Pizza a Day Diet: Pinthouse Pizza

Day 4 of A Pizza a Day Diet came from Pinthouse Pizza on Burnet Road.

I ordered an "artisanal sausage," green pepper, and mushroom pizza, with a side wedge salad.  The trust was a traditional thin crust (not ultra-thin, like a Neapolitan) and had a slightly bread-like texture with a good body and taste that was not, in fact, bready. 

The artisanal sausage was quite good (I'm beginning to think that the art of sausage-making is making a comeback, which I attribute to the fact that readers of TOFU AND T.REX are coming into their own in the restaurant business :-)).  The cheese and the sauce were well-balanced and flavorful.

And, of course,they're a brewpub with some excellent selections...  

Pizza a Day Diet: Salvation Pizza

Day 3 of this iteration of Pizza a Day Diet was at Salvation Pizza!  They have two locations: one on 34th Street (around where Dragon's Lair was back in the day) and a new one on Rainey Street.  Because I'm a parking masochist, I went to the Rainey Street location (they also do delivery, but not to where I'm at). That said, I didn't encounter difficulties parking -- there's a public parking lot nearby and there were actually spots in front of the restaurant (although I went during off hours).

The place was crisp and clean, in one of the newer buildings close to the Town Lady Bird Lake.

I ordered a 14-inch sausage, onion, and mushroom pizza.  It came really hot out of the oven -- the cheese was nicely gooey and you could almost see the steam rising from the marinara.

The sausage came in nice large slices and had excellent slightly spicy Italian sausage flavor without any greasiness.  The onions were al dente (the way I like them), as were the mushrooms.  So, too, were the chunks of tomatoes in the sauce.  The crust was of the ultra-thin variety, with a crisp edge and chewy bottom.  Like St. Philip, they also feature "white" pizzas without a marinara, which I am anxious to try next time.

Pizza a Day Diet: St. Philip

Today's pizza came from St. Philip, a pizza place with the look and feel of a sushi bar, which seems appropriate, since it's by the same folks responsible for Uchi.  The pizzas are all thin crust, and they give the option of "traditional" sauce and "white."  The latter apparently means there is no tomato sauce at all, which is just wrong :-).  Although I'm slightly curious about it...

I had the House Meatball, which features "ricotta, grilled onion, garlic, basil, [and] chili flakes."

The pizza itself hit the mark on all four of the Very Important Pizza Criteria: crust, cheese, sauce, and toppings.

Crust was nicely textured, with a good level of chewiness and it stood up to the ingredients without getting soggy.  The sauce had a good flavor and was proportional with the cheese - neither overpowered the other and the combination had an elegant subtlety.

And the meatballs were fantastic (and they also sell them as an appetizer).  I might go back just for those.

The only thing I wasn't totally crazy about was the basil -- yes, they added a nice color and texture and flavor, but I kind of object to leaves on my pizza as a matter of principle --  they end up looking wilted and sort of look like the thing has been sitting under a tree in a windstorm.

Still, very, very good, and with reasonable prices and excellent, friendly service -- and I'm curious to try some of their more exotic offerings.

Oh, and did I mention they have their own bakery?

A Pizza a Day Diet: Gino's East

A few years back, when Cyn was teaching at the Vermont College of Fine Arts Writing for Children and Young Adults residency, I decided to conduct a culinary experiment: a comparison (and blog report) of various pizza joints around Austin during the course of about ten days.  I also made a couple pizzas of my own.

The rules were these: aside from a dinner salad prior to the pizza, my meals were pizza for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  For the record, the first time I did it, I lost five pounds; the second time, two and a half.

Here's the inaugural post from 2009:  A Pizza a Day and Other Weird Activities.  To view the entire 2009 line up, just click the "pizza a day" label.

I tried this again January 2015, but posted only to my Facebook account (I'll probably reproduce the posts here soon).  So, this summer, as Cyn heads off to the summer residency, I decided to try it again, with a whole new pizzeria lineup.  (The number of pizza restaurants in Austin has expanded dramatically in the past six years).

And, tonight, I started with the Austin incarnation of Gino's East, one of the great trifecta of Chicago deep dish pizzas (Uno's, Gino's East, Lou Malnati's).

The restaurant just opened and they don't have delivery or carry out yet, but the actual place is charming: a long narrow Sixth Street establishment, with a bar along one side, brick walls and cast iron chandeliers.

The pizza itself was outstanding: the corn meal crust was rich and had a thin bottom with structural integrity that stayed crisp and didn't overwhelm with breadiness. The Gino's East crust is traditionally my favorite of the deep dish pizzas, and this did not disappoint.

