food-o-file

Botanitas Restaurant, 6400 South First Street, is one of the few restaurants in town that serves the interior Mexican specialty, cabrito (kid goat). Chef-owner Ruben Rodriguez reports that he has an ample supply of naturally raised cabrito purchased locally from White Egret Farm. He'll be serving up Cabrito Estilo Jalisco (Kid Goat Jalisco-style), deboned pieces of tender goat in a sauce made with tomatillos, chiles pasillas, anchos, and chipotles with salad, rice, and beans.Andale!

Ready to Eat

The good news from the Gillespie County Fruit Growers Association is that, even though they didn't have as many chilling hours as they'd have liked, they expect a good supply of Hill Country Peaches this season. Peach season peaks in June and July, but some late varieties will be available through Labor Day. Peaches are for sale at various roadside stands in the Hill Country west of Austin, at Burg's Corners on US290 at Stonewall, or by mail order from
210/644-2604 or 800/694-2772.

Comida Casera

The most enticing cooking classes listed in the summer issue of the UTInformal Classes bulletin are two offerings on Mexican Home Cooking taught by former Chronicle Hot Sauce Contest Winner Cynthia Spahnel and her assistant, Juana Saldaña, a native of Hidalgo, Mexico. The June 17 class features Sopas, Caldos y Sopas Secas (Soups, Stews, and "Dry" Soups) and the July 8 class will present Verduras y Ensaladas, a tasty and fascinating selection of vegetable dishes and salads. Spahnel and Saldaña are collaborating on a book of home-style recipes from the Mexican state of Hidalgo, and these classes would be a great opportunity to preview their recipe collection. Call 471-0270 to register.

Wining on the Net

Texas' Llano Estacado Winery has a new home on the Internet. Net surfers can now visit the Grapevine - The On-line Wine Shop and learn all there is to know about Llano Estacado, the award-winning Lubbock winery in the High Plains Appellation. Visitors to the Grapevine site can view photos of the winery, its wines, and personnel, plus historical information and winemakers' notes.

The Grapevine is a new on-line wine shop and information provider developed by ValueNet Corp. of Kenwood, California, in the Sonoma Valley. The service provides vintners with unlimited text space to describe not only their winery but every varietal they sell. This new service allows Internet customers to order wine (although not in Texas because it's against the law) or wine-related products electronically. Customers can also subscribe to and read winery newsletters on-line and send e-mail to the member wineries. To visit the Grapevine on the World Wide Web, go to:
http://www.winery.com.

- Virginia B. Wood