IS GETTING COZY WITH...
I think now's as good of a time as any to let the cat out of the bag. I have a new job working for Hawthorne Books -- my favorite Portland publishers. I've been slowly phasing in the past few weeks for an early October start date just in time to help out with two very exciting upcoming spring and summer 2010 titles. AND just in time for Wordstock -- a delicious and more food writing focused Wordstock to boot.
For the two of you that don't know -- Wordstock is Portland's annual fall weekend-long literary festival with stages for all kinds of author readings, a book fair of mostly regional publishers and presses and lots of writing workshops. It takes place next weekend -- October 10th and 11th all day at the Oregon Convention Center.
This year's festival includes more than a dozen food writers including The Accidental Hedonist herself Kate Hopkins; Veganomicon and Vegan with a Vengeance author Isa Chandra Moskowitz; Piper Davis and Ellen Jackson will present their hot-off-the-presses The Grand Central Baking Book; Julie Richardson and Cory Schreiber will read from their new title Rustic Fruit Desserts; and Ivy Manning will present her The Farm to Table Cookbook and The Adaptable Feast.
If you're hungry for more check out this Wordstock food panel at 4pm Saturday, October 10th:
Seasons of Change: How much should people be encouraged to eat seasonal food? Hear three authors discuss the challenges of providing a seasonal menu, the impacts of rising demand on farmers and others aspects of eating seasonally.
Wordstock's Book Fair. I think this man just asked, So people still, you know, read?
Not only does this year's Wordstock include more food writers than ever it's also promoting the new November event Livestock -- a series of Portland farm-to-fork events designed to explore the literary and literal aspects of killing our dinner.
Gleaned from the Livestock press release:
Watershed Culinary Productions in partnership with Camas Davis, food writer and founder of the soon-to-be-launched Portland Meat Collective, presents the first ever Livestock which will be held on two consecutive Wednesdays, November 4th and 11th, from 6pm to 8pm at the International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Portland. Tickets are $25 each with $10 from every ticket sold going to Friends of Family Farmers. Space is limited so please call (503) 827-6564 between 9:00am and 5:30pm to reserve your place. Pay by Visa, MasterCard, American Express or cash. Sorry no checks.
Cathy Whims of Nostrana and Adam Sappington of The Country Cat will display their butchery craft as ranchers discuss their bond to the land, and writers present short stories exploring the food politics and emotions embedded in eating meat. The evenings will wrap up with a flight of beef or pork from three local farms cooked by the evening's featured chef.
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Local writers, chefs, and other artists are encouraged to submit personal essays of no more than 1,200 words for consideration as part of Livestock. Essays can explore anything from the politics of eating (or not eating) meat to the emotional (or unemotional) context of killing (or not killing) your dinner. Submissions might only explore the chop or the rib, or they might go as deep as the tail or the trotter, but metaphor and style will be prized above technicalities and generalities of any sort. Six finalists will be chosen to read their essays at the event. An honorarium will be offered to each author, along with all the charcuterie they can consume in one evening. To submit please contact Camas Davis by October 12th at: camas.davis@gmail.com
Livestock 1: The Butchery of a Cow
What: The Country Cat Dinnerhouse & Bar Chef Adam Sappington and Sweet Briar Farms, with readings & butchery demonstration. Chef Sappington will prepare three cuts from three different farms, and guests will be invited to compare and contrast flavors. When: November 4, 2009 from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Where: The International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Portland 34 NW 8th Ave Portland, OR 97209 (503) 228-6528 Cost: Tickets are $25 each. Please call (503) 827-6564 to reserve your seat.
Livestock 2: The Butchery of a Pig
What: Nostrana Chef Cathy Whims and Laughing Stock Farm, with readings & butchery demonstration. Chef Whims will prepare a flight of meat and invite guests to compare and contrast flavors. When: November 11, 2009 from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Where: The International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Portland 34 NW 8th Ave Portland, OR 97209 (503) 228-6528 Cost: Tickets are $25 each. Please call (503) 827-6564 to reserve your seat.