting of Chicken and Carrots (small, $2.95 and large, $4.95 and available for lunch and dinner) for patrons and their pets to enjoy on Q-BBQ’s dog-friendly patio. Water is “Qomplimentary”.

Real Urban Barbecue, 610 Central Avenue #177, Highland Park

Introducing the nearly 7 lb. “Hungry Home-Wrecker Throwback Sandwich” (priced at $29.95) and not for the faint of heart—or appetite. A monstrous specially sourced bun is topped with 1.5 lbs of RUB’s house-smoked andouille sausage, 2 lbs. pulled pork, a hot shower of Texas Sauce, a pint of coleslaw, and 6 oz. of RUB’s own “Brain Buster” pickles. Eat this BBQ behemoth in less than 40 minutes and receive a T-Shirt, a free lunch, and of course, eternal bragging rights. The sandwich is also available for parties and special functions. For more information see RealUrbanBBQ.com or call (224)770-4BBQ (4227).

STOP Foodborne Illness Offers Simple Guidelines for Safe, Enjoyable Summer Picnics and Barbecues

Nancy Donley, president of STOP Foodborne Illness, the leading national advocate for safe food, is offering simple food safety tips to help prevent food poisoning as Americans plan summer picnics and barbecues. STOP’s Food Safety Guidelines for Summer:

◆ Make sure you have these essential tools: a cooler, hand sanitizer and a meat thermometer.

◆ Keep a cooler in the back of your car when grocery shopping to store meats on the hot drive home.  Always store raw meats separately from fully cooked and perishable food items.

◆ Bring hand sanitizer if you’re not going to be near a sink to wash your hands when preparing food.

◆ Use a thermometer when cooking meat. Ground meat should reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees before it can be served safely. Chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Steaks, chops and roasts should reach an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees and “stand or rest” for 3 minutes to finish cooking.

◆ Take care to prevent cross-contamination.  Use separate cutting boards for your raw meat and other perishables and wash hands often as you prepare foods.

◆ Everyone loves leftovers, but throw them out if you don’t have a place to cool and store them within two hours of serving (or just one hour if air temperature spikes above 90 degrees).

For more food preparation safety tips visit topfoodborneillness.org. STOP’s helpline (1-800-350-STOP) helps foodborne illness victims navigate the health system to figure out what they have, where it might have come from, and what to do next.