Food-O-File

This week's first hot bite concerns southwest Austin's Onion Creek Bakery (1807 Slaughter Ln., Ste. 450, 280-6399). Pastry chef Scott Teal opened his own shop barely two months ago and is already building a loyal clientele with his pastries, artisan breads, pies, cakes, tarts, and tortes. Teal has been baking in Austin since 1989, putting in two years with Frenchman Alain Braux at the Amandine Bakery and four years at Hyde Park Bakery. I was especially impressed with the glistening fruit danishes ($1.45) and a round loaf of tangy sourdough bread ($2.50) warm from the oven. And Onion Creek is one of the few places you can find a genuine French eclair ($2.05)... It's been five years since their last dinner party, but former Austin chef Mick Van and ad man Mike Quinn are teaming again for Tuscan 3 — Summer in the Hills, the next event from Mick & Mike's International Supper Club. The $25 per person dinner will be served at two seatings (6:30pm & 8:45pm) Monday, June 15, at Las Manitas (211 Congress, 472-9357). Reservations required; call 453-6735 by June 9.

Travel Advisory

Former Austinite Susan Stone loves being the proprietor of the Whistle Stop Bed & Breakfast in Winter Park, Colorado, but she misses the ethereal little pommes dauphines at Chez Nous (510 Neches, 473-2413). She asked if there was any way to get the recipe, and Chez Nous proprietor Sybile Rochambeau was kind enough to share it, since Susan's not exactly competition. In June, the Stones will visit Austin and thank Rochambeau in person... Second-generation restaurateur James Lee Brockman will leave his position as co-owner of Gator's on Bull Creek (6203 Capital of Texas Hwy, 345-9881) for a few months this year to study cooking at the French Culinary Institute in New York City. Brockman checked out the school's trade fair booth at the recent IACP convention with his culinary mentors, Tom Gilliland and Roberto Santibanez,owner and executive chef, respectively, of Fonda San Miguel (2330 N. Loop, 459-4121).

The Art of Food

The Jewish holiday food demonstration presented by Texas Folklife Resources (1317 S. Congress, 442-4040) last week at Central Market (4401 N. Lamar, 206-1000) was a great success. All the participating cooks produced delicious food and enlightening commentary: Deborah Ben-Nun shared the secrets of the Moroccan fish that is her Sephardic mother-in-law's favorite Rosh Hashanah dish; Marilyn Scher, former pastry chef for Jeffrey's (1204 West Lynn, 477-5584) prepared the cheese blintzes her family serves for Break Fast at Yom Kippur; Lockhart native Abby Michelson demonstrated the herring in sour cream with apples and onions and the lox and cream cheese mold that are traditional Bar Mitzvah or Break Fast fare in their Ashkenazic Russian Jewish home; and retired Philadelphia baker David Beck brought his own Rival™ mixer from home to make the dough for his elegant, five-braid Challah. It would be wonderful if an accomplished baker like Beck could share his vast knowledge and expertise with another generation of Austin bakers.

Frog Legs

This arrived via e-mail. Once upon a time, a beautiful, independent, self-assured princess happened upon a fat, sweaty frog in a small pond. The frog said to the princess, "I was a famous, handsome prince until an evil witch put a spell on me. One kiss from you and I will turn back into a prince and we can marry. We'll move into the castle with my mom, where you can cook, clean, bear my children, and forever be happy doing so." That night, while the princess dined on fried frog legs, she was heard to laugh and say, "I don't think so!"