Fish story — Now that Fat Tuesday has come and gone, observers of Lent are adjusting to the culinary change. To help, the St. Peter Claver Catholic Community has come up with a program of Lenten fish fries. On Fridays during Lent, the community will serve catfish and whiting dinners, catfish and whiting sandwiches, spaghetti, coleslaw, green beans and cake. Nothing costs more than $8. Fish fries are scheduled for Feb. 23 and March 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30. At the parish rectory, 13305 Grove St., Detroit; 313-342-5292.
Food fight — Food lovers are taking the fight against hepatitis C to their home territory with a new 280-page cookbook. Cooking Around the World features 500 recipes from all over the globe. For more information about the volume, visit hepcfund.org.
Daily bread — Good news for grain-lovers in Detroit: Avalon International Breads is now open on Sundays. The six-day week means you can enjoy Avalon's fare for your Sunday brunch. Sundays, 7 a.m.-3 p.m.; 422 W. Willis St., Detroit; 313-832-0008.
King Creole — As they do monthly, the folks at Josephine Creperie & Bistro in Ferndale are continuing to host special meals highlighting French-influenced cuisine on the last Wednesday of each month. This time around, it's French Creole cuisine, in celebration of Mardi Gras. Expect shrimp boulettes, red bean gumbo and baked eggplant stuffed with tofu ratatouille. Five courses; $28; on Feb. 28; at 241 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-399-1366.
Eat the Page
Our corner hipster joint will put just about anything into a cocktail glass and call it a martini but when we wanted to know the true origins and recipe, we cracked a copy of Cocktail: The Drinks Bible for the 21st Century (Viking, 19.95). "The Alchemist" of cocktailtime.com, Paul Harrington and friends have filled this book with history, recipes and the fundamentals that all mixologists ought to know. Whether it's an old-school drink like the Aviation or the Sazerac, or the new darlings of the cocktail scene the Caipirinha and Mojito, this book will have you mixing it up just right.
A Tasty Beverage
We like coffee with our late Sunday morning breakfasts of blueberry pancakes or crêpes and fruit confit. That's nice. OJ is OK too. But it's the sublime apricot, pear and star fruit essence of Cascinetta Vietti Moscato d'Asti that brings everything into focus. It's a sweet wine with a little fizz, low alcohol and big aromas of ripe apples and blossoms. Give this wine a try when you're thinking Mimosa, or drink it with custard-based desserts if you're concerned morning drinking might lead you somewhere you don't want to go. It retails for around $15. Have your area wine merchant call Veritas Distributors to get some.
It Works
A good quality citrus zester is two tools in one. The small holes do a swell job of pulling thin, pith-free threads off your favorite fruits. Toss them into pie filling, flan fixings, scone batter or wherever else citrus zest livens up a dish. If the threads are a little large, hack them into a mince. No worries. But it's the large garnish hole that really turns us on. We use it for everything from lemon twists that hang out on the side of our cocktails to shaved chocolate trifle toppings to Parmigiano Reggiano curls on our bruschetta.
Know of any new restaurants, special dinners or food-related events? Let us know. Send materials two weeks in advance to [email protected].
