Thinking about drinking

A new exhibition at the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, “Beyond Thirst: The Dimensions of Drink,” explores the cultural significance of caffeinated and alcoholic beverages. It includes decorative drinking implements, such as a seven-piece silver tea service, as well as works on paper that depict the social interactions that surround beverage consumption, including William Hogarth’s “The Harlot’s Progress.” The exhibit runs through July 6. For information, call 725-3275.

Five-alarm recipes

Hey firefighters – think you’re hot stuff in the kitchen? Enter your original recipe in Tabasco’s third national Cook & Ladder Competition. The winning entry will win $10,000. To enter, submit a recipe using at least one of Tabasco’s six pepper sauces. All entries must be postmarked by Sept. 2. For contest rules and an entry form, visit www.tabasco.com or send a SASE to Tabasco Cook & Ladder Competition, c/o Hunter Public Relations, 41 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10010.

Shroom for improvement

If your salads are a little bland, jazz them up by adding mushrooms. The Mushroom Information Center has printed a booklet with recipes for fresh mushroom salads, including Gingery Shiitake and Shrimp Salad and Warm Mushroom Salad on Mixed Greens. For a free copy, send a business-size SASE to: Mushroom Salads, c/o Lewis & Neale Inc., P.O. Box 636, New York, NY 10159-0636.

Tidbits is hungry for news about local food products and events. Send your Tidbits by mail to: Bangor Daily News, attn: Kristen Andresen, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor ME 04402-1329; by fax to 941-9476; or by e-mail to kandresen@bangordailynews.net.