Cookin’ and Cuttin’ Up in Texas

edited by Nan Frient

All's "fair" in food and wine, and this year's Texas Hill Country Wine & Food Festival's Sunday Fair is no exception, delivering once again a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon as Texas' favorite chefs demo their favorite fare. Sunday Fair takes place on Sunday, April 13, from noon - 5 p.m. at San Gabriel Park in Georgetown.

This year's new EAT+DRINK+LOCAL tent will kick off with a bang as Texas celebrity chef, cookbook author and Austin's own, Jeff Blank of Hudson's on the Bend takes center stage and fires up rustic fare at 12:30 p.m. "French Organic Wines" follows at 1:15 p.m. led by Stephan Hockey of Ambiente Wines with the focus on Kermit Lynch Wines. At 2:15 p.m. join Chef Paul Petersen of the Gage Hotel in Marathon, TX (formerly the chef and owner of Buda's nationally acclaimed Little Texas Bistro) as he cranks it up a notch with "buffalo" fare and Texas produce paired with wines by Jim Johnson of Alamosa Wine Cellars. Upcoming, rising star chef, Justin Raiford of Austin's 34th Street Café takes the final stage at 4 p.m. with bistro cuisine.

A little vino's in store before the cookin' begins at the Cookin' & Cuttin' Up tent at 12:30 p.m. as "green" wine enthusiasts gather 'round for "Organic Practices and Sustainability in the Vineyard," a wine discussion led by Jim Collins of Frei Brothers and Tommy Oldre of Tablas Creek. At 1:15 p.m. Georgetown's own Chef Lin Hayashi of Hayashi's Sushi & Grill leads the demo lineup, followed by a 2:15 p.m. wine discussion, "Raised in Texas: Growing Grapes and Making Wine" led by Twin Liquors David Jabour, and featuring Texas winemakers Kim McPherson of McPherson Wine Cellars and Mark Penna of Mandola Wine Estate, among others. Chef Brian Gibson of Cimarron Hills Country Club takes the stage at 3 p.m.; followed at 4 p.m. by celebrity chef Bob Waggoner of The Charleston Grill in Charleston. Waggoner will reveal some of the many secrets of combining classic French cooking with local ingredients and traditional Southern cooking.

In keeping with the festival's theme, this year's Sunday Fair still promises an old-fashioned, family-friendly outdoor party where guests can stroll through the serene landscape of the park, continuously sampling a staggering array of Lone Star edibles from gourmet food producers, local growers and Texas restaurants, as well as wines from Texas winemakers and visiting wineries from around the world. Live music features include Nakia and his Southern Cousins, the Marshall Ford Swing Band and headlining local favorite Carolyn Wonderland. Children's activities throughout the park offer Sunday Fair-goers something fun and delicious for every member of the family.

Sunday Fair is an event of the 23rd annual Texas Hill Country Wine & Food Festival, running April 10 - 13, 2008, in and around Austin, Texas. Tickets are $45 per person for advance tickets until March 31, $50 per person at the gate. Children 12 and under are admitted free of charge.