Livin' in the Blurbs: Kids, Cookbooks and Art

Once in awhile do you wish you could just drop your kids off someplace for dinner then go get yourself a nice cocktail? Well, this month at Salvador Molly's in Hillsdale your kids will not only eat free, but the proceeds from every adult entrée will go toward feeding homeless kids at the Community Transitional School (CTS). CTS runs a special curriculum and feeds their students 2 nutritious meals a day, and in addition it will run a contest for its students to compete for best attendance (their biggest challenge because of their circumstances) and win a meal catered for their class by Salvador Molly's. So let the kids sit at their own table, order a margarita and some food, and feel virtuous; because you're doing something not only for yourself, but for someone else!

Details: Salvador Molly's "Kids Eat Free During September" Event. Salvador Molly's, 1523 SW Sunset Blvd. Phone 503-293-1790.

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Do you or someone you love suffer from the heartbreak of cookbook addiction? Then the Portland Culinary Alliance is having the event of your dreams when it hosts Eat My Words: Chef Cookbooks Symposium and Luncheon on Oct. 2. Portland and Seattle cookbook authors, including Ethan Stowell, Cory Schreiber, Vitaly Paley, Piper Davis, Robert Reynolds and Ellen Jackson, will discuss the particulars of writing a cookbook, followed by a lunch with dishes from their books, which will be available for purchase and signing. So drip some berry coulis on Rustic Fruit Dessertsand have Cory sign your copy!

Details: Eat My Words: Chef Cookbooks Syposium and Luncheon. Oct. 2, 9:30 am-2 pm; $65, tickets available online or by e-mail. Hotel DeLuxe, 729 SW 15th Ave. Phone 402-270-4604.

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If a drive out in the country on a crisp fall day sounds as appealing to you as it does to me, the the first two weekends in October will be the perfect excuse to jump in the car and head out on the highway. Why? Because its time for the Art Harvest Studio Tour in Yamhill, featuring tours of more than 40 artists' studios with an opportunity to talk to, and buy art from, some fabulously talented folks. One is Clare Carver of Big Table Farm in Gaston, who's featured in an article by yours truly in this month's NW Palate magazine. So take a picnic and make a day (or more) of it!


Details: 17th Annual Art Harvest Tour of Yamhill County. Oct. 1-3 and 8-10; $7 for button to get into studios. Self-guided tour map and information available on the website. Phone 503-883-3050.