Today

Stout Beer Tasting. 7-9 p.m. Arbor Brewing Co., 114 E. Washington, Ann Arbor. Arbor Brewing Beer Tastings are a year-long celebration of the rich and varied tastes and traditions of beers from across the globe. This month's feature is Stouts. The stout tasting was the first tasting we ever held back in 1997. And it is a dark beer lovers dream come true! We hand-pick 25-30 of our favorite stouts - Irish stouts, milk stouts, chocolate stouts, coffee stouts, Russian imperial stouts, some Belgian and experimental stouts when we can get our hands on them. $25 in advance, $30 at the door. 734-213-1393.

Thursday Night Rush Hour Relief at the Wine Bar. 5-8:30 p.m. Cranbrook Whole Foods, 990 W. Eisenhower Parkway, Ann Arbor, at the wine bar. Each Thursday evening, experts lead an exploration of wine, cheese and appetizers. This week’s topic: World Chardonnay. 734-997-7500.

Friday

French Cuisine I with Brigitte Romero. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Hollander's, 410 N. Fourth Ave., first floor of the Kerrytown Shops, Ann Arbor. In this hands-on class you will make Quiche Lorraine, with bacon and smoked ham; Sautéed shrimp with a basil, sun-dried tomato and caper marinade served with spaghettis; and Quatre Quart, traditional French butter vanilla cake paired with French style vanilla pastry cream. Always popular, so book this class early! The class limit is 8. $65. 734-741-7531.

Spaghetti dinner. 5-8 p.m. American Legion Post #419, 9807 Whitewood Road, Pinckney. $6 for adults, $5 for seniors, $3 for children 9 and under. 734-878-9522 or 734-341-4249.

Sushi Bar. 6:30-9:30 p.m. Ann Arbor Cooks, 5060 Jackson Road, Ann Arbor. In this beginner sushi-making class, the instructor will discuss traditional ingredients and teach you the skills you'll need to prepare classic sushi in a relaxing way. You will start by making sushi rick, preparing the fish and vegetables, using bamboo mats to roll sushi, and learning to make hand rolls -- all with authentic, top-quality ingredients. $85. 734-645-1030.

Fish Fry: Dexter Knights of Columbus. 4:30-7:30 p.m. Dexter Knights of Columbus Banquet Hall, 8265 Dexter-Chelsea Road, Dexter. Every Friday, Feb. 24-March 30: Fried shrimp, baked and fried fish, sides and salad bar. 734-426-5558.

34th Annual Lenten Fish Fry. 4:30-7:30 p.m. Old St. Patrick, 5671 Whitmore Lake Road, Ann Arbor. Come for a fish fry every Friday, Feb. 24-March 30. Menu: Fried Alaskan Pollock, choice of potato, salad bar and beverage. Desserts are available for a nominal additional charge. Beer and wine are available for a donation. $8 for adults, $7 for seniors, $6 for children ages 5-11. Children 4 and younger eat for free. 734-662-8141.

Fish Dinners on Fridays during Lent. 4:30-7 p.m. St. Mary's Catholic Parish, 10601 Dexter Pinckney Road, Pinckney. The Men’s Club of St. Mary’s Catholic Parish in Pinckney is proudly sponsoring its annual Fish Dinners on Friday evenings during Lent. The Parish is located south of M-36 at 10601 Dexter Pinckney Road in Putnam Township. Our delicious dinner includes baked or beer battered fried fish, choice of French fries, scalloped or baked potato, beets, coleslaw, homemade macaroni and cheese, cut vegetables, Jell-O, homemade rolls and dessert and assorted beverages. Take outs are available! The cost is $9 for adults, $8 for seniors, $4 for children (under age 12). Immediate family price: $30. 734-878-3161.

Saturday

Chinese Food Festival to benefit Food Gatherers. Noon-2:30 p.m. Washtenaw Community College, 4800 E. Huron River Drive, Ann Arbor. Enjoy healthful and tasty Chinese food at Garrett’s Restaurant at Washtenaw Community College, with all proceeds going to Food Gatherers. Details: 15 dishes, Chef Frank Zhong’s cooking demo, door prizes. Homemade Chinese dishes: Non-fried spring rolls, with/without meat; fried rice noodles, with/without meat; Baozi: steamed buns with stuffing, with/without meat; Chinese dumplings/potstickers, with/without meat; Chinese green onion pancakes; roasted chicken salad with oriental dressing; white rice. The event will also feature restaurant prepared dishes: TK Wu Restaurant - Jalapeño Chicken and Pan-Fried Tofu With Lobster Sauce; Ypbor Yen Restaurant - General Tsao Chicken and Sizzling Green Beans; Chia Shiang Restaurant - Fried Rice and Chia Shiang Special. Dessert: Almond0flavored gelatin with fruit cocktail and sweet rice balls with red bean paste. $30/ticket ($20 tax deductible if applicable). Ticket purchase: 734-332-0390, 734-213-3988 or A2casaa@gmail.com.

