Prepare for spring meals

How does your vegetable garden grow? It's one of the many questions that Mississippi Market asks on the cusp of spring, with a variety of classes, including "What Kind of Garden Is Right for You?" a lecture on March 11 from 1-3 p.m. at 1500 W. 7th St., St. Paul (fee $7) and "Planning Your Vegetable Garden" lecture on March 25 from 1-2:30 p.m. at 740 E. 7th St., St. Paul (fee $7). Then there is the taste of spring in "Spring Season Cooking" (demo and tasting) on March 22 from 6-8 p.m. (fee $30) at 1500 W. 7th St., St. Paul, and "Cooking With Co-op Basics: Pasta Primavera" (demo and tasting) on March 23 from 6-7:30 p.m. at 740 E. 7th St., St. Paul ($5 registration fee that becomes market voucher). For more classes or information, see msmarket.coop/events.

IHOP benefits kids

Pancake lovers can catch a deal while supporting Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare, a Children's Miracle Network Hospital, during the 12th annual IHOP National Pancake Day at participating locations in the Twin Cities and Waite Park, Minn. Customers can enjoy a free short stack of pancakes from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on March 7, and are invited to make a voluntary donation to benefit patients at Gillette. Since 2006, IHOP National Pancake Day has raised almost $24 million in the communities in which they operate. To learn more or find a restaurant, visit ihoppancakeday.com.

Don't mess with pizza

As Iceland's president found out, you can't mess with pizza topping favorites. When Gudni Thorlacius Johannesson joked with schoolchildren that pizza garnished with pineapple should be outlawed, social media went wild worldwide. The New York Times reports that the president issued a statement on Facebook that reflected he liked the fruit, but not on pizza. His next words led to more trouble when he suggested that seafood was a good alternative on pizza. Iceland magazine leapt into the outrage: "Pineapple-pizza-gate. President backtracks 'I can't dictate pizza toppings!' Then encourages people to put fish on their pizza." Pineapple toppings originated in Canada in 1962 with restaurateur Sam Panopoulos, who mixed it with ham.