Throw the book at ’em!

Cooking the books can be a good thing. Just ask Friends of the Eastern Maine Community College Library, which will hold its annual edible book contest and high tea from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at Rangeley Hall on the Sylvan Road in Bangor. People who bring an edible book get in free, while others pay $7 at the door. Best in show will win a gift certificate from BookMarc’s, while the person whose entry shows the best use of Maine foods will win a basket of Maine-made products. In addition to the tasty books, EMCC culinary arts students will prepare Maine food products. For information, call Deb Perro at 974-4601 or Sue Jagels at 973-8227.

Ciao-chow

Cleonice Mediterranean Bistro in Ellsworth will hold a wine dinner at 6 p.m. Sunday, April 18, featuring wines and cuisine from the Friuli-Venezia region in northeastern Italy. The region boasts eclectic, sophisticated cuisine and complex, outstanding wines. Five courses prepared by chef Rich Hanson will be paired with six wines presented by Martin Kolk of Vinilandia. Among the highlights on the menu are Petto di Anatra al Pepe Rosa (duck breast with pink peppercorns) and Filetti di Trona con I Sapori dell’Orto (trout filet with the flavors of the garden). The dinner costs $55 per person, tax and gratuity not included. For reservations, call 664-7554.

Bowled over

The North Atlantic Area Food Science College Bowl, a “Jeopardy”-style competition for college students, will take place this weekend at the University of Maine. The event will test students’ knowledge of topics such as microbiology, food chemistry, sensory evaluation and food product engineering. Teams from UMaine, Cornell, the University of Delaware, Rutgers University, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and Pennsylvania State University will vie for a slot in the national Institute for Food Technologists competition in Las Vegas in July. The public is welcome to watch the event, which begins at 1:30 p.m. in Room 100 of Donald P. Corbett Business Building.

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.