Head to Walla Walla at the end of August if you enjoy swinging jazz, superb wines and delicious food. "Jazz and Wine Among Friends," a fundraiser for Friends of Children of Walla Walla, a nonprofit mentoring organization, runs from Aug. 26-28 in downtown Walla Walla.
On Aug. 26, five jazz groups will be playing at wineries, a brewery and the Marcus Whitman Hotel. To see the lineup go to www.wallawallafriends.org and click on "Events." Tickets are $20 and include access to all five concerts.
The festivities Aug. 27 include two outdoor performances at Waterbrook Winery's West Highway 12 location. Local musicians Pete Crawford, Dave Glenn and their band will play from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m., opening for Seattle's Gail Pettis Quartet who will play from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tickets cost $60 and will include gourmet appetizers and desserts and a glass of Waterbrook wine.
Additional wine will be available for purchase, including bottles with a custom Friends label featuring original artwork by Matt McKern.
On the morning of Aug. 28, Walla Walla's Whitehouse Crawford restaurant is offering a New Orleans-style jazz brunch with seatings at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Tickets are $30 and include a mimosa and two-course Southern-style meal from award-winning chef Jamie Guerin.
Guests will be entertained by live performances by The Uptown Lowdown Jazz Quartet from Seattle.
Tickets to all three events may be pre-purchased for $100, a $10 savings. They are available at Friends of Children of Walla Walla website, www.wallawallafriends.org.
All ticket sales directly benefit children served by the Friends program. For more information, call 509-527-4745.
Cheese storage crucial
Cheese, especially upscale, gourmet cheeses are expensive. To ensure your money's well spent, how and where you store your cheese is crucial to ensure it stays fresh.
If it has a rind, leave it on. Firm and hard cheese have little moisture and can be stored for long periods.
Soft cheeses have a short storage life and should be used by the "use by" date or kept no longer than five days after purchase.
All cheeses need to be wrapped tightly then stored in the refrigerator.
New read
The book: 350 Best Salads and Dressings by George Geary.
Cost: $25
Best for: Recipes that can be used for complementary side salads, light snacks, even hearty main courses. From classic to innovative, familiar to exotic, Geary promises to liven up your salad routine.
*Loretto J. Hulse: 582-1513; lhulse@tricityherald.com. To receive a recipe via e-mail each Tuesday register at tricityherald.com and click on newsletters. If you already are registered, click on edit account and newsletters to select Recipe of the Week. This exclusive recipe does not appear in the newspaper.
