The briefs

Little Italy Fest-West returns Aug. 18-21 in Centennial Park on Lake Street in Addison. Join the celebration of Old-Neighborhood Italian food and entertainment.

Aurora chef Bernie Laskowski presented “Healthy Cooking Latin American Style” in a free program at Santori Public Library of Aurora on July 25. Assisted by his wife Cynthia, also a chef, Laskowski demonstrated preparation of slow-roasted pork lechon and kale salad with spicy orange vinegar dressing. The couple recently opened <a href="http://www.cinderellapaleocatering.com/">Cinderella Paleo</a> to sell prepared meals on the go at 1931 S. Washington St., Naperville. Laskowski attended culinary school at Kendall College in Chicago. He previously worked at Park Grill, Red Light and Four Seasons Hotel. (Courtesy of Al Benson)

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Win VIP table at Little Italy Fest-West

The Daily Herald Media Group and Onesti Entertainment are offering a contest as part of Little Italy Fest-West in Addison. To enter, visit events.dailyherald.com/contests/ for a chance at the VIP treatment at this annual celebration of Old-Neighborhood Italian food and entertainment Aug. 18 to 21.

The entry deadline is Sunday, Aug. 14, and the winner will be announced Monday, Aug. 15. The prize package includes a reserved table for a party of 10 for 2 hours for any one day of the festival. Guests will be served family-style platters of authentic Italian food and one round of soft drinks or water. The prize is valued at $500.

The festival is a summertime tradition returning to Centennial Park in Addison. Although admission to the event is $8 for adults and free for kids 15 and younger, the “Prima Notte” or first night on Thursday is free admission as is Saturday and Sunday from noon until 3 p.m.

For more information and a complete schedule of events, visit www.oshows.com or call (630) 962-7000.

Put those herbs in your garden to use

Learn to cook with herbs at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 16, at the Wauconda Area Public Library, 801 N. Main St., Wauconda. Chef Dave Esau of Dave’s Specialty Foods in Mount Prospect will demonstrate prepping, storing, and cooking with summer herbs like thyme, basil, sage, and lavender. Esau will serve goat cheese with basil roulade, poached chicken with sage sauce, and lavender shortbread. For more information, visit www.wauclib.org.

Cook of the Week Challenge 2016

Look for an introduction, Aug. 31, edition to the 16 cooks in this year’s Daily Herald Cook of the Week Challenge. We’ll share a little about each cook, their favorite ingredients and more about ingredients they will work face in the coming weeks.

— Susan Stark