A couple of years ago, Mike and I came to Austin for the Texas Book Festival, a massive annual literary event started by Laura Bush. As we checked into the Sheraton, a standard monolithic corporate hotel, we noticed something… unusual in the lobby bar. A Texas-sized gentleman … [Read more...] about The last time I came to Austin
Various & Sundry
Penny, I Need You. Can’t You See That?
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8If0nx-cR0&feature=youtube_gdata]Famed food photographer Penny de los Santos will be hosting a free online food photography workshop next weekend from a studio not far from our digs in Seattle. This past week, she offered six people … [Read more...] about Penny, I Need You. Can’t You See That?
Neal’s Yard Dairy
We've been kicking around London since Wednesday. One of my main pilgrimages when I'm in town is to visit Neal's Yard Dairy in my old neighborhood of Covent Garden. After a wide range of nibbles, we headed home with some Sleightlett, an unbearably soft tasting unpasteurized goats … [Read more...] about Neal’s Yard Dairy
Victory Gardens
During research for the next book, I stumbled onto this 1940s-era government video on how to plant and manage a Victory Garden. It's a bit long-winded but it has some interesting and useful information for part-time and urban gardeners. Still, I chuckle at the mention of a … [Read more...] about Victory Gardens
Food writing retreat in November on Whidbey Island
As some of you know, I have been spending time on Whidbey Island working on my next book. It's relaxing, beautiful and a wonderful place to write. So for the first time, I've decided to hold my weekend-long Hungry for Words, an intensive introduction to food writing, at the … [Read more...] about Food writing retreat in November on Whidbey Island