I ordered the "Gino's Supreme," with sausage, mushrooms, onions, and green peppers.  The sausage was plentiful, with large flavorful chunks.  The cheese was nicely gooey but not overpowering, and the vegetables were likewise plentiful.  The tomatoes were just a tad sweeter than I typically like, but were a nice contrast to the richness of the crust, and also accommodated the red pepper flakes. 

In sum, it wasn't quite the same as the original, but very good nevertheless.  And the best part?  Leftovers!

Austin Author and Illustrator Signings: TLA Annual Conference 2015

Welcome librarians, publishers, and book lovers of all kinds!!

This week, the Texas Library Association holds its annual conference here in Austin!

Cynthia will be signing the books in the TANTALIZE and FERAL series, and I will have a special preview and cover reveal for BORROWED TIME on Wednesday (see below)!

Here's a list of signings by other awesome Austin authors and illustrators (collected this year by Christina Soontornvat).  (Note that times and locations are subject to change):

Wednesday

Jessica Lee ANDERSON: Overlooked Books booth, 2 pm - 3 pm

Chandler BAKER : Disney-Hyperion booth, 1 pm - 2 pm

Chris BARTON: Author Signing area 2 pm - 3 pm
Author Signing area , 3:30 - 4:30 pm

Anne BUSTARD: Author Signing area, Aisle 6, 11 am - 12 pm

K.A. HOLT: Author Signing area, 3 pm - 3:45 pm

Bethany HEGEDUS: Author Signing area, 10:15 am - 11 am

P.J. HOOVER: Tor Books booth, 11 am - 11:45 am
Overlooked Books booth, 2 pm - 3 pm

Jacqueline KELLY: Author Signing area 110:30 am - 11:30 am

Susie Kralovansky, Pelican Books booth, 12 pm - 2 pm

Nikki LOFTIN: Author Signing area, 1 pm - 2 pm
Perma-Bound Books booth, 3 pm - 4 pm

Mari MANCUSI: Sourcebooks booth, 3 pm

Corey Putnam OAKES: Overlooked Books booth, 10:15 am

Liz Garton SCANLON: Simon & Schuster booth, 3 pm

Cynthia Leitich SMITH: Author Signing area, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm

Greg Leitich SMITH: Author Signing area, Aisle 4, 2 pm - 3 pm


Thursday

Salima ALIKHAN: Pelican booth, 11 am - 1 pm

Brian ANDERSON: Overlooked Books booth, 2:30 - 4 pm

Paige BRITT: Author Signing area, 2 pm - 3 pm

Anne BUSTARD: Publishers Spotlight booth (#1757), 3 pm - 4 pm

Jeff CROSBY: Pelican booth, 10 am - 12 pm
Holiday House booth, 9 am -10 am

Shelley Anne JACKSON: Pelican booth, 10 am - 12 pm

Lindsey LANE: Overlooked Books booth, 1 pm - 2 pm

Jeanette LARSON: Overlooked Books booth, 10 am - 11 am

Cynthia LEVINSON: Peachtree booth, 11:30 am

Corey Putnam OAKES: Sourcebooks booth 1:30 - 2:30 pm

Liz Garton SCANLON: Overlooked Books booth, 11 am

Friday

Chris BARTON, Author Signing are, 9 am - 10 am

Susie KRALOVANSKY, Pelican Books booth, 9 am - 11 am

Marsha RITI: Pelican Books booth, 9 am - 12 pm

Brian YANSKY: Candlewick Books booth, 10 am - 11 am

2016 Books by Austinites

 Here's the preliminary list of trade picture books and novels scheduled for publication from Austin authors and illustrators next year!  And click the link for previous years' books by Austin authors and illustrators!

Middle Grade/Tween

HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON: DO ALL THE GOOD YOU CAN, by Cynthia Levinson (Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins 2016)

CONFIDENTIALLY YOURS, by Jo Whittemore (HarperCollins 2016).

GOLDEN GIRL, by Mari Mancusi (Aladdin/Simon & Schuster 2016).

TO CATCH A CHEAT, by Varian Johnson (Arthur Levine/Scholastic, Spring 2016).

RED MOON RISING, by K.A. Holt (McElderry/Simon & Schuster, 2016).

DINOSAUR BOY SAVES MARS, by Cory Putnam Oakes (Sourcebooks, February 2016).

THE CHANGELINGS, by Christina Soontornvat (SourceBooks, Fall 2016).

Young Adult

HIGH SCHOOL HORROR STORY, by Chandler Baker (Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan, Winter 2016).

RUINED, by Amy Tintera (HarperTeen, Summer 2016).

THE RADIANT ROAD, by Katherine Catmull (Dutton, January 2016).

