Photo: vmiramontes/Flickr

Abby Conway

Local Bites 2010 Preview Party
Tomorrow evening is the kick-off for Down:2:Earth: Sustainable Living in Boston at the Hynes Convention Center. From 5-9 pm Whole Foods, Root:1 and Electrolux are sponsoring Local Bites 2010, a green happy hour (OK, a long one) in which local chefs, food producers, restauranteurs and folks from the wine and beer industry–all committed to sustainability–will be offering their wares, ideas and time. “Come after work to browse the expo, talk to all of the exhibitors and be entertained … all while sampling local bites and sipping organic wine.” Tickets ($20 in advance, $25 at the door) are valid for entrance to the expo the entire weekend. Proceeds from Local Bites 2010 will benefit the New England Aquarium Sustainable Seafood Program and The Federation of Massachusetts Farmers Markets.

If you’re a fan of WBUR’s midday news magazine “Here & Now,” host Robin Young will be main stage on Saturday at the expo, discussing sustainable business. 

Baking for Breast Cancer
Beginning the week of May 3rd, restaurants, bakeries and cafes in the Greater Boston area will be participating in the 11th annual Boston Bakes for Breast Cancer Event. Hundreds of area restaurants will designate one of their sweet treats as “the Boston Bakes for Breast Cancer Dessert.” 100% of the proceeds from the selected confection will benefit breast cancer research and care at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Be sure to check out which of your favorite eateries are participating. If you’re going to indulge, indulge wisely for a worthy cause.

Chop Chop
Got a little chef at home? A new magazine and website aimed at kids aged 5 to 12 and their families is in the works. It’s called ChopChop and its mission is to “educate kids to cook and be nutritionally literate.” Its board (the grown-up version) is made up of MDs, PhDs and MPHs, but kids are apparently playing an advisory role. The magazine will be filled with nutritious and inexpensive recipes, food facts and games. The first issue (published by Kid2Kid, Inc., in Watertown, MA) is being distributed to pediatricians, children’s hospitals, community organizations and selected schools, farmers markets and grocery stores. 

Get It While It’s Hot
Food trends come and go but, according to the Boston Globe Magazine, the five hottest in Boston right now are worth getting your hands on. Funky popcorn, exotic citrus, pork belly, coconut water and ‘pickled non-pickles’ make the list. Where can you get the best of these trends? Read here. 

Wine Wars
BU Food and Wine is hosting “Wine Wars”: a trivia game for wine geeks and wannabes. Friday, April 9th, join Annie Coops, Food Editor at Yankee Magazine, for a night of competitive wine trivia. The “Wine Wars” game was created by BU MLA in Gastronomy graduate Joyce Lock, who also created the Foodie Fight trivia game. Wine and snacks are included in admission and the winning team will take home prizes. The cost is $25/person or $150/table. You can join a team when you get there or come with your own (up to 8 people).

“This Isn’t Your Parent’s Wine Tasting”
Mark your calendars. The Wine Riot will be at the BCA next weekend, April 16th and 17th. The Riot is an expo-style wine tasting, hosted by The Second Glass, that will feature over 250 wines from all over the world plus Crash Course wine seminars, food pairings, a DJ, a photo booth and more. Check out their blog for the most up-to-date information on what to expect at the Riot. Tickets range from $45-$55. Serving up food pairings (all under $5) will be Tremont 647, The Upper Crust, Masa, Redbones and Legal Seafoods. Keep your eyes peeled for more on this event from PRK.