The Texas Book Festival returns to full in-person programming for its 27th annual event, which means culinary programming is back! Visit downtown Austin, the Texas State Capitol, and Congress Avenue from November 5–6 for two full days of literary programming. 

With nearly 300 authors and over 150 sessions covering a wide range of age groups and genres, this year’s Festival has something for everyone. Festival sessions are free and open to the public, and there are ticketed opportunities to see Jacques Pépin, Nelson DeMille, and Janet Evanovich. 

This year’s Festival marks the return of in-person culinary conversations with authors of cookbooks and food-related memoirs. Enjoy discussions of food, family, and culture with memoir writers, or savor the delicious aromas of cooking demonstrations in the Central Market Cooking Tent. For more Festival details and events, check out the full lineup and schedule at texasbookfestival.org. 

SATURDAY: TICKETED EVENT 

1:00–1:45 Art of the Chicken: Jacques Pépin in Conversation 

Whether through nuggets or coq au vin, chances are you’ve eaten chicken in your life, and for legendary chef and sixteen-time James Beard Award recipient Jacques Pépin, chicken has been a lifelong love. Join Pépin as he shares original artwork, stories from his childhood, his journey to becoming a chef, and more than 50 recipes in his newest book, Jacques Pépin’s Art Of The Chicken.

SATURDAY: COOKING TENT 

11:00–11:45 Homage: Recipes and Stories from an Amish Soul Food Kitchen with Chris Scott 

From renowned chef Chris Scott comes a one-of-a-kind cookbook celebrating an oft-overlooked cuisine within the African diaspora: Amish soul food! In an Homage to seven generations of his family history, Scott shares over 100 recipes with a unique blend of Southern, German, and Dutch influences. Join the New York-based chef as he describes his cooking process, recounts family stories, and ventures into unexplored narratives of Black culinary culture. 

12:00–12:45 The Big Texas Cookbook: Food That Defines the Lone Star State with the editors of Texas Monthly 

Texas cuisine is more than just its beloved tacos and barbeque. Home to approximately 30 million people, the Texas culinary scene is one of the most diverse in the country. From Czech kolaches to Cajun and Vietnamese infusions, the award-winning editors of Texas Monthly magazine have compiled The Big Texas Cookbook to showcase and pay homage to past and present cultural culinary influences on the state’s diverse food landscape. 

2:15–3:00 The Miracle of Salt with Naomi Duguid 

Join James Beard Award-winning author Naomi Duguid on an international journey celebrating The Miracle of Salt and its innumerable uses around the kitchen! Learn salt’s timeless, global role in transforming food through techniques like preservation and fermentation. And discover delectable recipes for sauerkraut and kimchi, perfect salted vegetables, soups, pastas, and more. 

3:30–4:15 The Red Truck Bakery Farmhouse Cookbook with Brian Noyes

From the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia comes The Red Truck Bakery Farmhouse Cookbook! Join Brian Noyes as he shares a selection of over ninety-five new Southern recipes from his rural farmhouse bakery featuring seasonal produce, small-town charm, and country comfort. Noyes documents homey yet decadent lunch, dinner, and dessert options including Potato and Pesto Flatbread, Corn Crab Cakes, Mid-July Tomato Pie, “Beetloaf” Sandwiches, Caramel Cake with Pecans, and much more. Have no fear: with plant-based and gluten-free options, there is something for everyone to enjoy in this book! 

SUNDAY: COOKING TENT 

11:00–11:45 Recipes from the President’s Ranch with Matthew Wendel

For the Bush family, providing delicious and comforting meals at Camp David and their home on Prairie Chapel Ranch was their way of saying “Welcome” to guests and world leaders. In Recipes from the President’s Ranch, Matthew Wendel shares not only recipes from his time as the First Family’s chef but also stories, photographs, and behind-the-scenes accounts of serving world leaders. Join Wendel as he demonstrates delicious recipes from his book. 

12:00–12:45 Masala: Recipes from India, the Land of Spices with Anita Jaisinghani

Anita Jaisinghani, Houston chef whose restaurants have been nominated for five James Beard Awards, invites you to join her with her debut cookbook, Masala, featuring over one hundred classic recipes of Indian cuisine. Jaisinghani explores the use of spices, seasonal ingredients, and novel combinations to create stunning dishes. 

1:15–2:00 Stories and Recipes from the Tiff’s Treats Kitchen with Leon and Tiffany Chen

What started off as an apology became a billion-dollar cookie company! Join Tiffany and Leon Chen as they discuss their cookbook It’s Not Just Cookies, share fan-favorite cookie recipes from their iconic bakery, and discuss their journeys in entrepreneurship. 

2:30–3:15 Dining with the Dead with Mariana Nuño Ruiz, Ian McEnroe

Join Mariana Nuño Ruiz and Ian McEnroe in Dining with the Dead, their new cookbook centered on Día de Muertos. From tamales to pozole, sugar skulls to traditional ofrenda decorations, this book has it all. Learn about the origin and history of the holiday through a delightful conversation.

3:30–4:15 I Am From Here: Stories and Recipes from a Southern Chef with Vishwesh Bhatt 

In I Am From Here, James Beard Award-winning chef—and onetime Austinite—Vishwesh Bhatt shares over 130 recipes filled with rich flavors and feel-good spices. These comfort recipes range from peanut masala stuffed eggplant to collard-wrapped catfish to custard rice pudding. Bhatt’s new book brings to life an evolving Southern cuisine and will change the way we prepare our food. 

SUNDAY: FOOD MEMOIRS 

12:15–1:00 On Family and Food with Rabia Chaudry, Madhushree Ghosh Rabia Chaudry’s love of food inspires her to keep pushing the boundaries of others’ expectations. Madhushree Ghosh explores the question, “What does belonging in a new place look like in the foods carried over from the old country?” Join Chaudry (Fatty Fatty Boom Boom) and Madhushree (Khabaar) as they discuss food, family, heritage, and connection. 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Cover photo courtesy Texas Books Festival

This article is a sponsored collaboration with Texas Book Festival 2022