Tidbites | Week of October 24, 2013

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Michael Drazsnzak, executive chef of Colterra

Tables to Farms

Niwot’s Colterra restaurant will be hosting a five-course benefit dinner with wine pairings at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29, for $150. All of the proceeds from the dinner will be split among Oxford Gardens, The Fresh Herb Company, Full Circle Farm, Black Cat Farm and 63rd Street Farm, all of which were damaged by the flood.

The fundraising cause of the dinner is the inspiration for its name, the Tables to Farms dinner series. It was created by Boulder chefs looking for a way to give back. The Colterra dinner’s menu includes caramelized scallops, beef bourguignon and beef carpaccio. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 303-652-0777.

Get Hazed

J Wells Brewery will be celebrating the release of its new version of Hop Haze Imperial IPA at 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25, with free samples and food provided by the Heirloom food truck. According to owner Jamie Wells, this version of Hop Haze is dry hopped with a “distinctively citrus flavor” that comes in at 9 percent ABV and 120 IBUs. The J Wells brewery and taproom is located at 2516 49th St., #5, in Boulder; more information is available through the brewery’s Facebook page.

Ditch the Chips

Are your kids picky eaters who hate bedtime? Lucky’s Market will be hosting “Healthy Habits for Kids,” a presentation by Lucky’s Market in-store nutritionist Tracee Box on how to get your kids to eat well and be healthy. The presentation will include statistics on what kids are eating, new health risks to kids, information on healthy sleeping patterns, a visual overview of what healthful choices would look like and more. Lucky’s Market is located at 3960 Broadway, and the event, which takes place at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27, will be free.

Meet the master

The nationwide search for contestants for the fifth season of MasterChef will bring the show to Denver Nov. 2 for auditions of home chefs.

The TV show, which airs on FOX, pits home chefs against each other in cooking competitions. It is co-hosted and co-judged by celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, alongside vineyard owner Joe Bastianich and chef Graham Elliot. To audition, home chefs must bring a dish prepared at home, as the auditions — held 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Nov. 2 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 1450 Glenarm Place in Denver — will not offer a kitchen to cook in or warm contestants’ dishes.

Like many competitive reality contest shows, MasterChef asks contestants to participate in weekly challenges, with judges naming at least one person to be removed from the show each week.

Auditions are also being held in Chicago, Columbus, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia and Phoenix. Interested home chefs can pre-register and create a profile at www.masterchefcasting.com. Even without pre-registering, chefs can attend the open casting call.

Pork menu at Q’s

Beer and pork again will be paired in a five-course dinner at a Boulder restaurant. This time around, Q’s Restaurant inside the Hotel Boulderado will host the dinner at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26, offering five courses of pork- and bacon-themed dishes, each paired with a craft beer.

Erin Yant, event coordinator for the restaurant, says in an email that the beers have been finalized for the dinner: True Blonde Ale from Ska, Pivo Pilsner and Union Jack IPA from Firestone Walker, and Sawtooth and Milk Stout from Left Hand.

The menu is not yet set, but Yant lists the choices as “somewhere along the lines of” a pate, barbecue ribs, prosciutto-wrapped fish and a chocolate cupcake with bacon.

The dinner will cost $55 per person, which includes food and beer but not tax or gratuity. Reservations can be made by calling 303-442-4880.