Fresh sheet

Celebrate lentils

Pullman’s National Lentil Festival will include a cooking demonstration stage, co-hosted by Whole Foods and Pacific Northwest Cooperative Specialty Foods.

The stage will spotlight three Northwest chefs and an ask-the-experts panel. The panel discussion takes place at 6:30 p.m. Friday with a Washington State University soil scientist who can answer questions about how lentils are grown on the Palouse.

Cooking demos begin at 11 a.m. Saturday with Jamie Callison, executive chef at WSU’s School of Hospitality Business Management. At noon, Robin Leventhal, a chef and instructor at Wine Country Culinary Institute – as well as a “Top Chef” contestant – takes the stage. The marketing and events chef at Whole Foods, Hayden Smissen, comes on at 1 p.m.

For more info about the 26th Lentil Festival, visit www.lentilfest.com.

Wine school

Coeur d’Alene Cellars is offering a class for aspiring wine lovers – and now’s the time to sign up.

The “Discover your Palate: Terroir, Oak, and Age” class will focus on identifying individual preferences. Participants will learn how to order wine at restaurants and stock personal wine cellars with confidence.

The entry-level class, meant for beginning or intermediate wine enthusiasts, costs $25 per person and includes wine tasting and appetizers. Reservations are required. Space is limited to 20 people.

The class runs from 3 to 4 p.m. Sept. 13 at the winery, 3890 N. Schreiber Way. Call (208) 664-2336.

Happy trails

There are two more chances to celebrate the recently expanded Inland Northwest Ale Trail.

An updated map – with 27 listings, up from 16 in its first year last year – debuted Aug. 1 and includes breweries in North Idaho, the greater Spokane area, and southern and central Washington.

Participants get stamps for visiting breweries. After collecting 12 – up from 10 last year – they receive a 32-ounce mini growler, or grunt.

Two kick-off events remain: 5 to 10 p.m. Thursday at Pint’s Ale House, 10111 N. Newport Highway in Spokane, and 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 28 at Capone’s Pub & Grill, 751 N. Fourth St. in Coeur d’Alene.

On the Web: www.inlandnwaletrail.com.