What's cooking: Food news in brief

By Jane Knoerle
Almanac Lifestyles Editor

Autumn cooking series at Iberia

Chef Jose-Luis Relinque of Iberia restaurant in Menlo Park will move his most popular cooking class, making paella, to the beach on Sunday, September 22, rain or shine. The class will meet at Iberia at 10 a.m. and have coffee and croissants on the bus on the way to Half Moon Bay. He promises a day of cooking, eating and lively discussion. Outdoor paella parties are popular in Mr. Relinque's native Spain. The bus will head back to Menlo Park around 5 p.m. Cost is $95 and includes bus fare.

Tapas and sangria will be on tap at 11 a.m. Sunday, October 13, when Mr. Relinque demonstrates how to make tapas, favorites at the Red Terrier Public House bar adjoining Iberia, as well as some new additions. Cost is $50.

Guisos are rustic Spanish one-pot meals, such as braised lamb shanks and slow-roasted duck legs with fruit. Chef Relinque will show how-to at 11 a.m. Sunday, October 27, at Iberia. Cost is $45. All classes must be pre-paid.

For more information, call Iberia restaurant at 325-8981. The restaurant is at 1026 Alma St. in Menlo Park.

Kitchen tour

Five custom kitchens in Palo Alto will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, September 28, in the seventh annual fall kitchen tour sponsored by Avenidas Senior Center Auxiliary. Proceeds benefit Avenidas, a service agency for seniors and their families.

The tour will include a remodeled kitchen with two dishwashers, commercial gas range, commercial refrigerator/freezer and large work island where the owner develops new food products. Another kitchen features an elevated glass counter top with a sleek S-shape and lit underneath.

Tickets for the tour cost $25. Visitors receive a map and program for the self-guided tour. For more information, call 326-5362.

Where's the pho?

Wild tea tuna wraps, Ha Long Bay soup, aromatic striped bass, chili lime aubergine and garlic morning glory are some of the items promised by Tamarine, a new Vietnamese restaurant scheduled to open this fall at 546 University Ave. in Palo Alto.

The proprietor of Tamarine is Anne Le with executive chef/proprietor Tammy Huynh. The contemporary Vietnamese menu will be based on small plate entrees.

Works of art by emerging artists from Southeast Asia will be showcased in Tamarine. The restaurant will seat 164 guests and include a formal dining room, private dining area, bar and patio. For more information, visit www.tamarinerestaurant.com.

Healthful ethnic eating

The American Heart Association has several tips on choosing heart-healthy dishes in ethnic restaurants.

** Chinese: Choose entrees with lots of vegetables, substitute chicken for duck, avoid egg rolls or fried wontons, skip fried noodles, and choose steamed rice over fried rice.

** Mexican: Instead of the complimentary fried tortilla chips, ask for soft corn tortillas. Leave off the sour cream and guacamole, and use salsa for flavor instead. If you order a taco salad, don't eat the shell. Try grilled fish or chicken breast rather than fried carnitas.

** French: Choose simple dishes with sauces on the side. Pass on the pate and choose steamed mussels or a salad instead. Stick with Provencal tomato-and-herb-based entrees. Choose a wine-based sauce, such as a bordelaise, instead or mornay, bechamel or bearnaise. Choose French bread rather than croissants.

** Italian: Choose pasta as a main course rather than as an appetizer. Ask that grated Parmesan cheese, pancetta, olives and pine nuts be left off your plate. Order pasta with marinara sauce instead of Alfredo sauce. Pass on scaloppine or parmigiana dishes and choose marsala and piccata dishes.