Gunk be gone One perk of the State Fair is gawking at ideas unveiled there each year. Among them is the Great Scrape, a wooden paddle designed to help clean a grill. When the beveled edge of the solid oak plank is scraped over the grate of a hot grill, the heat forms "custom" grooves that improve as they deepen. It's an alternative to metal brushes and comes in three sizes, ranging in price from about $15 to $25. The Thompson brothers of St. Paul -- Jason, Josh and Nate -- are selling their invention at Heritage Square across from the midway, or visit www.thegreatscrape.com.
Reheat like a pro If you're inspired by what you see on "Top Chef" but doubt your culinary skills, Schwan's Home Service has partnered with the popular food show to offer some of the winning dishes in a freezer-to-reheat format. The latest dish is a mix of gnocchi, wild mushrooms, asparagus tips and pieces, sugar snap peas and edamame in a cheese sauce, from "cheftestant" Ed Cotton of "Top Chef D.C." The dish serves three for $11.99. Schwans, based in Marshall, Minn., makes home deliveries nationwide. For details, visit www.schwans.com and click on the "Top Chef" link.
Talks on Scandinavia Not strictly about food as much as culture, but you may want to mark your calendar for the American Swedish Institute's fall lecture series. Betsey Norgard, coordinator of the Finlandia Foundation Twin Cities Chapter, will speak at 7 p.m. Sept. 22 about "Intro to Finland: One Country, Two Religions, Three Languages." On Oct. 27, pottery collector and researcher Truett Lawson will speak on "Nordic Form and Fire: Swedish Ceramic Brilliance in the 20th Century." Talks are free with museum admission: $6, $5 ages 62 and over, $4 ages 6-18 and students with ID. Reservations are encouraged; call 612-871-4907. The American Swedish Institute is at 2600 Park Av. S. in Minneapolis. Visit www. americanswedishinst.org.
Celebrate the fungus September is National Mushroom Month, which perhaps makes sense as we contemplate returning to the dark interiors of our homes. Fortunately, there are contests to cheer us at www.TasteSpotting.com. Mushroom Masters: A Tournament of Taste is a monthlong recipe competition in which bloggers from the United States, Canada and Australia will compete in categories such as the Portabella Playoff, Button Battle and Shiitake Showdown. Fans can vote on photos posted on TasteSpotting (for which you need to register). There's no real prize -- just a lot of mushroom recipes all in one place.
KIM ODE
