New products:Select veggies: Green Giant offers SELECT Frozen Vegetables, larger cuts of veggies prepared in savory sauces. Roasted Garlic & Herb, Tuscan Herb and Parmesan Asiago are available in larger-size, resealable plastic bags so you can cook the whole bag or a partial bag. Cost is $3.99 for a 19-ounce bag.

Good causes

PASTA FOR POLINSKY CENTER: Joe's Italian Dinners in Escondido celebrates its 25th anniversary and benefits children in need from 4:30-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Selected entrees will be available at 1980s prices for those who bring a gift for a child of any age, or a donation of $10 or more per couple. Gifts and donations will go to the Polinsky Children's Center. Joe's is at 403 W. Grand Ave., Escondido. Call (760) 489-6835.

CHEFS FUND-RAISER: The annual Chefs of San Diego Celebration, a series of special dinners at area restaurants, runs through Oct. 28. Teams of area chefs create the dinners, and proceeds go toward culinary scholarships. Call individual restaurants for reservations. Learn more at www.chefcelebration.com. The schedule:

Tuesday: Star of the Sea, San Diego, (619) 232-7408, www.starofthesea.com. Chefs: Jesse Paul, Star of the Sea; Gavin Kaysen, El Bizcocho; Tony DeSalvo, Jack's; Jack Fisher, Nine-Ten

Wednesday: Art Institute, San Diego, (858) 598-1405, www.aicasd.artinstitutes.edu. Culinary instructors (with former kitchens): Mark Blaauboer, ACF of San Diego chairman; Joe Cochran (Duanes, Riverside); Eyad Joseph (Macaroni Grill, Western Region); Josh Korn (Nobu, New York); Tina Luu (Aqua, San Francisco).

Oct. 27: Terra, San Diego (619) 293-7088, www.terrasd.com. Chefs: Jeff Rossman, Terra; Michael Stebner, Region; Amiko Gubbins, Parallel 33; Amy Dibiasi, Laurel; Beryl Ann Byrd, Just Fabulous Kensington.

HOLIDAY BENEFIT: The Kitchen Witch Gourmet Shop & Cooking School hosts a Holiday Benefit party from 6-9 p.m. Nov. 7 to benefit the Community Resource Center in Encinitas. Meet and greet local Encinitas restaurateurs and business owners, check out holiday merchandise, and enjoy treats provided by Beverages & More, Cuvee —— Wine Country Cuisine, Meritage Restaurant, Sage Grill, Seaside Market and Steakhouse 66. To attend, reserve to (760) 942-3228 by Oct. 28. Donations are being requested and will be taken on the night of the event. The Kitchen Witch is at 127 N. El Camino Real, Suite D, Encinitas.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Senior Gleaners of San Diego County members pick fruit and collect supermarket-donated groceries that would otherwise go to waste, and give them to nonprofit organizations. Anyone age 55 and older is welcome to join the group or attend its bimonthly meetings at the Rancho Bernardo Library. Volunteers are needed to assist with picking, driving and supplying pickup trucks for delivering. Call (760) 746-1674 or (619) 582-2299.

Events

In the spirits

CLOS PEPE DINNER: Neimans Restaurant in Carlsbad hosts a winemakers dinner with Wes Hagen of Clos Pepe Estate, who will present his award-winning pinot noir and chardonnay wines at 6 p.m. Nov. 19. Cost is $50 per person. Reserve to Neimans at (760) 729-4131, or to Pete Anderson at (760) 729-5868).

HARVEST DINNER: Falkner Winery hosts a Harvest Candlelight Wine Dinner at 6 p.m. Oct. 29. The multicourse gourmet meal will be matched with Falkner wines. Price is $85; for wine members and spouses, $75. Reserve to (951) 676-8231 or order tickets at www.falknerwinery.com.

WEEKLY TASTING: Wine Street Inc. hosts tastings from 5:30-8 p.m. Fridays. Appetizers to match the wines are served. Wine Street is at 6986 El Camino Real, Suite D, in Carlsbad. Call (760) 431-8455 or visit www.winestreet.com:

Friday: Barolos, Brunellos and More Italian Reds with Marco Barat, $35.

