The Brooklyn Food Coalition presents a talk and dinner with Mark Bittman, food columnist and author of How to Cook Everything and VB6: Eat Vegan Before 6:00 to Lose Weight and Restore Your Health . . . for Good. Bittman speaks on "the future of food," addressing how we can eat better for personal fitness and for a healthy planet. Books are offered for purchase and Bittman will be available for signing.

The talk takes place at 6 p.m. in the Arnold & Marie Schwartz Gymnasium at Long Island University, Downtown Brooklyn.

A dinner follows the talk, for which separate tickets are required.

Doors open at 5 p.m..

Tickets cost $11 for students/$21 for general admission (talk only), and $181 for admission to the talk plus dinner, wine, and an autographed book.