Green Thumb Series: Garden to Table. 2-3 p.m. The Garden Mill, 110 S. Main St., Chelsea. Join us for a free series of workshops featuring ideas, tips, and recipes to enjoy your garden’s bounty, every Saturday in March at 2 p.m. This week’s topic: Tasty Trees & Savory Shrubs: Edible Plants in Your Landscape. Cynthia Silveri, landscape architect and lecturer, will discuss landscape options that are pleasing to the eye and the palate. Free and open to the public, but space is limited. To reserve a spot, call 734-475-3539.

The Crack Heard ‘Round the World - A Royal Cheese Event. 3 p.m. Ann Arbor Whole Foods, 3135 Washtenaw Ave., Ann Arbor. A Parmesan Reggiano cracking event will be held in the specialty department. At exactly 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, cheese mongers in our stores across the U.S., Canada and the U.K. will simultaneously crack into more than 375 85-pound wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano. This is a great spectacle to see a wheel of the “King of Cheeses” cracked in the traditional way. Free. 734-975-4500.

Golden Brew Tour: Golden Limousine International. Noon-5 p.m. Tour starts at Wolverine State Brewery, 2019 West Stadium Boulevard, Ann Arbor. Ale, lager, porter, stout, pilsner…. Come discover the distinct flavors of Michigan-made beer. Begin at Wolverine State Brewery and spend the day visiting various breweries and festivals throughout Michigan. Pricing varies by event. 800-300-5151. events@goldenlimo.com or www.goldenlimo.com/brewtours.

American Meat Dinner. 5-7 p.m. Zingerman’s Roadhouse, 2501 Jackson Road, Ann Arbor. Chef Alex Young hosts a dinner featuring a menu highlighting Cornman Farms’ meats. Followed by a trip to the Michigan Theater to view and discuss the documentary ‘American Meat.’ $45 (beverages not included). Reservations required by calling 734-663-3663.

Coffee Tour. 11 a.m.-noon Zingerman’s Coffee Co., 3723 Plaza Drive, Ann Arbor. One of Zingerman’s Coffee managing partners, Allen Leibowitz or Steve Mangigian, offers a free tour of the coffee company and talk about the intricate world of java. Free. 734-929-6060.

Sunday

Bistro Dinner with Diane Nafranowicz. 1-2 p.m. Hollander's, 410 N. Fourth Ave., first floor of the Kerrytown Shops, Ann Arbor. Learn to make this classic French dinner: Curried carrot soup, boursin stuffed chicken breasts, and baked red wine pears. Elegant, economical, and easy. $16. 734-741-7531.

Maple Syrup Making: From the Tree to the Pancake. 1:30-3 p.m. Gerald Eddy Discovery Center & Waterloo Recreation Area, 17030 Bush Road, Chelsea. It’s time for that traditional rite of spring - tapping maple trees. Naturalist Tom Jameson will share his time-tested techniques for do-it-yourself maple syrup making. Following a viewing of the film “Maple Sugar Farmer,” he will lead a short walk into the woods to show how to identify maple trees and to demonstrate proper tapping techniques. $2 per person or $5 per family. Advance registration requested at 734-475-3170.

Maple Syrup Tasting. 2-5 p.m. Pittsfield Grange, 3337 Ann Arbor-Saline Road, Ann Arbor. Come taste several local (and a non-local) maple syrups and pick your favorite sugarbush! All varieties will be easily available at local markets, so you'll be able to find your favorite again after the event. We'll have a syrup maker on hand to discuss "Vintages" of maple syrup, what makes for ideal syrup-growing conditions, etc. Free to Grange members. $5-10 sliding scale for non-members.

