Put this on your calendar: Opening this Saturday is the East Bay Restaurant Supply culinary center. It's a beautiful space adjacent to the well-stocked cooking supply warehouse on North 12th Street. If you haven't been there before, they sell to professionals and home cooks alike, and you can find heavy-duty sheet pans (I always have a couple of the half-sheet size for my home kitchen), a variety of silicone bakeware, and all kinds of neat kitchen gadgets.

And now they're going to be holding regular cooking classes as well. To celebrate, this Saturday, beginning at 8 a.m., there will be nine cooking demos by nine local chefs as well as food samples and info. tables from food distributors and producers in the area. The schedule for the demos is:

• 8-9 a.m. Chef Ann Martin Rolke/Sacatomato: Summer fruit coffee cake, Fridge-cleaning frittata, book signing of Hands-Off Cooking
  
• 9-10 a.m. Chef Ginger Elizabeth Powers/Couture Chocolates
  
• 10-11 a.m. Chef Tim Jordan/Old Soul Bakery: Fabulous Flatbread
  
• 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Chef Oahn Nguyen/Andy Nguyen Restaurant #2: Shrimp & Pork Imperial Rolls
  
• 12-1 p.m. Chefs Dani Luzzatti and Yvette Woolston/Wine Konnection
  
• 1-2 p.m. Chef Adam Pechal/Tuli Bistro: Pizza by Tuli
  
• 2-3 p.m. Chef Michelle/Crepe Cafe: Crepes Suzette
  
• 3-4 p.m. Chef Richard Hyman/Old Arch Brewerey, Lodi: House-Made Mozzerella and Caprese Salad
  
• 4-5 p.m. Dr. Giovanni Gaudia/culinary instructor direct from Italy: Authentic Regional Italian Cooking
  

The additional information booths, with samples and demos, will include Bella Bru, Star Knife Sharpening, Ellen's Gourmet Kitchen, Cheese Works, Produce Express, Mighty Kong Muffins, Mad Dog Mesa EVOO, and many others.

It's free and open to everyone, so make sure to get there early and have breakfast with me (Chef Ann Rolke), as I make coffee cake and frittata. Then stick around to get your knives sharpened, your belly filled, and your kitchen well stocked!

East Bay Culinary Center
522 N. 12th Street (come at it from Richards Blvd., then turn south on 12th)
Saturday, August 25, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
440-0620