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Make your own mozzarella at Da Campo Osteria's classes.

It seems that Da Campo Osteria's executive chef, Joseph Quinn, isn't the kind to keep secrets. The chef, known for his fresh-pulled mozzarella prepared tableside at Da Campo Osteria, has decided to let some budding chefs in on his cheese-making secrets.

Quinn will hold a weekly mozzarella-making class starting Thursday, May 17. The classes, which will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the restaurant, will feature chef's secrets on how to hand-pull mozzarella. 
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Chef Luis Elu (far left) of Paella Grill totes his paellera around to backyard parties in Palm Beach and beyond.

Burgers and hot dogs will forever hold their place in America's heart as a staple for backyard cookouts. But these everyman bites aren't nearly as exotic, or entertaining, as the paella party, a fact that has likely contributed to one South Florida paella chef's recent influx of business, particularly with high-end customers.

"Business is picking up tremendously," said Luis Elu, owner and chef for Palm Beach County-based Paella Grill. Though his prices are not out of the norm for private catering services, he tends to draw well-to-do clients. But with popularity picking up, demand is increasing across the board and he's actively pursuing a partner to help cope with the increase in business.

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blipsman via Flickr Creative Commons

There's plenty of room for tuna poke.

While this weekend's Hukilau is a celebration of all things tiki -- music, performance, dance, and most definitely drink -- at Clean Plate Charlie, we tend to think with the stomach. With that in mind, here's a list of four Polynesian dishes we'd love to see served up at the Hukilau, or year-round, for that matter, at Mai-Kai.

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flickr4jazz via Flickr Creative Commons

Competitive cooking: It doesn't get anymore American than that, does it?

Everyone loves to brag that his chili (or ribs, hamburger, etc.) is the best. But it helps to be able to point to a first-place finish in a public contest to drive that point home. The Junior League of Greater Fort Lauderdale is hosting its seventh-annual Chili Cook-Off on Saturday, April 21, at Holiday Park in Fort Lauderdale, giving amateur cooks a chance to battle for that honor. 

Junior League members, in addition to friends and family, are invited to sign up to compete in  the cook-off, from noon to 3 p.m. All manner of recipes are welcome, including traditional, veggie, turkey, or your own crazy concoction. 

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makelessnoise via Flickr Creative Commons

You don't have to be able to grow your own 'stache in order to win.

Just when you thought it was safe to shave the ironic 'stache, restaurateur Rocco Mangel provides cash incentive to cultivate a good soup strainer. In anticipation of the Cinco de Mayo celebrations at all four of his South Florida Rocco's Tacos and Tequila Bar locations, Mangel has announced a mustache contest with cash prizes awarded to the "best" or "most creative" 'staches.

"Anyone with a mustache already has an upper hand, obviously," Mangel said of the competitive dynamics. But the contest-loving tequila pusher doesn't want lack of preexisting facial hair to keep anyone -- including the ladies -- from participating in the contest.

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Easter Sunday doesn't have to be a snoozefest.

Easter and brunch go together like sodium-laced store-bought ham and canned pineapple slices. If you want the traditional eggs Benedict and carved roast beef holiday experience, check out our lists of Broward and Palm Beach restaurants serving Easter meals. If you're looking to do something a little out of the ordinary this Sunday, we've got a handful of creative ways to celebrate Easter in Broward and Palm Beach counties, after the jump.

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Peeps sushi -- wasabi not necessarily recommended.

​With Easter-basket shopping in high gear, Peeps obsession is in full swing. But on Sunday night, after the sliced ham has gone cold, the plastic grass ingested by a pet or easily confused human candy hound, and the first glimmer of a jellybean-induced cavity forms, you may start wondering what to do with those adorable marshmallow creatures ('cause you certainly don't want to eat them.)

Microwaving leftover Peeps loses a bit of luster after having to scrape the first two or three sugary chicks off the microwave door. Find other ideas at the second-annual "Peeps Show" opening later this month at the Clay Glass Metal Stone Gallery in Lake Worth.

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Beer: It's what's for breakfast.

​Ditmar Perner, a manager at Biergarten Boca Raton, has been champing at the bit to host an authentic German brunch -- or Frühschoppen -- for nearly three months. Sunday, April 1, will mark the inaugural run, he said: "No joke."

The brunch is 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with seats available on a first-come, first-served basis. Perner said it will be something of a mini-Oktoberfest (perhaps making it the ideal brunch destination for post-New Times Beerfest revelers who want to keep riding that beer wave).

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Trader Joe's

Is Trader Joe's coming to Broward?

​Nadine Whiteman loves Trader Joe's. The former New Yorker used to shop at the organic market, which features fair-priced produce, cheap wine, and private-label foods. A nurse living in Hollywood, Whiteman misses her trips to Trader Joe's so much that she's started a campaign to bring the store to Broward County.

Whiteman has set up an online petition where fans of the store can add their name to a growing list of fans who want to be able to buy Two-Buck Chuck, Trader Joe's famous cheap wine, in their neighborhood. So far, Whiteman says she has about 460 signatures on the petition she started Sunday. She says she wants at least 2,000 virtual signatures before she sends it in to Trader Joe's corporate office in California.


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