BEER HERE — Big things are brewing at the Arbor Brewing Company's ABC Brew Pub. They'll host a tasting (7-9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 11) with 25-30 Michigan brews paired with a buffet. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 on tasting day; call 734-213-1393 for details. Starting at 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 12, they'll close off the street and erect beer tents for their 9th annual Oktoberfest street party, two days of beer, brats, music and merrymaking; 5-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Main and Washington. No cover; must be 21 with valid ID; children welcome with parents. For more information, see neotech.net/abc.
SWEET! — Ferndale's Pinwheel Bakery is now carrying the French pastries from local pastry chef Cecilia Mercante. Trained in France, Mercante has sold her chocolates at her Le Normandie booth in Eastern Market. Drop in at Pinwheel (220 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-398-8018) or see more at ceciliaspastries.com.
EAT THE PAGE
Julia Child referred to him as "a great teacher and truly a master technician." We think he's a wizard in the kitchen. Time and time again, Jacques Pepin dazzles the reader with recipes and techniques designed to make cooking approachable and to enable any cook to prepare memorable meals. In More Fast Food My Way (Houghton Mifflin, $32), Pepin sets forth, as the title suggests, quick-to-prepare recipes that are as simple as they are savory, enabling us to cook and eat well in today's fast-paced world, eschewing food snapped up at the drive-through.
A TASTY BEVERAGE
"Vote early, drink often." Available between mid-August and the first Tuesday in November, Magic Hat's new variety 12-pack is dedicated to democracy. In addition to a couple of the company's better-selling brews, you'll find the one-off Participation Lager, a pale, crisp and well-hopped beer brewed pre-Prohibition style. Or warm up on a cool evening with the strong autumn seasonal, Jinx. Brewed with peat-smoked barley, this dark mahogany drink fills a glass with nutty malt and a curl of campfire essence.
IT WORKS
On a recent Today show featuring entrepreneur inventors and their creations, Annette Sanchez demonstrated the Veggie-Peel, a neat freak's dream kitchen tool. The dual-edged blade of this peeler is covered by a chamber that catches the scrapings — carrots, apples and the like — containing them, keeping them off the floor and countertops. Cleanup time is reduced, especially for anyone who doesn't have a garbage disposal, and the device is makes composting kitchen waste much easier. Pick one up for 20 bucks at veggie-peel.com.
