Jewish serving ware sale

Here's an interesting opportunity. The Temple of Aaron gift shop, 616 S. Mississippi River Blvd. in St. Paul, is having a sale of its wide-ranging stock of Jewish and non-Jewish merchandise designed to appeal to Jews and Gentiles alike, through Sept. 24. Everything except books will be 20 percent off; books are discounted 10 percent, with some deeper discounts, too. Among the food-related items are serving pieces in metal, nickel plate, glass or wood, Seder and matzo plates, serving dishes in a variety of sizes with mahjongg designs, fusion glass serving dishes and bowls, and challah and matzo covers. Hours are 9-11:30 a.m. Sun.; 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tue. and Wed.; other times by appointment by calling 651-688-3030. No credit cards.

BBQ tour in Woodbury

Woodbury heats up on Saturday when the Sam's Club National BBQ Tour pulls into town seeking qualifiers for its national championship in Arkansas in September. Thirty regional teams have signed up to compete for honors plus part of a $10,000 prize purse. The free and public event is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 9925 Hudson Road. While the competition teams are cooking, there'll be grilling demos and free samples of meats and sides to event attendees. For more information, visit kcbs.us/samstour.

Pigging out on prosciutto

The Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma, an Italian society founded in 1963 to safeguard the genuine product, tradition and image of a ham being designated as "Parma," is pairing some of Minneapolis' top chefs and craft brewers for Cured & Crafted, to highlight prosciutto and beer. The event is 6:30 to 9 p.m. July 31 at Muse Event Center, 107 3rd Av. N., Mpls. One chef will be crowned Minneapolis' King of Parma and guests will select a People's Choice winner and win dinner for two at the winning chef's restaurant. Prizes will abound. Tickets are $40 through Eventbrite at bit.ly/1rbj9yg.

Eat Local Farm Tour

Here's a quick reminder about Saturday's Eat Local Farm Tour, in which you can visit a number of small and large farming operations, including everything from vegetable, poultry, beef, dairy, fish, flower and bee farming. The hours of operation will differ from farm to farm. Free detailed tour guidebooks, complete with maps, hours and tour activities, are available for pickup at Twin Cities food co-ops. Follow updates on the Eat Local Farm Tour Facebook page, www.facebook.com/EatLocalFarmTour.coop.

Congrats to food families

Congratulations to two Minnesota restaurant families chosen by Jones Dairy Farm of Fort Atkinson, Wis., as among "America's Best" in its award program to recognize four top families in food hospitality. Tom and Jaima Hanson of Duluth were honored for their Duluth Grill, where they and family members make everything from scratch, from ketchup and mustard to jams and dressings, fresh breads, and caramel and chocolate for their homemade desserts. They also have beehives on the roof, an orchard in their parking lot and a greenhouse at their home that includes a 4,500-gallon fish tank. Visit www.duluthgrill.com for more information. Congrats also to the Powers family in Rochester, who own Canadian Honker Restaurant & Catering. The four-generation restaurant is rooted in Joe Powers' 83-year-old mother, Bunnie Powers, who has provided many of its recipes, including daily coconut cakes that have served more than 1 million diners. Visit www.canadianhonker.com for more information.

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