Food-o-File

'Tis the season when local pastry artists create visions of gingerbread architecture all over town – Naomi Gallego's crew at the Four Seasons (98 San Jacinto) creates an elaborate gingerbread village for the hotel lobby every year, and then individuals, families, and businesses "purchase" the various buildings to raise money (about $5,000 per year) for Seton's Shivers Center. The soaring glass atrium at the Omni Downtown (8th & Brazos) is the showcase for the gingerbread artwork of pastry chef Mike Joiner's crew, and the genteel Victorian splendor of the Driskill (6th & Brazos) is home to the gingerbread masterpieces of pastry chef Tony Sansalone and his team. Hyatt Regency (208 Barton Springs) Executive Chef Javier Ortiz presented the gingerbread village prepared by his staff to the hotel guests during a viewing ceremony last week. Hilton Downtown (4th & Neches) Executive Chef Mark Dayanandan and his kitchen assemble gingerbread houses, stores, and castles every Novem­ber and then invite a different children's group to help decorate a display that includes snow-covered mountains and a working electric train. Kids from the Childhood Cancer & Blood Disorders Program at the Dell Children's Medical Center helped this year. Also, pastry chef instructors and students from the Culinary Academy of Austin (www.culinaryacademyofaustin.com) donate a delightful gingerbread display for the Dell Children's Medical Center lobby every year. All the gingerbread architecture should be on display through New Year's Day... The owners of Mozart's Coffee Roasters (3825 Lake Austin Blvd., 477-2900, www.mozartscoffee.com) invite folks to snap their holiday family photos in front of the spectacular holiday backdrop on the patio and make a donation to Operation Blue Santa in the process. This opportunity will be available all day, every day through the holiday season... Families still looking for a community-supported agriculture share for the upcoming spring/summer season should stop by the Urban Roots booth at the Austin Farmers' Market Down­town (Fourth & Guadalupe) on Saturday mornings or at the Triangle Market (4800 Guadalupe) on We­dnes­day afternoons and sign up. A CSA share that will provide weekly produce for a family of two to four is $680. See complete details at www.urbanrootscsa.kintera.org... In addition to her delicious mini pies, Cutie Pie (589-7979, www.cutiepiewagon.com) baker Jaynie Buckingham is taking orders for whole pies and other holiday desserts with 24 hours' notice... Colleagues in the Chronicle office tell me they're pleased about the recent opening of Franklin Barbecue (3421 N. I-35, 653-1187, www.franklinbarbecue.com) near the office. Follow the smoky aroma to the parking lot at Owl Tree Roasters to enjoy pulled pork and toothsome brisket Wednesdays through Sun­days, 11am-8pm... The newest Hat Creek Burger Co. outlet (5400 Burnet Rd., www.hatcreekburgers.com) is now open in a reimagined Arby's building – look for the neon cowboy hat and drive right in... If you're like me and find yourself coveting the new six-quart KitchenAid stand mixer with the cool glass mixing bowl but already have a mixer, I have good news. KitchenAid's media representative assures me it will be possible to purchase just the glass mixing bowl sometime in early 2010.