Taste

A new treatment for malaria - which experts say kills a child in Africa every 30 seconds - might lie in the dregs of medicinal tea formerly produced by an Ellicott City woman's company. Bad flavor might have undermined the lasting success of Diane Winn's first anti-malarial drug, a product called Phyto-Laria tea bags, which her company made until five years ago from the root of an African vine. But now, the only thing Winn hopes to taste is success as a flavorless capsule form of the same drug soon heads for clinical testing and, if approved, a product launch by year's end. Not bad for someone who graduated in 1959 with a degree in biology from tiny Cedar Crest College in Allentown, Pa., and who envisioned a long career behind a microscope or as a medical illustrator.

The Friends of Patterson Park are holding their 8th annual Wine Tasting at Sunset event on Thursday night around the historic Marble Fountain and Pagoda. Wine tastings and food samplings are coming from Chesapeake Wine Co. , DiPasquale's , Bistro Rx , V-No and  Todd Conner's . The evening includes an acoustic performance by Rob Fahey and silent and live auctions. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased on the Friends website or by calling the Friends office at 410-276-3676.

Taste of the Nation Baltimore is one of 40 culinary events held across the country each year raising funds for the national non-profit Share Our Strength dedicated to ending childhood hunger. Chefs from Michael Mina's upcoming eagerly awaited Wit & Wisdom will be there, along with representatives from Pierpoint, Charm City Cakes , B&O Brasserie and Clementine . Taste of the Nation will be held on Saturday, Oct. 15 at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel . Taste of the Nation events have been held since 1988, but is first time one is being held in Baltimore.

When the first Wine in the Woods festival was being planned in 1992, Ellicott City restaurateur Fernand Tersiguel suggested organizers add enlightenment to their goals for the event. This weekend, as the wine festival marks its 20th anniversary in Symphony Woods, the education seminars still attract a loyal following. But these are not the formal or snobby classes one might imagine. Instead, they are casual interactions among wine lovers. "You start tasting wine almost right away," said Larry Elletson, an Ellicott City resident and one of three co-directors of the Maryland chapter of Tasters Guild International.

Most kids like sweets, but for some children there might be an underlying cause for that affinity. A new study finds there might be a link between sweet preference in children and a family history of alcoholism, plus the child's feelings of depression. The study in the journal Addiction shows correlation, not causation, and the researchers also note that this penchant for sweetness doesn't necessarily mean the children who preferred the sweeter taste will eventually become alcoholics.

Thank you for writing the article shining a light on anti-choice people who harass and humiliate people and their families who are not breaking any laws ("Abortion fight widens," May 11). To think that these people would go to a man's middle-school aged daughter's school to defame the girl and her family because the girl's dad rents space to abortion providers is deplorable. These anti-choice fanatics should get a taste of their own medicine by receiving calls and visits to their neighborhoods and schools.

It happens every year. Monday is the day for the  state's hospitality and tourism professionals to break some serious bread with Maryland lawmakers at the 22nd at annual Taste of Maryland Legislative Reception. Organized by the Restaurant Association of Maryland , the reception gives RAM members the chance to press the flesh with the people who will be yaying and naying on the legislation that might impact their industry. Langermann's, Shapiro's Cafe and Miss Shirley's are among the two dozen restaurants participating in the event, which will also include wines donated by the Maryland Wineries Association.

The Supreme Court's decision in the Westboro Baptist case follows our constitutional protections for free speech. Why don't people exercise that right by picketing there? Go to Westboro! Same-sex couples and veterans should join in a show of support for slain soldiers and denounce this bigotry with many rallies right on Westboro's doorsteps. Aren't there VFW's in Kansas? Where are they? Freedom of speech goes both ways. Ron Kuhns, Nottingham

Do you think of cooking as an art or a necessity? Whatever your reason for pulling out the pans, we want to hear about it. Answer our third annual reader survey that appeared in the Taste section on March 16 or go online to www.baltimoresun. com/tastesurvey. Please respond by tomorrow. We will print the results later this spring.

I want to thank the Arbutus Times and Catonsville Times and the communities they serve for the items that folks continue to drop off here at the station. Because of the constant and gracious donations, a total of 202 boxes were mailed overseas in the last two weeks. This is the largest amount of material sent overseas to this date. To put it in perspective, the last shipment was 167 boxes. We can never thank you and your readers enough. We hope the items continue to come in. If not for this area, the program would not endure in such a successful way. We count upon ongoing support.