Tours of the Creamery. 2 p.m. Zingerman's Creamery, 3723 Plaza Drive, Ann Arbor. Cheesemaker and managing partner John Loomis leads the whey and gives the inside scoop on how they make artisan cheeses and old-fashioned gelato (that’s Italian ice cream). $5. You will receive a $5 coupon to spend in The Cheese Shop. 734-929-0500.

Zingerman’s Creamery Cheeses. 4-5:30 p.m. Zingerman's Creamery, 3723 Plaza Drive, Ann Arbor. Zingerman’s Creamery cheesemaker Aubrey Thomason discusses the range of fresh artisanal cheeses it makes and the processes of making them. Taste samples. $20. 734-929-0500.

Monday

Meatless Monday. 6:30-9:30 p.m. Ann Arbor Cooks, 5060 Jackson Road, Ann Arbor. Have you been trying to cut meat out of your diet at least once a week or considering it? This class will be a great introduction to the concept that you don't have to sacrifice flavor or sustenance with your meat! Join the 'Meatless Monday' movement -- the goal is to reduce meat consumption in order to improve personal health and the health of our planet. Menu: Barley Soup with Root Vegetables; Lentil and Harvest Vegetable Loaf; Curried Vegetable Pie topped with Chickpea Pastry. $65. www.annarborcooks.com.

Cocktail Class - Serious Tiki Drinks. 7:30 p.m. Ravens Club, 207 S. Main St., Ann Arbor. Much maligned, tiki drinks are not simple fruit-juice laden beverages. Tiki is really all about the rum, and we'll taste several examples of this hugely variable spirit, from different countries and styles, before blending them with fruit juice and other ingredients to create the complex and layered drinks that exemplify Tiki at its best. Classes are hands on, with lots of tasting opportunities. Class is taught by Tammy's Tastings. $35 in advance, $45 at the door. Reserve your space at http://www.tammystastings.com/shop or at 734-276-3215.

Open dance and wine tasting. 6 p.m.-close. Passport Restaurant and Lounge, 3776 S. State St., Ann Arbor. Open dancing and free wine tasting from 6 p.m. to close. No cover charge; price of purchases. 734-222-1111.

Milan Senior Nutrition Program. 11:45 a.m. Milan Senior & Community Activity Center, 45 Neckel Court, Milan. In partnership with the Washtenaw County Senior Nutrition Program, they offer a nutritionally balanced meal three afternoons a week: Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. There is a suggested donation of $2.50 for anyone who is 60 years or older and a fee of $5 for anyone under the age of 60. They do ask for 48 hour advanced reservations. Call or stop by the office. 734-439-1549.

Tuesday

Chocolate Tasting for Teens. 1 p.m. Dexter District Library, 3255 Alpine St., Dexter. Celebrate American Chocolate Week. The class is aimed at children in grades four through 12 . Free, but registration is required at 734-426-4477.

Sautéing 101. 6:30-9:30 p.m. Ann Arbor Cooks, 5060 Jackson Road, Ann Arbor. Join in for an intensive look at this dry high-heat, low-fat, quick-cooking method. You will get ample practice and once you've got it mastered, the sky's the limit for creativity in the kitchen. Come hungry. Menu: shrimp scampi with linguine, rack of lamb with mustard and rosemary pan sauce, pan-roasted chicken au jus, and sautéed salmon with a gingered-carrot sauce. $75. Register at www.wccnet.edu/lifelong-learning.

Quick, New Ways to Cook Up Al Dente Pasta with Monique Deschaine. 6-7:30 p.m. Ann Arbor Whole Foods, 3135 Washtenaw Ave., Ann Arbor. Long America’s leading artisanal pasta, Al Dente has been made in the Ann Arbor area since 1981. Now available in all 50 states, it has become famous for fresh, homemade taste and a three-minute cooking time. Now you have a chance to meet Monique Deschaine, founder of Al Dente Pasta and a true pioneer of the local food movement. She is well-known around town for her enthusiasm, energy and love of sharing her tricks to getting healthy, delicious food on the table in minutes. This class is perfect for both the novice and experienced cook alike. You will learn to make whole wheat fettuccine with seasonal roasted vegetables, pasta with sundried tomatoes and arugula, fettuccine with sausage, peas and ricotta, fettuccine with veggie ragu and a five- minute minestrone. Monique is donating proceeds from this class to the Whole Planet Foundation. This Class is held in the Cooking and Lifestyles Classroom. $15 or $10 with student ID. Registration encouraged: 734-975-4500.

