Museum hosts 'The Art of Seduction'

They're dimming the lights and turning up the mood music at the Toledo Museum of Art for a social get-together called The Art of Seduction.

Nothing is sexier than good food, so the museum's chef, Erika Rapp, will prepare an assortment of snacks and - sexiest of all - a chocolate tasting.

Nonfood-related activities include live mannequins, traditional Indian belly dancing, glassblowing demonstrations, and local artists painting a still life. Music will be provided by Tom Turner and the Slow Burn, featuring Kelsey Sczesney, and progressive tunes provided by a New York-based DJ.

The event - the final one of the year for the museum's 2445 Series - will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday. Tickets are $20 for museum members, $25 for nonmembers, and are available by calling 419-254-5771, ext. 7432, or at the door while quantities last.

Free ice cream!

That's right: Free. And it's all because, as it turns out, the world's best-selling ice cream scoop was invented in Toledo.

The Zeroll Ice Cream Scoop was invented by Sherman Kelly in 1935 at 2410 Robinwood Ave. in the Old West End. That means the world-changing scoop (well, the ice cream world-changing scoop) turns 75 this year.

The Zeroll company has long since moved to Florida, but residents of the Old West End haven't forgotten their frozen roots. They are going to celebrate the 75th anniversary with the big Old West End Ice Cream Social between Delaware Avenue and Virginia Street on Saturday from 2 to 6 p.m.

There will be free Tofts Ice Cream for all, and free Zeroll scoops for some.

Also there will be free popcorn, live music, children's activities, a magician, hot dogs, and plenty of displays with historical information about Zeroll scoops.

In case of rain, the ice cream shindig will be pushed back a day to Sept. 12.

Demonstration

Mediterranean Chicken and Creamy Angel Hair Pasta with Feta. Sounds yummy.

If it sounds yummy to you, too, and you want to know how to make it, you can stop by the Fresh Market store, 3315 West Central Ave. from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Local Chef Roberta Acosta will give step-by-step demonstrations of how to make the dish throughout the three-hour time slot. That means you can arrive at any time and learn how to make it.

The demonstration is free.

Shrooms, dude

For those who keep track of this sort of thing, September turns out to be National Mushroom Month. That can only mean one thing: Thirty straight days of fungal fun.

The Mushroom Council (who may be the very same people who came up with the idea of National Mushroom Month) recommends kicking off your big celebration with grilled portabella caps stuffed with herb cheese. Their recipe is below, with more recipes available at mushroominfo.com.

Grilled Portabella Caps Stuffed With Herb Cheese

4 portabella mushrooms, stems removed

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

1 cup baby spinach, rough chopped

1/2 cup spreadable reduced fat herb cheese

1/3 cup buttery crackers, lightly crushed

Heat grill to 400. Brush both sides of mushrooms with oil. Mix tomatoes and spinach with the herb cheese. Spread the gill side of each mushroom with 2 tablespoons of herb cheese mixture. Sprinkle each mushroom with buttery cracker crumbs.

Place mushrooms, gill side up, on grill. Close cover and cook 13 minutes.

For a more quiche-like consistency, cook 2 minutes more.

Items for Morsels may be submitted two weeks in advance to food@theblade.com.