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Illustration by Leah Sharpe

Texas Book Festival organizers have assembled a literary banquet of cooking demonstrations, question and answer sessions, music, and lively panel discussions this year at the Cooking Tent (11th & Congress, right in front of the Capitol). Hill Country pastry queen Rebecca Rather, second generation Italian food expert Giuliano Hazan, and Food Network healthy cooking advocate Ellie Krieger will each present cooking demonstrations. Longtime Austin City Limits makeup artist Glenda Pierce Facemire will divulge how she convinced famous musicians who have graced the stage of the award-winning PBS program to share recipe secrets, accompanied by guest musicians Sara Hickman and Kevin Welch. University of Texas professor and oral historian Elizabeth Engelhardt and some of her grad students will explain the process of gathering anecdotes, myths, and family secrets about a sacred subject – Texas barbecue – and Slow Food investment advocate Woody Tasch will participate in a panel discussion with members of the area Slow Food community.

Several of these authors are making multiple appearances while they're in Austin for the weekend, but the Texas Book Festival offers access to a delicious lineup, free of charge. See you in the Cooking Tent! – Virginia B. Wood