Brownie points

Long before Martha Stewart and Rachael Ray, Maine had its own kitchen goddess: the late, great Brownie Schrumpf. Author Karen Tolstrup, who has written a book about Schrumpf’s life, will celebrate this doyenne of domesticity in her talk, “If Maine Had a Queen.” The event will take place from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 10, in the dining room of Dirigo Pines on Alumni Drive in Orono. It is part of a free monthly lecture series sponsored by the Dr. Edith Marion Patch Center for Entomology, the Environment and Education. For more information about this program, the series or the Patch Center, call Mary Bird at

866-2578.

In the food for love

Couples with a yen for Chinese food will delight in Oriental Jade’s chef’s dinner for two on Valentine’s Day. The dinner, which costs $28 per couple, includes fresh, hand-pulled noodles, appetizers and a choice of two signature entrees, including Peking Duck for Two or Dragon and Phoenix for Two. For information, call 947-6969.

Commercial interests

Your jams are to die for – everyone says you should sell them – but how do you go about getting a commercial kitchen license? Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association will hold a kitchen licensing workshop for farmers and others interested in home-food processing for resale on Monday, Feb. 11, at the Common Ground Education Center in Unity. Registration and coffee start at 9:30 a.m., and the workshop will begin at 10 a.m. Cheryl Wixson of Bangor, MOFGA’s resident chef, will lead the discussion. Panelists include Beth Calder, food science specialist for the University of Maine Cooperative Extension; Russell Libby, executive director of MOFGA; and a representative of the Maine Department of Agriculture. After a local, seasonal, organic luncheon, participants will tour the Common Ground Kitchen. The afternoon program will focus on labeling requirements and a round-table sharing of experiences. The workshop costs $35 for MOFGA members, $40 for nonmembers; cost includes lunch. For more information and to register, call MOFGA at 568-4142 or visit www.mofga.org.

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.