GOINGS ON / SANTA BARBARA : Roots of a Tenor : Andy LoRusso has authored a cookbook with 100 recipes . . . and 10 songs.

Ojai musician Andy LoRusso got in touch with his Sicilian roots about a year ago. That’s when everything started to click.

The man who used to make jazz and pop recordings for Epic Records now is a full-fledged Italian tenor--and an operatic one to boot. He will bring his repertoire of classical arias, including works by Verdi and Donizetti, and Neapolitan love songs, such as “O Sole Mio,” to the Side Street Cafe in Los Olivos on Friday night.

“I tapped into the deep ancestry I have in my DNA,” LoRusso said. “When I sing traditional Italian songs, instead of being a singer singing the songs, there is just something magical. It seems as if I become the song and the emotion and passion just sort of flow through me.”

The 43-year-old LoRusso credits his progress in large part to Ventura singing instructor Giovanna d’Onofrio, who he said worked with the likes of Mario Lanza and Enrico Caruso. “She’s helped me tap into the ancient passion and the melodies that were written and to sing them the way they are supposed to be sung,” he said.

Singing isn’t LoRusso’s only passion, though. Food is a pretty important part of his life too. He’s managed to combine the two in an unusual format: a cookbook he’s now working on, called “Sing and Cook Italian,” which will feature 100 recipes and 10 Italian songs.

“People will be able to sing while they cook--songs like ‘That’s Amore’ and ‘Funiculi, Funicula.’ ”

LoRusso said his Los Olivos performance will be something of a testing ground for these songs. He will ask for audience participation to see how the tunes go over with the public.

LoRusso will be accompanied by pianist John Sonquista, a former UCSB professor. Flutist Sara Schwartz of Santa Barbara will also perform. The concert will begin at 8:30 p.m. The cafe is located at 2375 Alamo Pintado. Admission is $5 and reservations are suggested. Call 688-8455.

* The Access Theatre production of “Storm Reading” will return to its hometown of Santa Barbara, with five shows at the Center Stage Theater. The cast--starring disabled actor and playwright Neil Marcus--is in the middle of a four-year tour, which has included stops at Ford’s Theatre and the Kennedy Center. After the brief visit home, the show will move on to Eugene and Portland, Ore.

“Storm Reading” will be presented at Center Stage Theater Friday and Saturday night at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. It will continue Sept. 25 and 26 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $12.50 (general) and $10.50 (students and seniors). The theater is located on the second floor of the Paseo Nuevo shopping center, at the corner of Chapala and De La Guerra streets. Call 963-0408.

* Here’s one for those who can’t quite decide which restaurant to go to for that memorable Santa Barbara epicurean experience.

Thirty of the city’s dining establishments will cook up their specialties for Sunday’s 11th annual “Taste of the Town” benefit binge at Riviera Park, which runs from noon to 3 p.m. Proceeds from the event will go to the Arthritis Foundation’s Santa Barbara branch.

The restaurant list includes Michael’s Waterside, Emelio’s, Palace Cafe and the German House Restaurant. Folks at McConnell’s Ice Cream and Santa Barbara Cheesecake also are expected to bring down some goodies.

Of course, guests will probably want something to wash all that good food down. So how about wines from 10 Santa Barbara County winemakers, including Carey Cellars, the Brander Vineyard and Buttonwood Farm?

Tickets are $30 (advance) and $35 (at the door). Riviera Park is located at 2030 Alameda Padre Serra. For information, call 687-1592.

* The work of seven Latino and Chicano photographers from Los Angeles is on exhibit at Santa Barbara’s Contemporary Arts Forum (CAF) in a show called “Ojos Abiertos/Eyes Open.” The works deal with the topics of ethnicity, family and community ties, and self-identification. The show will run through Oct. 24. CAF is located at 653 Paseo Nuevo, on the second floor of the Paseo Nuevo shopping center.

* Everyone knows what the polo fields in Carpinteria are used for, right? Sure, the Santa Barbara Concours D’Elegance, a classic car show with about 200 autos that now is in its 16th year. This year’s version, on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., features as its car of honor the Lamborghini. Admission for adults is $10 in advance and $15 at the door. Admission for children under 12 is $5. The polo fields are located at 3375 Foothill Road. For tickets or more information, call 965-1556.

* When a whale loses a flipper it’s a big deal. That apparently holds true even if the whale is land-bound and never used the appendage in the first place.

The Sea Center in Santa Barbara is expected to be closed through tomorrow while repairs are made to the facility’s model of a gray whale, which suffered a cracked flipper during the Landers earthquake.

When the center reopens, so will its gallery, which is featuring the work of artist-diver Ken DeBondt. DeBondt’s images of sea life are photographs transferred to line art.

The Sea Center is located at 211 Stearns Wharf. It is open weekdays from noon to 6 p.m. and weekends from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call 963-1067.