Food-o-File
Anthony Bourdain is a hot literary dish, Rosa Salas, whose salsa was a huge hit at the recent Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival, is already serving her concoction at a local restaurant, and the details on learning how the ancients ate.
By Virginia B. Wood, Fri., Sept. 8, 2000
Even More Hot Sauce
If your scorched taste buds have recovered from sampling several hundred salsas on a recent Sunday afternoon and you're still curious about how a first-place hot sauce tastes, pull up to the drive-thru at Tex-Mex Bar-B-Que (W. Oltorf & S. First, 443-6966) and place an order. It seems that the first-place winner in the individual red sauce category, Rosa I. Salas, whips up a fresh batch of salsa everyday for her in-laws to serve in their combination Tex-Mex and barbecue takeout joint.
Edible Art
The 50 whimsical paintings of food currently displayed on the walls at Jeffrey's (1204 W. Lynn, 477-5584) aren't edible but they are for sale. Local artist Nancy D. Hoover's enticing renditions of everything from fruits to sushi and vegetables to pasta continue to grace the walls at Jeffrey's until September 16. Mrs. Hoover will be at the restaurant for a reception in her honor this Sunday, September 10 from 5:30-7:30pm. Stop by for a nosh and a visit with the charming artist and go home with delicious new art. One of my most treasured possessions is an original Nancy Hoover platter commissioned by some friends as a birthday gift a few years back, so I know firsthand how pleasing her artwork can be around the kitchen.
Culinary/Literary
New York City chef/author Anthony Bourdain has learned the power of publicity. The buzz created by his late-spring, tell-all tome Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly (BloomsburyUSA, $24.95, hardback) and that book's appearance on The New York Times nonfiction bestseller list has had an unexpected benefit. Earlier in his writing career, Bourdain published two novels which had long been out of print. Now that he's such a hot literary dish, Bourdain's forgotten novels Gone Bamboo and Bone in the Throat (BloomsburyUSA, $14.95, paper, both) are back in print. When I've finished Bone in the Throat, a mystery featuring a chef working in a mob-owned New York restaurant, I'll let you know what I think... Speaking of chefs and mysteries, Kansas City chef/food journalist Lou Jane Temple, will teach a "Mystery Writer's Dinner" at Central Market (4000 N. Lamar, 458-3068) on Saturday, September 16. Temple is the author of the popular Heaven Lee culinary mystery series. Call now to register for her class.
Foodways Lecture Series
The Historical Foodways Group of Austin invites you to attend its fall 2000 lecture series. The very interesting group of food professionals, journalists, culinary historians, and passionate foodies meets the first Sunday of every month from 5-7pm at the Culinary Academy of Austin (2823 Hancock Drive, 451-5743). You've already missed David and Helen Cook's hearty presentation on Wisconsin-style Tailgate parties, complete with plenty of cheese and ice cold beer, so put these other dates on the calendar right now. On October 1, archaeologist/chef and frequent Chronicle contributor Rachel Feit will talk about Cookery in the Ancient World and on November 5, culinary historian Alice Arndt will introduce Great Figures in the Culinary Arts. Those interested in attending the lectures can RSVP at 451-5743.
