Cooking for a cause

Guests at the Union Trust Co. Chefs Gala in Ellsworth won’t only get to sample dishes from more than 25 area restaurants, they’ll help benefit Maine Coast Memorial Hospital’s Breast Clinic, too. The event, which will take place at the Holiday Inn in Ellsworth, raised more than $20,000 for the clinic last year. In keeping with the theme “From Sea to Shining Sea,” chefs and caterers will prepare a variety of regional foods from around the country, including a flaming shrimp dish. The festivities start at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, April 6, with hors d’oeuvres and continue with dancing to the tunes of Big Chief until midnight. Tickets cost $50 and are available by calling the development office of Maine Coast Memorial Hospital at 664-5337. Seating is limited.

Egg-stravagant

Do Peeps give you the creeps? Think malted milk eggs are for the birds? Put this baby in your basket. It’s not exactly the golden egg, but Godiva’s Truffle Egg is close enough. The milk chocolate egg, embossed with art nouveau swirls, is filled with decadent dark chocolate on one side and French vanilla truffle cream on the other – perfect for the person who thinks the Easter bunny should be wearing angora. The eggs cost $9.50 each and are available at Filene’s in Bangor, Beal’s Jewelry Store in Ellsworth, online at www.godiva.com or by calling (800) 9-GODIVA.

The lunch bunch

Sure, most people go to the American Association of University Women’s annual book sale for the books, but this year, people may just go for the food. Orono resident Peggy Hallee (formerly known as the Cracker Box Chef) has revamped the menu with a little help from her friends. The group has put together a menu of homemade treats, including Phyllis Borns’ Seafood Chowder, Noreen’s Vegetable Soup, Peggy’s Chicken-Broccoli Supreme over Rice Pilaf, as well as an array of gourmet sandwiches and fine pastries. AAUW member Anne Hathaway writes that the group has “Great Expectations” for this year’s sale, which takes place from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 8, at the Church of Universal Fellowship in Orono. Early birds have to pay a $5 fee, but admission is free after 9 a.m. The snack bar will open at 9 a.m. Proceeds from the sale will benefit college scholarships for high school seniors and older, nontraditional students. For information, call Anne Hathaway at 866-2881.