FOOD CALENDAR

Chelsea, a Golden Retriever from Houston, was selected from nearly 200 entries as the 1990 Kibbles ‘n Bits Dog Hero of the Year. This brave pooch was shot in the shoulder while saving her owner and a neighbor from two gunmen. Former winners include Top, a Great Dane from Los Angeles, who not only broke a leg after pushing his 11-year-old neighbor from the path of an oncoming truck but, just after having his cast removed, came to the rescue again when he saved a 2-year-old from drowning; and King, a mixed breed from Granite Falls, Wash., who chewed through a plywood door to alert his family when the house caught fire. Kibbles ‘n Bits and Ken-L Rations are now accepting nominations for next year’s award. If you know a dog who has done a heroic deed since Oct. 1, 1990, send a detailed description, along with your name, address and telephone number, to: Kibbles ‘n Bits Dog Hero of the Year, P.O. Box 1370, Barrington, Ill. 60011. Entries must be received by Dec. 31.

* Everybody knows it takes a single drop of vermouth to propel a martini to greatness. Fewer people know that vermouth is also excellent for cooking. Now superchef Jean-Louis Palladin has created several recipes using dry vermouth. “I use Noilly Prat because it is the only producer of vermouth that mixes the herbs directly with the wines before final aging,” he explains. “This allows the flavors to be retained after the alcohol evaporates.” The recipes, in brochure form, include corn soup with jumbo shrimp, poached capon with consomme and chestnuts, cabbage and coriander, and duck foie gras sauteed with green grapes. For a free copy write: Hidden Treasures--Noilly Pract Recipes, P.O. Box 1080, Louisville, Ky. 40201.

* If you love to cook and are looking for an excuse to get away for a long weekend, you might want to know about the Valley Oaks Cooking School’s “From the Earth to the Table.” The program incorporates growing, harvesting and preparing fresh, seasonal food from Fetzer Vineyards’ 4 1/2-acre organic garden in Hopland. Classes run from Friday afternoon through Saturday night, and are limited to 30 students. The total package price, $595 per person, includes all meals, two nights lodging and classes. For a free brochure and schedule of classes, write Valley Oaks Cooking School, Fetzer Valley Oaks Food & Wine Center, P.O. Box 611, Hopland, Calif. 95449, or call (707) 744-1250.