An easier Dinner in White?

If you know of the mysterious Diner en Blanc, or Dinner in White, you know it's a gigantic flash mob picnic where people who have signed up in advance assemble gourmet picnics, dress entirely in white, then wait for last-minute word as to where they're supposed to show up. They party, then leave, with no trace of their festivities left behind. The Woman's Club of Minneapolis has an easier take on the tradition. Dress in white, but then just show up at the club off Loring Park for an evening of appetizers, a multicourse dinner and Champagne toast, all led by instruction in the traditional napkin twirl to signal the start of festivities. The event begins at 6 p.m. Sept. 30. Cost is $65 to Woman's Club members; $75 for nonmembers. Buy tickets at ­dinerenblancwc.eventbrite.com.

Minnesota gets an Idol's eye

Minnesota food masters are highlighted in the Sept. 22 episode of the INSP TV series "State Plate," hosted by onetime "American Idol" winner Taylor Hicks. He will be visiting Bonnie Jacobs of Jacobs Lefse Bakeri & Gifts in Osakis, Minn., who hand-rolls lefse; Chip Leer of Fishing the Wild Side in Walker, Minn., who fishes for walleye; Caitlin Schouviller of Chanhassen, winner of a cook-off contest, who makes hot dish; Mike Kempenich of Gentleman Forager in Minneapolis, who selects morels, and chef Grae Nonas, also of Minneapolis, who sautés them over an outdoor flame; and Jennifer Dalquist of Nordic Ware in St. Louis Park, who bakes a chocolate Bundt cake. INSP is available in the Twin Cities area on Xfinity/Comcast, channels 162 and 1655. To determine channels with other service providers around the state, visit insp.com.

Wurst voting ever

Celebrate the last moments of summer on Sept. 17 — and learn how to vote by ranking candidate preferences — at Best of the Wurst at Social Cider Werks, 1500 NE. Fillmore St., Mpls. Top area restaurants are preparing sausage creations for which participants will vote. A ticket includes sausage samples, a pint of cider or beer, raffle ticket and entertainment. There also will be a special performance by the Theater of Public Policy (T2P2 for short), about ranked-choice voting. The event is from 2-6 p.m. Tickets range from $35 to $125 and can be purchased online via Eventbrite at bestofthewurst.org.

Vote for wild rice

The Minnesota Cultivated Wild Rice Council's annual Get Wild With Wild Rice recipe contest has been whittled down to nine finalists, including one from Minnesota. Now your vote is needed for the People's Choice Award cash prize. Visit mnwildrice.org to view the recipes, among them wild risotto with chicken meatballs by Natalie Yarbrough of Minnetonka, then choose your favorite. One vote per person. Voting closes at 3 p.m. Sept. 30.

Cheese for hurricane victims

The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board coordinated a statewide effort to send more than 17,000 pounds of cheese to Houston for those affected by Hurricane Harvey. An initial effort to send 200 pounds grew as donations of smoked string cheese, cheese curds, Muenster, Parmesan, Cheddar and more kept coming in, a board spokesperson said. The shipment also included 300 pounds of butter.

KIM ODE