eGullet Round Table/Q&A with Robb Walsh

[Jason Perlow]

Houston Press food writer Robb Walsh will be the featured guest for the first eGullet Round Table , February 9 - 13, 2004. Our panel for this Round Table is composed of food and travel writers Russ Parsons, Ellen Shapiro and John Whiting. Richard Kilgore is moderator. We anticipate a lively discussion on Robb's new book, Are You Really Going To Eat That? , as well as on good food and the opportunities and challenges for food writers everywhere. Robb will be available for the usual eGullet member Q & A following the Round Table. We will be taking questions starting Monday, February 9th, and Robb will respond Wednesday through Friday.

Guest and Panel Biographical Notes

Robb Walsh has been described as "the Indiana Jones of food writers" by NPR's Lianne Hanson. His most recent book is Are You Really Going To Eat That?, a far-ranging collection of his food essays -- from eating durian in Thailand, searching for the ultimate cup of coffee in Jamaica and the hottest pepper sauce in Trinidad, and doing dutiful field research on truffles in the Perigord region of France and on Bresse chickens, to southern cooking, chicken-fried steak and introducing Jeffrey Steingarten to Houston barbecue. He is currently the restaurant critic for the Houston Press .

Robb has been nominated for James Beard Awards multiple times for his magazine articles, newspaper series and restaurant reviews, and radio commentary on NPR. His book Legends of Texas Barbecue was nominated for a 2003 James Beard Cookbook Award in the Americana category.

For several years Robb wrote the Natural History Magazine column "A Matter of Taste", which explored a wide range of issues in food history and science, as well as culinary anthropology. He also edited Chile Pepper Magazine and founded the Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival, the largest hot sauce competition in the world. In addition, Robb was food editor of the Austin Chronicle and has contributed to numerous other publications.

Robb's past books include A Cowboy in the Kitchen , co-authored with Grady Spears; Nuevo Tex-Mex , co-authored with David Garrido; and Traveling Jamaica With Knife, Fork & Spoon , co-authored with Jay McCarthy. His work also appears in The Best Food Writing of 2001.

Russ Parsons is food editor of the Los Angeles Times and author of How To Read a French Fry . Russ contributes frequently to the eGullet discussion forums.

Ellen Shapiro (http://www.byellen.com) is a food and travel writer based in New York City. She is forum host for the eGullet Adventures in Eating forum, and her recent eGullet eight-part series on her travels in Mongolia has become an instant eGullet classic.

John Whiting (http://www.whitings-writings.com/essays_home.htm) is an American who has lived in London for many years. His website food essays have been a favorite of food lovers and writers such as John Thorne. John Whiting also pops up frequently in the eGullet discussion forums.