The deadline is approaching for food vendors to sign up for spots at Spirit Valley Days, a western Duluth neighborhood festival scheduled from July 30 through Aug. 3.
For more information and registration forms, visit www.spiritvalleydays.com . Food booths can be set up on July 30, but must be removed on Aug. 1.
Spirit Valley Days features an evening parade and an arts and crafts sale.
Lighten up withthis cookbook
Look for the "Cooking Light Complete Cookbook" (Oxmoor House, $34.95), now in bookstores. It winningly mirrors the popular food magazine's emphasis on low-calorie, low-fat dishes and creative menus. This is a primer, a la Betty Crocker, with features you expect (more than 1,200 recipes, nutritional information and gorgeous photos) and some you don't (a DVD with how-to videos, menus and recipes).
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r Try it: Grana padano, which is in the same family of cheeses as Parmigiano-Reggiano, is a hard, semi-fat cow's milk cheese made in the Po Valley in Lombardy, Italy. It dates to the 12th century when it was made by Cistercian monks who lived in the region, according to the Web site of the Consorzio per la Tutela del Formaggio Grana Padano, which supervises production.
* Use it: Grate it as you would Parmesan, over pasta and salads, or shave it thinly alone or mixed with other Italian cheeses on a pizza. Grana padano is younger than Parmigiano-Reggiano -- it's typically aged nine to 18 months -- which makes it great for eating out of hand as well as for cooking. It would make a nice addition to a cheese and fruit plate.
* Find it: Though related to Parmigiano-Reggiano, grana padano is less expensive. You can order locally it at the Whole Foods Coop. Prices range from $15-$25 per pound.
