• The Texas Culinary Academy (11400 Burnet Rd., 837-2665, www.tca.edu) hosts its annual Gingerbread House Competition and Open House this weekend. The competition is open to everyone from kids to seasoned professional cake artisans. Prizes will be awarded, and the winning houses will stay on display for a week; to enter the contest, contact chef Aimee Olson at 837-2665 x179 or aolson@tca.edu. The open house features caroling, cookie-decorating demonstrations, and a life-sized gingerbread house where kids can get their photos taken with Chef Santa. Saturday, Dec. 13, noon-3pm.
• Take part in the Green Shoppers Gala to benefit the Capital Area Food Bank at the Sunset Valley Farmers Market (Toney Burger Activity Center parking lot on Highway 290 West, www.svfm.org), and find the perfect local food or green-inspired holiday gift for everyone on your list. Saturday, Dec. 13, 9am-1pm.
• Edible Austin‘s Eat Local Week culminates with a Local Food Cook-Off between celebrity contestants John Kelso and Olga Campos at the Downtown Farmers’ Market (Fourth & Guadalupe). The challenge is for the contestants to shop the market and then prepare a dish based on local ingredients with culinary student assistants. A panel of local cooks and food writers (including myself) will choose the winner. Saturday, Dec. 13, 10am-noon.
• Members of the “Best of Austin” award-winning Les Dames d’Escoffier will be signing copies of the cookbook collection recently released by members of the international culinary service organization at the Triangle Farmers’ Market (47th & Guadalupe). The book sells for $35; a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Les Dames’ local scholarship fund and Urban Roots. (Look for a review on my blog, Virginia’s On the Range, at austinchronicle.com/ontherange.) Wednesday, Dec. 17, 3-7pm.
This article appears in December 12 • 2008.