Make plans to attend Bistro Night at Orlando’s

Students at the Inland Northwest Culinary Academy at Spokane Community College will host two special dinners at the student-run Orlando’s restaurant on Dec. 2 and 3.

The inaugural Bistro Night dinners will include student-designed menu items and European bistro-style desserts, tableside preparation, seasonal and local ingredients and wine.

Seating times are at 5:30, 6, 6:30 and 7 p.m. The dinners are $50 per person and reservations are required. Please call (509) 533-7283 for more information or reservations with a credit card.

Cork and Keg on Saturday

The Washington Restaurant Association hosts the annual wine and beer tasting, featuring more than 100 wines and 30 handcrafted beers. Festivities will be held 7 to 10 p.m. at the Mirabeau Park Hotel, 1100 N. Sullivan Road.

Hors d’oeuvres will be prepared by chef instructor Curtis Smith of the Inland Northwest Culinary Academy and his students. There will be live music from the Martini Brothers.

Tickets are $45 each and can be purchased online at www.spokanecork andkeg.com or at one of these local stores: Spokane area Rosauers, Huckleberry’s, Vino! A Wine Shop, Williams Seafood Market and Wines, Mirabeau Park Hotel and Eau du Vie Wine Shop in Liberty Lake.

Proceeds benefit the Inland Northwest Culinary Academy, ProStart programs in Spokane and Feed Spokane.

Stay tuned for more turkey

Experienced Thanksgiving cooks know that the holiday meal is not necessarily a test of culinary skill. It is more of an exam on organization and time-management skills, one that requires careful rationing of oven space and delegation galore.

In next week’s Food section, we’ll bring you advice, hints and recipes to help cooks juggle that giant bird, mash those spuds, make lump-free gravy and get it all on the table at just the right moment.

Even with plans for the perfect Thanksgiving feast, you’ll still have meals for the rest of the weekend to consider. Turkey leftovers will only take you so far, especially if you’re entertaining guests.

So, in the Nov. 23 section we’ll bring you ideas for pulling together satisfying meals from the leftovers, snacks to appease the crowd while the bird is roasting and plans for breakfast beyond leftover pumpkin pie.