Pig Out — The folks at Lazybones Smokehouse will be holding Thursday pig roasts to benefit local charities. The mouthwatering pig meat is a guaranteed pleaser, but the causes, which change every week, will help leave a good taste in your mouth too. Thursday after 6 p.m.; $10 donation. At 27475 Groesbeck Hwy., Roseville; 1-866-671-0221.
Grill screen — With summer drawing near, everybody's firing up their barbecues, including the urban art-lovers at the Contemporary Art Institute of Detroit. Monday nights will feature a "Barbecued Movie," for which they'll fire up their new grill with ribs, hot dogs and tofu patties so guests can wash it down with cold beer while watching craptacular movies on the lawn. Flicks will include Terror Firmer and The Last Moment (June 2), Even Dwarfs Started Small (June 9) and Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (June 16). Until Labor Day; movies start at 9:30 p.m.; free for members, $3 for nonmembers.
EAT THE PAGE
As much as we love the speed and low fuss-factor of carryout food, by the time you get it on the table it has often lost its freshness. In Gordon Ramsay's Fast Food (Key Porter Books, $35) you'll find more than 100 delicious recipes that are super-fast and easy to prepare, served up by this three-star chef and TV celebrity, where he plays drill sergeant in the kitchen of the struggling restaurants that he's trying to save. Most of the menus for entire meals can be prepared in less than 45 minutes.
A TASTY BEVERAGE
Metro Detroit backyard mint patches are beginning to swell. What better use for this cool and fragrant plant than a "freshly minted" cocktail? We like a properly made mint julep, a straightforward mixture of muddled mint, simple syrup, bourbon and water over cracked ice. As with most historic drinks, the mint julep has a murky past. Some say Southern farmers once drank them as a morning stimulant in lieu of coffee. They're best known as the tipple of choice at Churchill Downs on Derby Day. We like them as long as the mint is fresh.
IT WORKS
Don't show up at a barbecue or picnic or graduation party without some chow. Just make sure that transporting it doesn't render it unappetizing or, worse, inedible. Baker's Sto 'N Go can help. With three adjustable racks, it will accommodate different various-sized goodies. The new deviled eggs tray ($4.95) holds as many as 32 eggs. Sto 'N Go can be used in a microwave, is dishwasher-safe, and is easy to carry with a removable handle. See bakersstongo.com for several photos that offer suggested uses or use your imagination to come up with your own ideas.
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