Oct. 28: David Tindall and the wines of Bonny Doon, $15.

WINE TASTING: Carlsbad Wine Merchants offers tastings at 6 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday for a small fee at 5814 Van Alley Way, Suite 155, Carlsbad. Call (888) 750-WINE or visit www.CarlsbadWineMerchants.com:

Friday-Sunday: Pre-Holiday French Champagne Tasting .

3-6 p.m. Oct. 23: Octoberfest —— Karl Strauss Beer and "World Cup" Wines from Around the World. Benefit for the Lightning Soccer Teams Scholarship fund. Fee $30 per person, $50 per couple. Reservations required.

6-8 p.m. Oct. 27: Peju Province Winery; fee $20. Reservations required.

Oct. 28-30: Halloween Wines and Beers —— Vampire Wine and Beer, Ghost, Pumpkin Beer and a fabulous real French apple cider.

WINE TASTING: Wild Note Cafe hosts Wine Wednesday tastings monthly. Call (858) 259-7310 for cost and schedule.

Classes

TEA TIME: Learn how to make the perfect cup of tea and crystal-clear iced tea from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday at Memories Tea Garden in Vista. Take home a souvenir glass. A cream tea (scones, Devonshire cream and jams) will be served; also, enjoy a craft boutique in the garden. Cost is $15. Reserve to (760) 945-0476.

ARTS CENTER TEACHES: The California Center for the Arts, Escondido, with Amy Wandalowski of Culinary Adventures Extraordinaire, offers "A Lighthearted Look at French Cheese, French Wine and the Historical Events That Made Them Possible" from 6-9 p.m. Nov. 1 with food experts George N. Riffle and Mark B. Jackson. Cost is $50 for CCAE members, $55 for nonmembers. Call (800) 988-4253.

HOLIDAY COOKING: Alchemy of the Hearth offers two classes, "The Holidays and the Novice Cook," starting Nov. 1 for $66, and "Holiday Cookies," starting Nov. 15 for $33. Classes are from 6-9 p.m. Tuesdays at Poway Adult School's Rancho Bernardo High School, Room 807. To register, contact the Poway Adult School at (858) 668-4000 or www.powayadultschool.com.

KITCHEN WITCH: These classes and more are offered at the Kitchen Witch Gourmet Shop & Cooking School, 127 N. El Camino Real, Suite D, Encinitas. Prices vary. Call (760) 942-3228 or visit www.kitchenwitchonline.com:

Saturday: Harvest Soups & Breads (Hands-on)

Monday: Festive Entrees for Two or Twenty

Tuesday: Cheesy Comfort Foods

Wednesday: Italian Cooking at Home

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Nov. 1: Martinis & Hors d'Oeuvres

Nov. 2: The Essentials of Roasting

Nov. 3: Homemade Pizza & Calzones (hands-on)

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AT SUR LA TABLE: These classes and more are offered at Sur La Table, Carlsbad. Classes are $55 unless otherwise noted. Register to (760) 635-1316 or visit surlatable.com:

Friday: After School Cooking Club: Bread From Start to Finish, $45

Saturday: Fun Holiday Baking

Monday: Hawaiian Fusion With Roy's

Tuesday: Wok Mastery at Home.

Wednesday: Wine Country Dinner

Oct. 27: Thanksgiving Kickoff

Oct. 28: After School Cooking Club: Spooky Halloween Treats, $45

Oct. 29: Breakfast in Bed

Nov. 1: Japanese Tapas and Sake Party, $80

Nov. 2: Enoteca, $65

Nov. 4: After School Cooking Club: Homemade Pasta Making, $45

Nov. 5: Baking Basics 1: Yeasted Bread

Chain news

SOUPED UP: El Pollo Loco offers Chicken Tortilla Soup, available in two sizes. And now through Jan. 8, 2006, get a large Chicken Tortilla Soup (serves three to four people) or a large Mexican Caesar Salad for just $1 if you buy a family meal. The soup contains only 4.7 grams of fat and 150 calories per 10-ounce serving.

Send information about local food products, food events or classes to Food Editor, North County Times, 207 E. Pennsylvania, Escondido, CA 92025, fax to (760) 745-3769, or e-mail to features@nctimes.com.