There is always plenty of food-related fun going on at SXSW, but for me, this year takes the cake. I'm already up to my ears in marshmallow and smoked chocolate in preparation for Sunday's Austin Smoke Experiment. Last night I snuck out for Google Local Austin's party at Takoba, but other than that one brief escape I will be hunkered down, cooking my brains out for the rest of the week. I'll be making three appearances at South by Southwest this year, making it my busiest yet. One of my favorite things about doing events like these is getting to meet online friends in real life, so I hope I'll see some of you there. If you see me, please don't be shy! I'd love for you to say "hello", letting me put a face to your name, blog or twitter handle.
Saturday, March 9 – Foodie Crawl '13 at SXSW
Jane Ko has put together a massive food crawl. With over 17,000 already registered to attend, I am guessing that this has got to be one of the largest every attempted. The event starts at noon on Saturday at the Long Center. Make sure to register at www.foodcrawl.co ahead of time, and be there by noon in order to get your wristband. After the meet n' greet, a bunch of local food bloggers, myself included, will be doing a panel at Kenichi! Want to learn more? RSVP to discover some of the super cool and top secret details about the event. I promise you will be impressed.
Sunday, March 10 – The Austin Smoke Experiment
I'm competing in my third Food Experiment competition. (Remember the Pork and the Taco Experiments?) This time the theme is smoke, and the place is Clive Bar. This event sells out every year, so get your tickets now. Doors open at 1pm. Don't forget about Daylight Savings Time! I recommend getting there as soon as you can. Twenty five bites might not sound like a lot, but you'll need time to stuff all of that smokey goodness down.
I decided to do another dessert this year since I figure the other competitors will be bringing plenty of meat. Here's a sneak peek to wet your whistle. One component from my dish, bourbon cherry marshmallows!
Sunday, March 11 – Eating to Live Online: Virtual Food and Real Life
I'm doing a panel for South by Southwest Interactive with Will Burdette(No Satiation), Addie Broyles(Austin Statesman), and Hilah Johnson(Hilah Cooking). The subject is something that each of us is incredibly passionate about: food culture. Join us to hear us discuss how America's food obsession is affected by media and technology.