Water samples from two treatment plants in Baltimore beat out samples from plants in Washington, D.C., and Delaware last week in an annual taste test, according to the city's Department of Public Works. The "Water Taste Challenge" is held each year at the joint spring meeting of the Chesapeake Water Environmental Association and the Chesapeake Section of the American Water Works Association. This year's meeting was held May 11 at Six Flags America in Bowie. Public works departments from Baltimore, Washington and Delaware competed in the taste competition.

Thank you for writing the article shining a light on anti-choice people who harass and humiliate people and their families who are not breaking any laws ("Abortion fight widens," May 11). To think that these people would go to a man's middle-school aged daughter's school to defame the girl and her family because the girl's dad rents space to abortion providers is deplorable. These anti-choice fanatics should get a taste of their own medicine by receiving calls and visits to their neighborhoods and schools.

During 37 years as a feature writer, sometime editor and longtime restaurant critic at the Sun, I had many proud moments and even a few awards. But I don't think anything pleased me as much as being named The Sun 's Best Blogger by the City Paper in the fall of 2007. A few months before, my editor had told me I would be joining the digital age. I would write a food and restaurant blog, to be called Dining@Large. I wasn't sure I knew what a blog was. Being a restaurant critic was a fabulous job, but I'd done it for a long time.

The third annual Foodie Experience is just around the corner, and the Hippodrome has released the lineup of participating restaurants, caterers and other vendors. Among them are a few restaurants that will be making their Foodie Experience debuts, including Bond Street Social , Rye , Shapiro's Cafe , Stuggy's and Waterfront Kitchen . Instead of a post-show reception, the grazing and tasting portion of the May 12 event will take place before headliner Andrew Zimmern, host of the Travel Channel's popular program "Bizarre Foods," takes the stage at 6 p.m. Beginning at 3 p.m., restaurants and caterers will serve samples inside the theater.

The Pikesville Chamber of Commerce is throwing a tasting event on May 3 at the Hilton Baltimore North/Pkesville. Participating vendors include Marin Luna Latin Grille, Mari Luna Latin Grille, Pikes Diner, Island Quizine, Suburban House and Quarry Bagel. Taste Pikesville , "a night of food, festivitiy and fun," costs $30 in advance, $35 at the door. For information call 410-484-2337 or email the chamber at info@pikesvillechamber.org Other vendors include Mt. Washington Tavern, Ledo Pizza, Pasta & Pub, Sofi's Crepes, Simply Elegant Catering, Van Gogh Vodka, The Wild Pea, Gourmet Again, Boordy Wines, Quarry Wine & Spirits, North Oaks, Innovative Gourmet, Original Fish & Chips, Vernisage, Coffee with T, The Fresh Market, Royal Wines, Many Mini Cakes and Marb, LLC A portion of proceeds are headed to the Baltimore County Community Relations Council.

Quick. Tonight. Got plans? Do this. Pazo is hosting a "Pop-Up" wine tasting with Tony Foreman and sommelier Lindsay Willey. Space is limited for this event, which will include wine tastings and light tapas. The cost is $20. That includes complementary valet parking (CVP). The Wordly Wine Tour wine-up includes: Champagne Laurent Perrier Brut 2002 Reds Monthelie, Thierry et Pascale Matrot 2009 Bierzo, Godelia 2008 Malbec, Siesta en el Tahuantinsuyu 2007 Barbaresco, Moccagatta “Bric Balin” 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, Woodhouse “Daríghe” 2002  

Youngsters (above) converged on the East Columbia branch of the Howard County Library Wednesday to record their ice cream preferences. Twenty kids taste-tested six brands of vanilla ice cream and recorded their impressions. Haagen-Dazs took first place, fol lowed by Turkey Hill. After thoroughly coating her bowl of ice cream with candy sprinkles, a smiling Kel ley Meehan, 10 (left), hands over the sweets to a fel low confection researcher.

Here we go again. The guests of Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and Gov.Martin O'Malleycan't afford their own stadium event tickets and pig-out so they are floated on the backs of taxpayers, many of whom can only dream of finding the wherewithal to attend a Ravens game with a hot dog and beer. When will the voters in Maryland wake up and throw these leech Democrats out of office? I have little hope. F. Cordell, Lutherville

What do you get with some marital conflict, product placement, joking around and weepy, back-slapping man hugs? "The Amazing Race"in Italy, obviously.   Hamartia I finally get to use the word hamartia in a recap to show off my knowledge of old terminology from Greek literature! Check that off my bucket list! It means fatal flaw, and it frequently points its hamartanein finger at pride.   Ralph and JJ, the Border Patrol Agents, are full of pride (or hubris, if we are still flinging fancy words around)