Livin' in the Blurbs: Two Books and Some Fish

There aren't many events where eating wodges of meat coincides with a book-signing—pristine pages dotted with blood and meat juice spring to mind—but Oregon writer Lynne Curry, author of the newly released cookbook "Pure Beef,"is going to do just that. Along with her friend and fellow author Cheryl Sternman Rule and the transcendent talents of chef Anthony Cafiero, she's putting on what's promised to be an omnivorous evening comprised of dishes from her book and "Ripe,"Rule's compendium of cooking with fresh, local fruits and vegetables. (You may know Rule from her award-winning blog, 5 Second Rule or the writing she's done for national publications.) In any case, this meal is going to be one you won't forget, whether or not you end up dripping on those pristine pages.

Details: Three-Course Dinner with authors Lynne Curry and Cheryl Sternman Rule and chef Anthony Cafiero. Thurs., Aug. 23, 6-9 pm; $75 in advance, tickets available online. Dinner to be held in ChefStable private dining room, 1223 SW Washington St. 541-263-0347.

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There are few things that go together better than cake and champagne, and both will be in abundance at the celebration of the release of Julie Richardson's new book, "Vintage Cakes."Co-founder with husband Matt of that palace of pastry pleasures, Baker & Spice in Multnomah Village, this to-be-classic contains timeless recipes for cupcakes, flips, rolls, layer, angel, bundt, chiffon and icebox cakes for today's sweet tooth. I'm a huge fan of her first book, "Rustic Fruit Desserts,"which vies with a couple of other fave cooking tomes on my shelf for the honor of most well-thumbed. As if you needed more than cake and champagne to draw you in, they'll also be offering 20% off the cover price of both books at the event.

Details: Champagne, Cake and Book Signing for Vintage Cakes by Julie Richardson. Thurs., Aug. 16, 6-8 pm; free. Sweetwares, 6306 SW Capitol Hwy. 503-546-3737.

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Not to change the subject too abruptly, but there's another event you won't want to miss, and that's the annual "truckload o' albacore sale" at Whole Foods. This year it's called the Dog Days of Summer Street Fair and is happening at the new Hollywood location on Saturday, Aug. 18. You'll have the opportunity to buy whole albacore fish as well as precut loins, plus they'll be offering grilled albacore and Hatch chiles as a benefit for Oregon's pet food bank, the Pongo Fund. To make the "street fair" descriptor complete, there will be artisans from Handmade NW, some favorite vendors, neighborhood pet services and live music, too. The price for the whole albacore will be an amazing $3.99 per pound, with precut loins selling for just $7.99 per pound, so get there early for the best selection!

Details: Dog Days of Summer Street Fair at Hollywood Whole Foods Market. Sat., Aug. 18; truckload sale starts at 9 am, street fair from 10 am-2 pm. Hollywood Whole Foods Market, 4301 Northeast Sandy Blvd. on 43rd Ave. between Sandy and Tillamook Sts. 503-284-2644.