Picture Books

88 INSTRUMENTS, by Chris Barton, ill. by Louis Thomas (Knopf, August 2016).

CARROT HAWK, by Chris Barton, ill. by tbd (Hyperion, Spring 2016).

WHOOSH!, by Chris Barton, ill. by Don Tate (Charlesbridge 2016).

MIGHTY TRUCK, by Chris Barton, ill. by Troy Cummings (HarperCollins 2016)

THAT'S NOT BUNNY, by Chris Barton, ill. by Colin Jack (Disney-Hyperion, February 2016).

BEARS MAKE THE BEST READING BUDDIES, by Carmen Oliver (Capstone/Curious Fox, Mar. 1, 2016).

WHAT THIS STORY NEEDS IS A HUSH AND A SHUSH, by Emma Virjan (HarperCollins, January 2016).

WHAT THIS STORY NEEDS IS A MUNCH AND A CRUNCH, by Emma Virjan (HarperCollins, May 2016).

BE THE CHANGE: A GRANDFATHER GANDHI STORY, by Bethany Hegedus and Arun Gandhi, ill. by Evan Turk (Atheneum/Simon & Schuster, Fall 2016).

STEP RIGHT UP: HOW DOC AND JIM TAUGHT THE WORLD ABOUT KINDNESS, by Donna Janell Bowman, ill. by Daniel Minter (Lee & Low, Spring 2016).

Texas Book Festival 2014

The 2014 Texas Book Festival is over -- and, as usual, what a great event!  Varian Johnson, Jennifer Ziegler, and I had a blast on the "Capers, Cons, and Catastrophes" panel moderated by Anne Bustard. 

Anne Bustard, me, and Jennifer Ziegler

Here are some more pics from the weekend's events:

In the Green Room (cw from left): Anne Bustard, Me, Jennifer Ziegler, Varian Johnson, Varsha Bajaj, Nikki Loftin, Cyn

Erszi Deak, Carmen Oliver, and me at the Texas Monthly breakfast

Jo Whittemore and me in the Green Room

Me and Cyn before #WeNeedDiverseBooks panel

Me, Varsha, Cyn and Trent Reedy at the Saturday night party

Me and Lindsey Lane

Donna Janell Bowman photobombs Carmen Oliver, PJ Hoover, and Cyn

Many thanks to all the organizers, volunteers, and sponsors! 

Japanese American Legal History

This is sort of a throwback Thursday (#tbt) kind of thing:  A few years back, I penned a handful of essays on Japanese American Legal History for an earlier version of the Cynthia Leitich Smith Children’s Literature Resources; now, revised (slightly), they are available on my web site!

Being of Japanese and German descent ("hapa"), I originally wrote these essays out of a concern that, to the extent that the history of Japanese Americans was known, such knowledge focused almost entirely on the Internment, at the expense of other aspects of the societal and legal regime that affect, and have affected, Japanese Americans.
  
Although the essays include case cites, they are intended to be readable by a general audience. :-).

Here's the link to the splash page.

Japanese American Legal History (General) discusses immigration and naturalization issues, as well alien land laws.  Japanese American Legal History (The Internment) discusses the World War II internment of Japanese Americans and the related Supreme Court cases. Finally, Japanese American Legal History (Enemy Aliens and Habeas Corpus) discuss other legal aspects of internment and treatment of enemy aliens and habeas corpus generally.

For more general information on Japanese American history, check out the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles.

Texas Book Festival Children's and YA Panels

Texas Book Festival is October 24 and 25, 2014!  

I am delighted to announce that I will be presenting LITTLE GREEN MEN AT THE MERCURY INN on the panel "Capers, Cons, and Catastrophes," (Sunday, at 130-230 in Cap. Ext. E2.026) with Varian Johnson and Jennifer Ziegler!  (There may be mayhem :-)).

Below are the other panels featuring children's and YA authors.  

Note that there's also ongoing programming throughout both days in the Children's Activity Tent and the Read Me a Story Tent!  For the complete (official) schedule and late changes, click here.

SATURDAY

10-1045
Grandfather Gandhi
Location: Family Life Center (1300 Lavaca)
Authors:
Arun Gandhi
Bethany Hegedus

10-1045

Choose Wisely

Location: Capitol Extension Room E2.026

Authors:

Lauren Miller

Trent Reedy

Stephen Graham Jones

Moderator:

Vanessa Lee

10-11

YA and not so Y.A.

