Edible Austin

Our Contributors

DAVID ALAN A UT graduate and native Austinite, David has spent a dozen years in and around the food and beverage business. His enthusiasm for cocktails became an academic pursuit with the launch of his beverage blog, tipsytexan.com.         CLAUDIA ALARCÓN Claudia Alarcón was born and raised in Mexico City, and has been living, cooking, and gardening in Austin since 1984. She has been a published writer since 1999 and is currently working on her first book on the culinary history of tamales.         BILL ALBRECHT I’ve been doing photography for national and local clients for more than 20 years. I live with with my wife, Lisa, and three kids in Blanco County after moving from Austin seven years ago. albrechtphoto.com          STELLA ALESI Born and raised on the East Coast, Stella moved to Austin, Texas from New York City in 1993 to pursue an artistic career. Stella exhibits regularly in the fine art realm both photography and painting. Currently, most often at the 2040 Gallery in Austin. Stella has recently received a Brown Foundation Fellowship to attend the Vermont Studio Centers Residency Programs for her painting.           CHRISTINE ALICINO When San Francisco-based photographer Christine Alicino got the assignment to shoot M.F.K. Fisher for Heidi Yorkshire’s profile, she was just starting her career. For the portrait, Alicino used a 4x5 camera. She exposed the border of grapes on black velvet in advance, then used the same film for Fisher’s image. Almost 20 years later, the portrait remains one of Alicino’s favorites, hanging in her kitchen in an ornate frame as “a kind of a shrine.” Learn more about Christine at christinealicino.com.         DORSEY BARGER Dorsey Barger, owner of the Eastside Café, received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia where she majored in religious studies (a degree that comes in very handy since she owns a restaurant).  The Eastside Café has grown vegetables, flowers and herbs sustainably in it’s .3-acre garden for 19 years.           SARAH BIRD Sarah Bird is a columnist for Texas Monthly and the author of seven novels. Her upcoming comic novel is set in Austin and entitled How Perfect Is That.           SARAH BORK-HAMILTON Sarah Bork-Hamilton—sarahborkhamilton.com         KATIE CANTRELL Katie Cantrell is a recent graduate of the journalism program at the University of Texas. She’s moving back to the Northwest—but, she’s enjoying all the kolaches she can get her hands on.         SUSAN CASHIN Susan M. Cashin is a freelance writer, accredited sommelier, certified master gardener and grows olives on her farm in the wine country of South Africa.         ROBIN CHOTZINOFF Robin Chotzinoff is the author of the books People With Dirty Hands, People Who Sweat and the new memoir Holy Unexpected: My New Life As a Jew. She has freelanced for Food and Wine, Outside, the New York Times Magazine, Garden Design among others; is heard as a commentator on All Things Considered; and wrote a travel column for The Denver Post before moving to Austin last year. Her regular stories for Bicycling magazine keep her from sitting around too much. Look out for her “Dirty Hands” garden blog at robinchotzinoff.com, launching soon. Since becoming Edible Austin’s editor, she has sworn off high fructose corn syrup and fallen in love with local food.         SKIP CONNETT Skip Connett and his wife, Erin Flynn, operate Green Gate Farms in Austin. His writing has appeared in numerous publications, including Mother Jones, JAMA, Nature Medicine and Rodale’s New Farm.         HELEN CORDES Helen Cordes has written and edited for many publications including Utne Reader, Mother Jones, The Nation, Sierra, Parenting, E and others. Growing up on a wheat farm, she ate from a big family garden and wishes that on everyone.         AMY CROWELL After her adventures on Trout Lily Farm in Ohio, Amy is happy to be back home in Texas. She is currently searching for land east of Austin to re-imagine her farm. In the meantime, she is raising her son, tending her garden and foraging in her spare time.         CAROL DAWSON Carol Dawson is an artist and writer. She is the author of four novels, including The Mother-in-Law Diaries, and has also written for Texas Monthly, Southern Living and other publications.         