Around town

Taste of Thailand: Rush over to Williams-Sonoma at Ala Moana Center today for a free noon to 2 p.m. demonstration of Thai Vegetable Salad, Fried Noodles Thai-Style and vegetable carving by visiting chef/instructors Obchuey Wongtong and Walaiporn Suttha. The chefs are in Hawaii as part of an exchange and visit at Kapiolani Community College's Food Service and Hospitality Education Department. No registration is necessary.

Birthday break: L'Uraku Restaurant is celebrating its first year by slashing 50 percent of menu prices on its lunch, dinner and late-night menus. The price break is being offered through Saturday. Lunch prices now start at $8.50 and dinner at $15 for Euro-Japanese cuisine such as Arare-Crusted Snapper or mini gourmet pizzas topped with shrimp and shiitake. The restaurant is at 1341 Kapiolani Boulevard. Call 955-0552.

Le Jeune Chef series: Chef Julie Wong of the Kahala Mandarin Oriental Hotel will give a demonstration with tasting, 9:30 to 11:45 a.m. Saturday at Lyon Arboretum. The cost is $22. Call 988-7378 to register.

Holoholo in Waimanalo: Join Frank Sekiya at Frankie's Nursery, 41-999 Mahiku Place, to learn methods of raising fruit trees. At 9:30 to 11:45 a.m. Saturday. Costs $15.50. Call Lyon Arboretum at 988-7378 to register. Meet at the nursery.

High nutrition gardening: Make your gardening efforts contribute more to your health by growing vegetables. Janice Ito offers instruction at Lyon Arboretum, 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Saturday. Costs $15.50 plus $2 supply fee. Register at 988-7378.

Double trouble: A Celebrity Couples Cook-off is one of the events to be held at the Iolani School Family Fair next week. The fair takes place 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on the Iolani School fairgrounds at 563 Kamoku St. The couples cook-off will take place at 4:30 p.m. on the 19th. The couples include husband and wife teams of KQMQ's Cliff Richards and Erika Engles, KHON's Bill Brennan and Nalani Blaisdell, KHNL's Vince Gerasole and Heidi Umbauh, and KITV's Paul Udell and June Uyeno. The cook-off will be followed by a cooking demonstration by chef Sam Choy.

Rolling along: Paul Onishi presents a class on Intermediate Sushi from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. April 26 at Kapiolani Community College 'Ohia Building Room 118. Participants will learn about the styles of sushi, types of ingredients to use, and presentation, whether for two or for a sushi party. The fee is $20. Call 734-9211 to enroll.

Freebie

If desserts are your downfall, ask and you shall receive two free booklets from Betty Crocker, using their own line of cake mixes and frostings, of course:

"Betty Crocker Recipes for Spring" offers 10 recipes including Carrot Scones for celebrating Earth Day and a Strawberry Yogurt Cake for Mother's Day.

"Get Your Sweet Rewards" has 18 recipes including a Chocolate Peppermint Cake and Cranberry-Apple Cake.

Full color pictures accompany each recipe, and the latter booklet offers nutritional information. To get the booklets, call toll-free (888) ASK-BETTY (275-2388).