Bites & benders

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FRIDAY 8
Ben Pao brings the Olympics to Chicago with a kick-off party for the ’08 Games. Cirque Shanghai acrobats perform, egg rolls and dumplings are free, and a dragon-noodle-eating contest starts at 6:45pm. No matter how many 88-cent Tsingtaos you manage to down, it will still beat the price of the hazmat suit you’d need to brave the polluted Beijing Games. Free admission. 5:30–8:08pm. 52 W Illinois St (312-222-1888).

FRI-SUN 8-10
Indulge in gumbo, barbecue and blues and rock music at Chuck’s Cajun Fest, which kicks off Friday night. Then find out how Chuck Pine of Chuck’s Southern Comforts Café does it at his cooking demo at 1:30pm Sunday, where he’ll cook up jambalaya and shrimp chowder. Free; beers and taste portions of food average $4 each. St. Albert’s Church parking lot, 80th and State Rd, Burbank (chuckscafe.com).

MONDAY 11
Sure, you could buy a whole bunch of squash from Green Acres Farm at the market, but the chances of you turning it into shrimp-stuffed squash blossoms seem, well, slim. So head to Sola instead, where Green Acres produce will be used in a five-course meal with wine pairings. And be sure to thank the farmers, Beth and Brent Eccles, who’ll be joining in. $85. 6:30pm. 3868 N Lincoln Ave (773-327-3868).