Food-o-File

The Fast Food Nation premiere afterparty on the Whole Foods rooftop patio was such a blustery affair that artist Jeri Moore's dynamic six-panel mural Going to Market threatened to blow away before guests had a chance to bid on it. The vibrant, evocative painting of farm families preparing crops for market was commissioned by the Austin Community Foundation, with a portion of the proceeds set to benefit Austin's Sustainable Food Center (236-0074; www.sustainable foodcenter.org). Michael Rotman's winning bid of $12,500 garnered three of the six panels and the remaining triptych is still for sale. The entire panel has been photographed, and the resulting banner will hang on the east side of the building at Miller Blueprint (Sixth & San Antonio) for the next two years, attracting shoppers to the nearby Austin Farmers' Market...

It's not too late to feel the power of holiday pie. Last-minute shoppers can purchase delicious Royers pies at the Pie Drive-Thru tent in front of Meals on Wheels & More (3227 E. Fifth) on Wednesday, Nov. 22, from 10am to 6pm... Now that there are reality competition shows for everything from ballroom dancing to cooking to clothing design, I guess it was only a matter of time until someone developed a program for aspiring winemakers. PBS has done just that, and The Winemakers is being filmed in California's Central Paso Robles region with 12 contestants experiencing "every aspect of the wine industry." Austin's own Ross Outon, wine guru for the local Twin Liquors chain, was chosen to participate at a casting call held last spring at Green Pastures. We can't wait to see how Outon fares when the show airs sometime in 2007... Regular Chronicle contributor MM Pack recently presented a tasting of six Texas wines to the wine interest section of the San Francisco Professional Food Society with very gratifying results. "They were surprised to be so impressed with Texas wines, which really pleased me," she reports. Among the favorites were a McPherson Sangiovese, the Alamosa Cellars El Guapo Tempranillo, and a Becker Vineyards Viognier. ... Don't be overwhelmed by fear of making pie this year: Baking tips and solutions to common pie-baking problems are only a phone call away at the Crisco Pie Hotline: 877/FOR PIE TIPS.