Traditional Irish Dishes. 7 p.m. Cranbrook Whole Foods, 990 W. Eisenhower Parkway, Ann Arbor. Chris from our prepared foods department is excited to share with you some of his favorite Irish recipes. He will demonstrate: steak and Guinness Pie; colcannon; and Irish onion soup. $10. Stop by the customer service desk or call 734-977-7500.

Lunch is Served. Noon-1 p.m. Turner Senior Resource Center, 2401 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor. Repeats every Tuesday and Friday. Reservations are required with two days prior notice. Suggested donation for those over 60 years of age is $2.50, for all others, $5. Call 734-998-9353 for reservations.

Wednesday

3.14 is Pie Day. 4-7 p.m. Cranbrook Whole Foods, 990 W. Eisenhower Parkway, Ann Arbor. 3.14 is Pie Day and Whole Foods Market is celebrating! Join us from 4pm-7pm for pie samples and sales! Yum. 734-997-7500.

Rustic Italian Cooking: Italian Sunday Suppers-Pork with Francesca Giarraffa. 5:30-8:30 p.m. Ann Arbor Whole Foods, 3135 Washtenaw Ave., Ann Arbor. Students will assist in preparing porchetta (slow roasted pork coated with rosemary and garlic and served with skin-on wedged potatoes baked with mixed herbs), roasted butternut squash (dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette and served on radicchio with dried fruit) and poached pears (in champagne and topped with mascarpone cream cheese and pistachios), followed by the entire meal enjoyed together family style. This class is held in the Cooking and Lifestyles Classroom. Tuition: $39. Mandatory Fee: $15. Rgister on-line through www.wccnet.edu.

DIY Series: Cupcake Decorating. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Ypsilanti District Library - Michigan Avenue branch, 229 W. Michigan Ave., Ypsilanti. Learn how to make and color your own frosting and pipe it onto cupcakes. Experiment with different frosting tips and designs, and decorate with chocolate curls or sprinkles. You’ll be amazed at what you can create. This class is for teens and adults. Free, but registration is required: 734-482-4110 ext. 1390.

Wednesday Wine Tasting. 6:30 p.m. Paesano's Italian Restaurant, 3411 Washtenaw Ave., Ann Arbor. This informal wine tasting allows patrons to sample five up and coming wines from Italy. Joined by one of Paesano's knowledgeable wine purveyors, the staff creates tasty appetizers to accompany the bold flavors. $25. www.paesanosannarbor.com.

Thursday, March 15

Coney Dog and Root Beer Float Night. 5-8 p.m. American Legion Post #419, 9807 Whitewood Road, Pinckney. $1. For more information call 734- 878-9522 or 734-341-4249.

Surprise! It's Vegetarian with Sonia Urbaniak. 6-8 p.m. Ann Arbor Whole Foods, 3135 Washtenaw Ave., Ann Arbor. Have you tried to go vegetarian but just didn't find it satisfying? Sonia has whipped up some healthy and flavorful dishes that will make you forget about the meat. Recipes: Black bean burgers, lentil soup, rich vegetable stew and Pasta Sonia. This class is held in the Cooking and Lifestyles Classroom. $39. Pre-registration required at 734-994-2300 ext. 53203 or www.aareced.com.

Savory Pies. 5:30-9:30 p.m. Zingerman's Bakehouse, 3711 Plaza Drive, Ann Arbor. Is it dinner or a pastry? In this class we'll delve in to a few of the delicious savory pies found in just about every culture, like the empanada, so common in Spain, Portugal, Central and South America, and the knish, a Jewish staple in Eastern Europe. How about the pasty, served up by the thousands in Michigan's Upper Peninsula? $125. 734-761-7255.

The Monthly Slurps. 5-7 p.m. Spotted Dog Winery, 108 E. Michigan Ave., Saline. Stop in for an after-hours wine and food event on the third Thursday of each month. Price: TBD. www.spotteddogwinery.com.

Thursday Night Rush Hour Relief at the Wine Bar. 5-8:30 p.m. Cranbrook Whole Foods, 990 W. Eisenhower Parkway, Ann Arbor, at the wine bar. Each Thursday evening, experts lead an exploration of wine, cheese and appetizers. This week’s topic: Wines of Chile. 734-997-7500.

To submit events for this calendar, e-mail calendar@annarbor.com.