It’s Wine Month, so stock up

Don’t let the rest of the month slip away without a visit to the state liquor store to stock up on wine.

The Washington State Liquor Control Board is celebrating (or helping you celebrate, anyway) the 20th year of Washington Wine Month with sales on many of the wines produced in the state. You can save anywhere from 50 cents to $7 on some bottles of Washington wine.

Washington is now the second largest producer of wine, behind California. Wine production has more than doubled in the last decade and wine grapes are the state’s second largest fruit crop.

There is a long list of sale wines and one-time-only special purchase wines. For example you can pick up a bottle of Latah Creek’s favorite Huckleberry d’Latah for $6.70. Its retail price is usually $8.99. Other Spokane wines on sale include Latah Creek’s 2003 Johannisberg Riesling and Muscat Canelli for $5.44 and $7.39 respectively. Arbor Crest’s 2003 Sangiovese is listed for $10.58.

Not all stores will have every wine and some quantities are limited, but there are some really great deals on the list.

Apple pie dreams

Ever dreamed of turning your cooking into a career? Then start working on your apple pie recipe. The Culinary Institute of America is offering scholarships to the culinary college for winners of the 2004-05 All-American Apple Pie Recipe Contest.

Fourteen finalists will earn scholarships and a trip to the Hyde Park campus. Two contestants with the top pie recipe in each region will win $4,000 toward freshman-year tuition. Two runners up will receive a $1,000 scholarship. Anyone interested in a career in culinary arts or baking and pastry arts and at least a junior in high school is eligible to enter. All components of the pie entered must be made from scratch.

To enter, submit a completed contest entry form, your original pie recipe, a photo of the finished pie and a personal essay of no more than 500 words that includes the story behind the recipe and who your culinary influence is or how you first became interested in culinary arts. Submissions are due no later than Jan. 15, 2005. Entry forms may be found online at www.ciachef.edu. You can also enter online at that address. For more information call (800) 285-4627.

Food safety at the grill

Don’t forget safe food practices just because you’re not in the kitchen. Here are some tips from the American Dietetic Association and ConAgra Foods:

“ Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of meats. Guessing is not a good idea. For hamburgers the magic number is 160 degrees Fahrenheit, for chicken it’s 170 degrees.

“ Keep raw meats and ready-to-eat foods separate.

“ Don’t use the same brush to marinate raw meats and brush cooked meats.

“ In hot weather, perishable foods should not be out of the refrigerator for more than one hour.

“ Wash your hands before and after handling food. Pack moist towelettes or hand sanitizer if soap and water is not handy.