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A Taste of the Stew

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By JEFF HOUCK | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 29, 2008

By JEFF HOUCK

The Tampa Tribune

BUC IT UP: Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Scot Brantley's recipe for Granny Jones' Raisin Nut Squares is in last place in Epicurious .com's tally of votes in its Taste of the NFL recipe contest. We can do better, people. Each vote counts for charity. To vote, go to epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/superbowl/tasteofthenfl.

IT'S TIME TO MAKE THE MOVIE: Want to win a year's worth of Dunkin' Donuts coffee? Make a video themed to the phrase "keep America running," a reference to the slogan "America Runs On Dunkin'." You can upload your video to YouTube.com/DunkinDonuts. The best ones win prizes.

VEG OUT: The Tampa Bay Vegetarians have named Zom Hee Chinese Restaurant on Park Boulevard in Seminole as its Restaurant of the Year. "This is a very big deal," says Debby Magill, the group's public relations director. "We have frequented Zom Hee yearly, and they have always given us incredible meals and service."

The group celebrated last week with a dinner at Zom Hee that included bean curd sour cabbage soup, vegetable lo mein, Szechwan broccoli, and sauteed green beans. For information on the group, go to tampabayvegetarians.org.

NAPA TIME: The Abilities Foundation will host the Napa Valley Vintners trade association during events Feb. 7 and 8 in Tampa and St. Petersburg.

The Wine is for Lovers event, at 9 p.m. Feb. 7 at International Plaza's Bay Street Courtyard in Tampa, will feature tastings poured by about 50 Napa Valley wineries in a nightclub setting. Tickets cost $35 in advance and $45 at the door.

The Wine Lovers in Paradise gathering, at 7 p.m. Feb. 8 at the waterfront home of Fazal Fazlin (900 Park St. N., St. Petersburg), will offer food by local chefs and wine pours from more than 50 wineries. Tickets are $150.

For information and tickets, call Sandy Liberatore at (727) 538-7370, Ext. 349, or go to abilitiesfoundation.com.

NUOVA BRAVA: BellaBrava New World Trattoria closed for a couple weeks for kitchen renovations but has reopened with a new executive chef, Brack May. New menu items include Grilled Prosciutto-Wrapped Florida Grouper, Hanger Steak With Salsa Verde and Tuscan Fries With Balsamic Ketchup and Goat Cheese Agnolotti Pasta With Marinated Tomatoes and Asparagus. A graduate of the New England Culinary Institute, May previously consulted in Miami and was executive chef at Cobalt Restaurant in New Orleans. For information, go to bellabrava.net or call (727) 895-5515.

FLAN-TASTIC: Mark it on the calendar: The fifth annual Flan Fest returns to the Ybor City Saturday Market in Centennial Park (Eighth Avenue and 19th Street) from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 23. The event again will feature a flan bake-off with dozens of contestants competing in traditional and nontraditional (chocolate, strawberry, etc.) categories. Admission is free.

PB&JARED: Kristen Norton in Lutz writes to say her 10-year-old son, Jared, has a Nutty Quesadilla With Fruit Salsa competing among the final 10 entries in the Jif Most Creative Peanut Butter Sandwich Contest. The top five entrants will go to the finals in New York City and have a chance to win a $25,000 college fund.

"Wouldn't it be exciting if a local boy were to win?" she writes.

To vote, go to jif.com. Voting ends Feb. 11.

Hungry for more? Read Jeff Houck's food blog, The Stew, at keyword: Stew.

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