Follow your nose to Hermiston on Sept. 22.

Dorothy Beason and Cathy Stolz, owners of the Chuckwagon Cafe in Hermiston, have been serving their homestyle food for 42 years.

They're ready to celebrate, but not with cake and candles. Instead, they've invited Dutch oven cooks to compete Sept. 22 in the Chuckwagon Cafe's ninth annual Dutch Oven Cook-off.

The event runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and entry is $10 per cooking team.

The event is a fundraiser for the Boy Scouts and Umatilla High School student programs. Representatives from both groups will be staffing the concession stands and selling Dutch oven fruit cobbler.

At noon, the public can buy a $4 tasting plate and wander down the line of Dutch oven cooks to collect samples of each entry.

All tasters will get to vote for their favorite dish. Votes will be tallied and two prizes awarded: the $100 cash People's Choice Award and a $50 Chuckwagon Cafe gift certificate, the Honorable Mention Award.

To register for the cook-off, or for more information, go to www.chuckwagoncafe.net or call 541-567-6329.

Waitsburg salmon bake

The Waitsburg Lions Club will hold its annual Salmon Bake on Saturday at the fairgrounds in Waitsburg. Doors open at 5 p.m., and serving will begin around 6 p.m.

This is an adult-only event. Cost is $25 per person. For more information or to buy tickets, call Larry Johnson at 509-337-6145.

Cheesemaking classes

Learn the art of cheesemaking at Alpine Lakes Cheese in Leavenworth.

Alpine Lakes cheesemaker Catha Link is offering beginning through intermediate cheesemaking classes now through October. Students will learn each step of cheesemaking, starting with fresh sheep milk followed by the process of turning it into cheese by managing temperatures, humidity and cultures.

Link will demonstrate how to make a mild-flavored Mountain Tomme, creamy blue and Camembert -- the classic soft-ripened sheep's cheese. Each of the cheeses will be sampled during the class.

The classes are hands-on with a minimum of three people and a maximum of eight.

For more information, or to make an appointment for a class, call 509-548-5786 or send an email to eric@alpinelakes cheese.com.

New read

The book: 50 Shades of Chicken by F.L. Fowler.

Cost: $20

Best for: Part cookbook, part story. The author tells the adventures of Miss Chicken as she goes from raw ingredient to 50 tasty recipes ranging from simple weeknight dishes to party fare. Fowler includes plenty of color photos and lots of tips to get your chicken from pot to table.