FOOD CALENDAR

Shoppers Express, the shopping and delivery service for Lucky’s Markets, has begun its own Operation Desert Storm. Effective immediately, it will provide free shopping service to dependents of U.S. military personnel stationed in the Persian Gulf. To qualify, simply present a valid Military Family Member Identification Card to the delivery person. The cost of the service will then be deducted from the total bill.

The search is on for America’s best marshmallow recipe. Sponsored by Kraft Marshmallows, the contest is open to cooks from all across the United States. Entries must be postmarked by March 1, and the winning recipe pays $5,000. (Don’t bother to send in that recipe for marshmallow crispy treats--they already know about that one.) For complete contest rules, write: Kraft Marshmallow Contest Rules, 739 Roosevelt Road, Suite 308, Glen Ellyn, Ill. 60137-5820.

Nabisco says that every year the company receives more than 1,500 requests for the recipe for mock apple pie. (Popular during the Depression, the pie is made from Ritz crackers and allegedly tastes like apples.) The original recipe will appear on boxes of Ritz and Ritz Bits products during the month of February. Now, if only Nabisco would start working on a pie that tastes like chocolate but is made from crackers . . . .

Betty Crocker may not look a day over 50, but she is about to celebrate her 70th birthday. Just in time, she is introducing a new line of light cake mixes and frostings. Each is 94% fat-free and has two-thirds less fat than the original. For a free booklet of 10 dessert recipes, a photo of the finished desserts and nutrition information, send your name and address and a UPC symbol from the bottom of a SuperMoist Light package to: SuperMoist Light Recipe Booklet, P.O. Box 5069, Minneapolis, Minn. 55460.

Ever wanted to bake a buttermilk cake only to discover that you don’t have a bottle of buttermilk on hand--and don’t really want to buy a quart when the recipe calls for less than a cup? You might consider dry buttermilk, found in the dry and canned milk section of the supermarket. And you might consider sending for a free sample of SACO’s real Cultured Buttermilk blend; it comes with a collection of recipes, hints for a healthier diet and money-saving coupons. Call (800) 373-SACO or write to: Free Low-Fat Recipe Offer, SACO Foods, Box 5461, Madison, Wis. 53705.

Today

Super Wine Bowl ’91. The all-stars from Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars and Bonny Doon along with their respective coaches, Warren Winiarski and Randall Grahm. This game is being sponsored by the Duke of Bourbon. Calabasas Inn. 23500 Park Sorrento, Calabasas Park. (818) 341-1234. 7:15 p.m. $29.

Friday

Saturday

Barrel Tasting. Visit the wineries of the Temecula Valley (off Interstate 15; exit on Rancho California Road), and sample foods paired with unreleased Temecula Valley wines from the 1990 harvest and meet the wine makers. Sponsored by the South Coast Vintners Assn., Temecula. (714) 699-3626. Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. $25.

Sunday

Monday

Asian Foods Class. A 10-week cooking class featuring Chinese, Thai and Korean foods. Sponsored by Venice Community Adult School. Burton Chace Park Community Building, western end of Mindanao Way, Marina del Rey. (213) 306-8111. Tuesdays at 1 p.m. $38.50, $28.50 for seniors.

Tuesday

Today’s Gourmet. “It doesn’t matter whether something is ‘authentic’ or prepared ‘correctly’--what works, works.” Jacques Pepin, “the Cary Grant of cuisine,” begins his new 26-part series featuring light and healthy cuisine, on Channel 28 at 5:30 p.m.

Classes:

Catering. Small-scale catering, menu planning, food purchasing and display, as well as legal and financial responsibility are all featured in this credited class. Pasadena City College, Campus Center Cafeteria, 1570 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. (818) 585-7235. Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m.

Cookies. A three-week series. North Orange County Community College at the Yorba Linda Campus, Room 402, 4175 Fairmont Blvd., Yorba Linda. (714) 779-8279. Tuesdays at 1:30 p.m. Repeats on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. at the Wilshire Center Campus, Room 202, 315 Wilshire, Fullerton, Room 202. (714) 526-8258. $18.

Wednesday

Classes:

International Cuisine. An 18-week course sponsored by University-Palisades Community Adult School. Held at University High School, Room C-281, 11800 Texas Ave., West Los Angeles, (213) 394-2324. Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. $80.50, $60.50 for seniors.

Soups, Stews and Breads. A six-week course. Gourmet School of Cooking and Entertaining, 3915 Carnavon Way, Los Angeles. (213) 666-5080. Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. $180.

Romance. A Valentine dinner for two. Bristol Farms, 837 Silver Spur Road, Rolling Hills Estates. (213) 541-9157. 6:30 p.m. Free.