Tidbits

Eat for the Earth

The Gibbs Library in the Knox County town of Washington will celebrate Earth Day with a four-course dinner featuring locally raised, organic foods and meats at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 26. The Earth Banquet, as library staff is calling it, will offer appetizers of goat cheese, deviled eggs and strawberry salsa, fresh vegetables and pumpkin soup for a second course, and shish kebabs of local meats and produce for a main course. Special baked goods from local bakers rounds out the menu, as well as local breads and pickles. Special cooks for the dinner include Cynthia Miller of Sweet Willow Farms and Sasha Kutsy, a volunteer with the library. Representatives from Knox County farms and businesses will be on hand, as well as information on becoming a “locavore.” Admission is $12 for adults, $8 for seniors and $5 for children. To reserve a spot, call 845-2663. The library is located at 40 Old Union Road in Washington Village.

The Full Montes

Arturo Montes, co-owner of Bangor’s Montes International Catering, will be joining the staff at the Rose Garden Restaurant in Bar Harbor this summer season as head chef. The Rose Garden, part of the Bar Harbor Hotel and the Bluenose Inn, is a Four Diamond-winning fine dining establishment, serving contemporary American regional cuisine. Chef Montes, who runs his Columbia Street catering business and lunch spot with his wife, Carmen, is known for his bold, creative take on international cuisine. Greek and Moroccan rub shoulders with Southwestern and French bistro styles, all with an emphasis on fresh, local ingredients. The Rose Garden is open from May 2 to Oct. 25, except Mondays until June 16. Dinner is served from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. For more information, call 288-3348.

Sweet and simple

Carolyn Gurtz, a 59-year-old homemaker from Gaithersburg, Md., won the $1 million grand prize last week in the 43rd annual Pillsbury Bake-Off with her Double-Delight Peanut Butter Cookies. Gurtz had entered the biennial contest over the past 10 years but had never before been chosen as a finalist. Along with the grand prize, she won the Jif Peanut Butter Award and an additional $5,000 for having the best recipe using at least 1/4 cup of Jif Peanut Butter. Peanut butter fiends are in luck: these cookies are about as peanut-buttery as you can possibly get. Yum. The full recipe, as well as a peek at the other Bake-Off finalists, are online at www.pillsbury.com/BakeOff/Default.aspx.

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