SHARON DOERRE Sharon Doerre is an anthropologist, writer and mother who loves to garden and eat fresh food. She has a PhD from the University of Texas at Austin and teaches courses in the Cultural Foundations Program at St. Edward’s University.         LOUISE DUCOTE I refuse to write about myself in third person. I published two novels in my former life as Louise Redd. I’m the happy wife of Bruce Ducote, the proud mother of Brady and True, and I long for figs. If someone wants to trade figs for writing, track me down.         LISA FAIN Lisa Fain is writer and photographer who was born and raised in Texas, but now hangs her hat in New York City. To keep in touch with her roots she writes the food blog, Homesick Texan. homesicktex.com         JESSE GRIFFITHS Jesse Griffiths has worked in restaurants since the age of 17, and his Dai Due supper club has served almost 1000 all-local meals since 2006. When he is not catching and eating fish or working in the garden, Jesse hunts for new sources of cheeses, vegetables, meats and fruit from individuals around Austin. daidueaustin.com           MEG GRIFFITHS Meg Griffiths picked up her first camera at the age of 13 and hasn't been far from a lens since. Her background in photojounralism and art photography allows her to approach any assignment with a fresh and unique outlook. meggriffithsphotography.com         BETH GOULART Beth follows her tastebuds to find stories in the Texas food and wine industries. Prior to moving to Austin in 2006, she lived in Washington, DC, where she worked as an editor at National Geographic magazine.         JIM HIGHTOWER Jim Hightower is a syndicated columnist, national radio commentator, publisher of The Hightower Lowdown newsletter, and the New York Times bestselling author of Thieves in High Places.         JODY HORTON Jody Horton is an Austin-based freelance photographer and writer specializing in documentary, architectural and travel photography. He is the former editor of la cocinita magazine of New Mexico. jodyhorton.com           SUZANNE HURLEY A scant three years ago, plants cringed at the sight of freelance writer and editor Suzanne Hurley. They knew that her touch meant certain death. But then Suzanne started volunteering with Green Corn Project and learned that growing vegetables could be easy. She has since become a Travis County master gardener.         SAM HURT Sam Hurt, is the creator of the comic strips Eyebeam and Queen of the Universe. Sam's current focus is painting. His work can be found year round at Avenue Gallery (1501 S. Congress Ave). samhurt.com         LUCINDA HUTSON Celebrated author, cook and gardener Lucinda Hutson is the author of The Herb Garden Cookbook and Tequila! Lucinda writes for many magazines, hosts PBS tours of her legendary house and gardens, and lectures across the country.         KIM LANE Kim Lane is a writer and editor whose work has appeared in Mothering magazine, Salon, Pregnancy magazine and Green Prints, and in books such as Salon’s anthology Life as We Know It (Washington Square Press), Grrl Talk: Sass, Wit, and Wisdom from the Austin WriterGrrls (lulu.com) and Women Write the War (St. John's Press). She is founder of the multi-award winning website, AustinMama.com , and an occasional contributor to NPR's All Things Considered, where one of her commentaries once garnered more listener hate mail than the producer had ever seen -- something that makes Lane inordinately proud.  Winner of the 2004 Vivian Castleberry Award from the Association of Women Journalists, and the 2006 Mentor Award from the Association for Women in Communications, Lane lives with her family and an ark’s-worth of animals in the wildflower and fire ant covered hills outside Austin.           MATT LYNAUGH Matt Lynaugh has been drawing almost as long has he has worn corrective lenses (which is a very long time). As a child his -10 diopter lenses were used to burn leaves and other small things.         JESSICA MAHER A University of Texas graduate, Jessica Maher also graduated from the Penn State Ice Cream Short Course in 2005. Before recently moving back to Austin, she worked as pastry chef for Savoy restaurant in New York City, a busy restaurant focused on seasonal and sustainable products.           KELSEY MAKI Kelsey Maki is a Seattle native who has come to love the heat and barbecue of Texas. She is a recent graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX. Her culinary passions include avocado, pie and tea.           