by Virginia B. Wood
The world really is coming to Austin this Christmas; just consider the events
scheduled in the next week: Central Market (458-3068) kicks off an
international week with a Tamale Extravaganza taught by Mexico City native
Claudia Alarcon tonight, Thu, Dec. 12. On Saturday, Dec. 14, Bottega della
Pasta chef/owner Rino Lanzalotti will present a sumptuous Italian holiday menu
with a traditional chestnut-stuffed Capon, Sweet and Sour Rabbit with polenta,
grilled young goat with artichokes and a panettone. Sunday, Dec.15, Green
Gourmet caterer Diana Welsch presents a Southern style holiday feast, and Foo
Swasdee of Satay Restaurant will teach the preparation of some Thai holiday
appetizers on Monday, Dec. 16. The spicy traditions of a Jamaican Christmas
will be featured in a class from CM executive chef Jay McCarthy on Dec. 17, hot
sauce mogul J.P. Hayes of Sgt. Peppers will deliver his class participants a
Santa Fe Christmas on Dec. 18, and Roger Mollett stirs up the holiday flavors
of New Orleans on Dec. 19. On Saturday, Dec. 21, Carol Kelly, owner of Manners,
Music and More presents a children’s class with cookies and carols from
Germany…
With a minimum of travel, an Old World Christmas experience is
available in Fredericksburg this weekend. The annual Kriskindl Markt is Dec.
14-15 in the festively decorated Marketplatz located downtown. They’ll have
merchandise from over 65 juried craftspeople, Hill Country wines and jellies,
plus vendors serving lots of German culinary delicacies. Wish them Frohe
Weinachten while you’re there…
Check out the KLRU fundraising line-up
tonight for an as-yet-unseen special holiday segment of Chef! The good news
from the programing department at KLRU is that several more episodes of British
comic actor Lenny Henry’s hilarious English restaurant comedy become available
in the spring. Look for Chef! in its regular time slots at 11pm on
Saturday and 11:30pm on Sunday evenings…
There are always plenty of good
choices for Austintatious food gifts but this year, they’re even better than
usual. For the celebrity-watching foodies on your list and especially anyone
who treasures Austin’s parks, greenbelts, trails, preserves and swimming holes:
Proceeds from the Austin Hill Country Celebrity Cookbook (Lost Trail
Productions, $20, paper) benefit the Austin Parks Foundation, a grassroots
volunteer organization dedicated to the preservation of Austin’s green spaces.
The foundation folks requested recipes from both famous locals and national
celebs with local ties, compiling the responses into an interesting cookbook
with a profile to accompany each recipe. Try out bassist/Jeffrey’s pastry chef
George Reiff’s Lyle Loved It Tart, Jody Conradt’s Slam Dunk Oatmeal Cookies,
the Drunken Chicken `n’ Dumplins that fortified Fran Christina and the other
Fabulous Thunderbirds or Marcia Ball’s authentic Heart of Louisiana
Etouff�e. There are recipes for everything from the secrets of the
Broken Spoke’s legendary chicken fried steak to the tuna spread favored by
Marion Winik’s father. Congratulations to authors Sheila Liermann and Nancy
Reid and Parks Foundation Director Paula Fracasso for offering a great gift
idea that will keep giving to Austin for years. For the homesick former
Austinite who left in search of cheaper rent and bigger paychecks, the natural
choice is: Threadgill’s: The Cookbook (Longstreet Press, $22.95, paper) by
local cultural icon/restaurateur/raconteur Eddie Wilson. It’s a gift of
history, food and fun.
This article appears in December 13 • 1996 and December 13 • 1996 (Cover).