Location: Capitol Extension Room E2.012

Authors:

Claudia Gray

Melissa de la Cruz

11-1145

Looks Can Be Deceiving

Location: Capitol Extension Room E2.026

Authors:

Michelle Knudsen

Steve Brezenoff

Moderator:

Sean Petrie

12-1

#WeNeedDiverseBooks

Location: The Sanctuary at First United Methodist Church (1201 Lavaca, enter from Lavaca St.)

Authors:

Tim Tingle

Jacqueline Woodson

Andrea Davis Pinkney

Pat Mora

Diane Gonzales Bertrand

Moderator:

Don Tate

12-1

Tomás Rivera Award

 Location: Capitol Extension Room E2.026

Authors:

Susan Goldman Rubin

Duncan Tonatiuh

Moderator:

Jesse Gainer

12-1

Guys Read: True Stories

Location: Family Life Center (1300 Lavaca)

Authors:

Jon Scieszka

Nathan Hale

1215-1

Hazardous Tales

Location: Capitol Extension Room E2.016

Authors:

Nathan Hale

1215-115

Survival 101

Location: Capitol Extension Room E2.026

Authors:

Lindsay Cummings

Rick Yancey

Dayna Lorentz

Moderator:

Sarah Pitre

115-215
Do You Believe in Magic?
Location: Capitol Extension Room E2.026
Authors:
Natalie Lloyd
Annie Barrows
Nikki Loftin

230-330
Adventure is Out There
Location: Capitol Extension Room E2.026
Authors:
Michael Fry
P. J. Hoover
S.S. Taylor

230-330

Poetry for YA

Location: Family Life Center (1300 Lavaca)

Authors:

Jacqueline Woodson

Isabel Quintero

K. A. Holt

245-330

Frank Einstein

Location: Capitol Extension Room E2.026

Authors:

Jon Scieszka

345-430

Katherine Applegate

Location: Family Life Center (1300 Lavaca)

Authors:

Katherine Applegate

345-445

Eyes on the Prize

Location: Capitol Extension Room E2.026

Authors:

Deborah Wiles

Duncan Tonatiuh

London Ladd

Moderator:

Sharon O'Neal

SUNDAY

11-12 Sun

Beginning, Middle, End: A Trio of Trilogies

Location: Capitol Extension Room E2.026

Authors:

Adam Gidwitz

Edward Carey

Deron Hicks

1215-115
Design Decisions: Children's Illustrators At Work
Location: Capitol Extension Room E2.028
Authors:
Patrick McDonnell

Lane Smith
Tad Carpenter
Divya Srinivasan
Carolyn Dee Flores

130-230
Capers, Cons, and Catastrophes
Location: Capitol Extension Room E2.026
Authors:
Jennifer Ziegler
Greg Leitich Smith
Varian Johnson

130-230

Unfinished Business

Location: Capitol Extension Room E2.028

Authors:

Meg Wolitzer

Lindsey Lane

Adele Griffin

245-340

Tony DiTerlizzi

Location: Capitol Extension Room E2.028

Authors:

Tony DiTerlizzi

Moderator:

Suzanne Wofford

245-345
Growing Pains
Location: Capitol Extension Room E2.026
Authors:
Andrea Davis Pinkney
Varsha Bajaj
Mariko Tamaki

3-5

At-Risk Summer Movie

Location: Capitol Auditorium Room E1.004

Authors:

e.E. Charlton-Trujillo

TWEENS READ 2014

Last weekend, I had an awesome time being a panelist at the Tweens Read Book Festival, held at South Houston High School in Pasadena.  In all, more than 1700 tween readers showed up to hear keynotes by Jacqueline Woodson and Margaret Peterson Haddix, as well as any three of five panels of authors.  For the complete list, click here.

My panel was called "Houston, We Have Problems," and featured six authors in a lively discussion of science fiction for tweens:  

Greg Leitich Smith - Little Green Men at the Mercury Inn
Stu Gibbs - Space Case
Jennifer Brown - Life on Mars
Will Alexander - Ambassador
Jessica Brody - Unforgotten
Matt London - The 8th Continent

Check out some pictures:

The students gather for the opening keynote

Jennifer Holm, Jennifer Ziegler, Varsha Bajaj

Megan Frazer Blakemore, Kirby Larson, Jenni Holm, and me

Me and Bruce Hale, with Jonathan Auxier (background)

Authors gathered onstage for introductions

Matt London, Jessica Brody, Jennifer Brown, and me

Signing stock

Natalie Lloyd, Varian Johnson, Jennifer Holm, Jennifer Ziegler, Varsha Bajaj

Cynthia Leitich Smith and Jacqueline Woodson

Megan Frazer Blakemore, a South Houston Trojan, and me

Many thanks to all the organizers, sponsor, and volunteers, especially Blue Willow Books!