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Japan Week Adds Flavor

Rick Bonino Food Editor

Ready to expand your culinary horizons? A handful of food-related events are on the schedule for Spokane’s fifth annual Japan Week, which begins Saturday.

Among the activities:

Noodle dinner and bake sale, Saturday, 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., at the Spokane Buddhist Church, 927 S. Perry. For information, call 534-7954.

Japanese Consul General Banquet, Monday, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Whitworth College’s Lindaman Center. Cost: $17. Reservations are requested; call 466-3291.

“A Taste of Japan,” featuring an authentic Japanese dinner, Tuesday, 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., at Whitworth’s Lower Leavitt Dining Hall. Cost: $4 (or student meal card). Seating is limited; call 466-3291 for reservations.

SFCC/SCC Japanese Dinner, with food and entertainment by the community colleges’ international clubs, April 23, 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., at the Spokane Falls Community College Student Union Building Cafeteria. Cost: $7. Tickets must be purchased in advance; call 533-3581.

48th Annual Sukiyaki Dinner, including exhibits, crafts and a sushi bar, April 26, noon to 7 p.m., at Highland Park Methodist Church, 611 S. Garfield. Cost: $8. For information, call 535-2687.

You don’t soy

Coincidentally, this is also National Soyfoods Month, highlighting the healthful soybean products common in Japanese and other Asian diets. Studies have shown soy can help reduce cholesterol counts, cancer risk and even the severity of menopausal symptoms.

Mori-Nu’s toll-free tofu hotline, (800) 669-8638, offers information, recipes and ideas for incorporating tofu into your daily diet.

And a Nebraska cardiologist, Dr. Richard Collins, has made a “Soy Healthy Cooking” video that demonstrates quick, easy soy dishes and includes a recipe booklet. Cost is $17.95, plus $4.95 shipping and handling; call (800) 869-4956.

Smart cookies

Turning to a more familiar food, the Only Oreo Moments contest seeks favorite memories of the classic cookies, in words (essay of up to 500 words, or an audiotape of up to 60 seconds) or pictures (photos 5 by 7 inches or smaller, or a videotape of up to 60 seconds).

The winner gets $10,000 and a trip to Universal Studios Florida. Entries must be received by May 15 at Only Oreo Moments Contest, P.O. Box 9029, Bridgeport, N.J. 08014; for details, call (888) 665-9673.

There’s also an Only Oreo Kids’ Recipe Contest, with winners in the 7-and-under and 8-to-12 categories receiving $20,000 savings bonds, a year’s supply of Oreos and a trip to Florida. Entry deadline is Aug. 3; for an entry form, call (888) 328-6736.

, DataTimes MEMO: We’re always looking for fresh food news. Write to: The Fresh Sheet, Features Department, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210. Call 459-5446; fax 459-5098.

We’re always looking for fresh food news. Write to: The Fresh Sheet, Features Department, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210. Call 459-5446; fax 459-5098.