GARY NABHAN Gary Nabhan raises hell, Navajo-Churro sheep and native crops in the Southwest Deserts of Chile Pepper Nation. Founder of the Renewing America’s Food Traditions (RAFT) initiative and author of more than 20 books, including Coming Home to Eat, Nabhan has been called the “father of the locavore movement.” You can track his adventures on garynabhan.com.           CECILIA NASTI Cecilia Nasti is a gardener on her mother’s side, and by her mother’s side is where she learned the joys of digging in the dirt. For 19 years she’s produced and hosted Growing Concerns, a weekly gardening feature heard Saturday mornings on 90.5 KUT-FM.         BERNADETTE NOLL Bernadette Noll is a New Jersey native, mother of four, wife of one and freelance writer in Austin.  She is a big fan of big meals eaten with family and friends around a big table and firmly believes they are the ticket to health and happiness.         LUCY ISABEL NOLL ANDERSON Lucy is a 10-year-old fourth grader, and the oldest of four siblings. She loves climbing trees, taking care of babies, drawing, riding bikes and being with friends. And she LOVES fruit salad.         WILLIAM NORRIS William Norris has written for Time Out: NY and The Hartford Courant, is the author of Snapshots: A Novel and has published photographs with The Star Ledger, The Associated Press, and Saltwater Sportsman. He is the bar manager at FINO: Restaurant, Patio and Bar, and thinks bacon makes everything better.         MM PACK MM Pack is a freelance food writer, food stylist and private chef who divides her time between Austin and San Francisco. She’s contributed to various regional publications as well as Scribner’s Encyclopedia of Food and Culture, Culinary Biographies, San Francisco Chronicle, Food History News, and Cornbread Nation 1: Best of Southern Food Writing.         CAROL ANN SAYLE Carol Ann Sayle grows nine acres of organic vegetables with her husband, Larry Butler, on two farms. Market days are Wed. and Sat., 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at their East Austin farm. boggycreekfarm.com         ANDREW W. SMILEY Andrew W. Smiley has over 12 years experience working in sustainable agriculture and food systems, including on-farm production, agricultural marketing, micro-enterprise development, food journalism, farmer training and technical assistance, and even food-service management. Andrew W. Smiley currently works with Sustainable Food Center in Austin, Texas as Farm Direct Projects Director.         CAROLE TOPALIAN Widely recognized for her work as a professional photographer and creative director, Carole Topalian, is also cofounder of Edible Communities®, Inc., where she shares her considerable talents with members nationwide. When she’s not behind her tripod, she can be found riding America’s bike trails. topalianphoto.com           C. JEANETTE TYSON C. Jeanette Tyson is getting her boots dirty again after becoming too citified in the advertising world. For five years she’s written mostly about food for austinmama.com. Currently she and her twins are shooing deer out of the front yard garden.         BRIDGET WEISS Bridget Weiss is a native Austinite who cooks and writes with the intrepid assistance of her dogs, cats and chickens.  She’s taught cooking classes for the University of Texas and is the recipe writer for a vegan cookbook slated for release in the fall.  When she’s not at the computer, she forages for mushrooms and firewood.            HEIDI YORKSHIRE Over more than 20 years as a writer, Heidi Yorkshire has had some exciting opportunities, but none better than the chance in 1989 to meet one of the writers she admired most, M.F.K. Fisher. Based in Portland, she was the wine columnist for The Oregonian and has written two books on wine, Wine Savvy and Simply Wine. She contributed travel and food features to Bon Appetit, Travel & Leisure and many other magazines. Her latest project is organizing a series of seminars for artisan food retailers (foodbyhandseminars.com).         ELLEN ZIMMERMANN Ellen Zimmermann is a certified herbalist, a licensed professional counselor, a marriage and family therapist and an avid gardener. She has successfully blended these professions to fulfill her mission of educating others on how to best use the plants and herbs we can grow in our own environment. Ellen studied with master herbalist Rosemary Gladstar. She also has a full line of hand-made therapeutic herbal products. ezherbs.net