We love teaming up with Central Market each year to present a diverse array of cuisines and cookbooks in the Central Market Cooking Tent! This year, we’ll once again welcome a stellar lineup of chefs who will demonstrate recipes from their brand new cookbooks and discuss their experiences with food. Thanks to Central Market for providing the ingredients and doing the professional prep work!
This year, you’ll hear Aaron Franklin’s take on steak, discover the global recipes of La Cocina’s cooking entrepreneurs, get a head start celebrating the holiday with Hannah Hart, dive into Texas seafood with the Stoops, and more!
And, of course, don’t miss our very special conversations with Sean Brock at First United Methodist Church and with chef Aarón Sánchez at First Baptist Church.
Here are the chefs presenting at this year’s Texas Book Fest! The full schedule of their appearances, and of the Central Market Cooking Tent, will be announced in early October.
Featured Conversations
Sean Brock
South: Essential Recipes and New Explorations
Saturday, Oct. 26 2:30 PM – 3:15 PM, First United Methodist Church
Texas Book Festival and Central Market are pleased to present James Beard Award-winning author, chef, and restaurateur Sean Brock with his newest cookbook South: Essential Recipes and New Explorations, an expert take on Southern cooking that teaches all the essential elements of this beloved cuisine.
Please note: This is a Book Ticket session. Doors for Book Ticket holders open at 2:00pm. Book Ticket holders will receive a pre-signed copy of South when they arrive at First United Methodist Church. Seats for the general public will open at 2:20pm and are first come, first served.
Aarón Sánchez
Where I Come From: Life Lessons From a Latino Chef
Sunday, Oct. 27 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM , First Baptist Church
America’s most prominent Latino chef shares the story behind his food, his family, and his professional journey. Before Chef Aarón Sánchez rose to fame on shows like MasterChef and Chopped, he was a restless Mexican-American son, raised by a fiercely determined and talented woman who was a successful chef and restaurateur in her own right. Join Sánchez today as he discusses his formative years and the invaluable lessons he learned.
Please note: This is a Festival Friends Pass session. Friends Pass holders will receive priority seating access to the signing line.
Appearing in the
Central Market Cooking Tent
Aaron Franklin
Franklin Steak
Saturday, Oct. 26 11:00 AM – 11:45 AM
Aaron Franklin (Franklin Steak) may be the reigning king of brisket and the founder of the hottest barbecue joint in Austin, but in his off-time, what he really loves to cook and eat at home is steak. Join us today as the pitmaster extraordinaire teaches us how to cook his favorite food to absolute perfection, demystifying cattle breeds, exploring the technique of dry-aging, and even explaining how to build custom, backyard grill setups.
Einat Admony
Shuk: From Market to Table,
The Heart of Israeli Home Cooking
Saturday, Oct. 26 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM
Inhale the fragrances and flavors of the vivacious culinary mash-up of modern Israel! Chef, author and restaurateur Einat Admony takes us inside the heart of Israeli cuisine as she demonstrates a recipe from her new cookbook, Shuk: From Market to Table, the Heart of Israeli Home Cooking. Long-simmered stews, herb-dominant rice pilafs, toasted-nut-studded grain salads, and of course loads of vegetable dishes bring forth the warmth and culture of the region.
Emiliana Puyana
We Are La Cocina:
Recipes in Pursuit of the American Dream
Saturday, Oct. 26 1:15 PM – 2:00 PM
Powerful stories, evocative visuals, and recipes that span the globe from the United States, Mexico, Japan, Brazil, Senegal, Vietnam, and many more fill the pages of the first cookbook from La Cocina, an incubator kitchen that provides affordable commercial kitchen space, industry-specific technical assistance, and access to market opportunities to women of color and immigrant communities. Join Emiliana Puyana as she demonstrates one of the recipes from a La Cocina entrepreneur and talks about this unique collective of culturally diverse cooks.
Hannah Hart
My Drunk Kitchen Holidays
Saturday, Oct. 26 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM
After publishing two New York Times bestsellers, social media and Food Network star Hannah Hart is back with her biggest book ever: a humorous cookbook celebrating year-round holidays with food, drink, and friends. In a world where everyone is looking for some good news and something to celebrate, Hannah is here to demonstrate one of her brand new recipes and bring us all together with her signature humor and upbeat style of connecting.
Cassy Joy Garcia
Cook Once Eat All Week
Sunday, Oct. 27 11:00 AM-11:45 AM
Delicious, healthy, affordable, and FAST dinners are on the table with this new cookbook from San Antonio’s own Cassy Joy Garcia. She’ll demonstrate a recipe from Cook Once, Eat All Week, helping us all crack the code of assembling fresh, tasty meals in minimal time. Honey Mustard Pork Sheet Pan Dinner, Enchiladas Verde Casserole, Sloppy Joe Stuffed Potatoes – have it all!
Chris Shepherd
Cook Like a Local
Sunday, Oct. 27 12:15 PM – 1:00 PM
James Beard Award-winning chef Chris Shepherd is a champion of Houston’s incredibly diverse immigrant cuisines, incorporating elements of Korean, Vietnamese, Indian and Chinese cuisine into his cooking to tell the story of the city, and country, in which he lives. Today, he demonstrates a recipe from his new cookbook, Cook Like a Local, which includes signatures from his restaurant and shares tips for incorporating the pantries of different cuisines in your own cooking.
Eric Silverstein
The Peached Tortilla
Sunday, Oct. 27 1:15 PM – 2:00 PM
One of Austin’s most popular and successful food trucks, The Peached Tortilla serves up a distinct blend of Asian and Southwestern cuisine with must-have dishes such as Banh Mi Taco, JapaJam Burger, and Bacon Jam Fries. Join founder and owner Eric Silverstein as he demonstrates a recipe from his brand new cookbook, packed with 100 recipes that include many of the food truck’s most-beloved dishes.
Benchalak Srimart and PJ Stoops
Texas Seafood
Sunday, Oct. 27 2:30 PM – 3:15 PM
The Texas Gulf is home to more than two hundred species of fish and seafood. Join the Stoops as they celebrate this regional bounty and showcase their experience as longtime fishmongers. Their new book, Texas Seafood, is a cookbook and comprehensive guide to wild-caught delicacies, including recipes for such delectable dishes as Steamed Curried Crab, Chicken-Fried Ribbonfish, Crispy White Shrimp, and more.
David Norman
Bread On the Table
Sunday, Oct. 27 3:30 PM – 4:15 PM
David Norman, head “doughpuncher” and baker of Austin’s Easy Tiger, is one of the most respected bread bakers in the country. In his debut cookbook, Norman explores dozens of recipes from the breadmaking traditions that inspire him most—from the rye breads of France to the saltless ciabattas of Italy to the traditional Christmas loaves of Scandinavia. Join him today as he shares his expertise.