Enjoy an intimate evening of tantalizing Italian cuisine and authentic Austin Music with chef and recording artist Michael Fracasso. In addition to performing a few songs throughout the evening, Michael will show you how to make an rustic Italian dish that is perfect for a quick, weeknight meal or a feast with friends; how to grill salmon to perfection; and introduce you to one of his favorite desserts. You'll sit back, pick up a few tips from an expert, and enjoy an evening of great food, wine, and music.

ABOUT MICHAEL FRACASSO

In 1952, Michael became the first member of his Italian family born in the United States, and was raised in the hardscrabble steel town of Steubenville, Ohio. He worked, uncomfortably, for a spell in the mills, studied environmental science at Ohio State and entered grad school at Washington State University. In order to turn his songwriting habit into more frequent live performances and perhaps an actual career in music, he left grad school early and headed to New York City.

In New York, Fracasso took part in the influential songwriters’ scene that coalesced around the Cornelia Street Café in Greenwich Village. There, he refined his material among wordsmiths like his friend Suzanne Vega, Jack Hardy, Lucy Kaplansky and Steve Forbert. One night a fan—who also happened to be employed as a major-label A&R rep—gave it to him straight: He was brilliant, but New York wasn’t the place where his rootsier sound could gain a foothold. In 1990, Fracasso moved to Austin.

It didn’t take long before the move proved fruitful. That lithe rock-and-roll voice and those brainy yet bar-friendly tunes earned Fracasso buzz around town straight away. In 1993, through the respected Austin-based indie Dejadisc, he made a belated but auspicious debut with Love & Trust, featuring a duet with Lucinda Williams. More name-making successes would follow in the years ahead: a tune co-written with Alejandro Escovedo; spots in all-star tributes to Woody Guthrie, Mickey Newbury and Townes Van Zandt; and five additional critically worshipped albums, including the more recent triumphs Saint Monday—one of the two Fracasso records boasting a duet with Patty Griffin—and Here Come the Savages.

Indeed, Fracasso’s life today is transformed. He’s a proud father with a thriving cooking career that dovetails comfortably with his music including innovative combined cooking/singing performances. In 2013, he released a book, Artist in the Kitchen: A Brief Autobiography in Food, detailing this lifelong passion, and his late-night feasts, prepared after gigs for an exclusive coterie of musicians and pals, have entered Austin’s lore.

Menu

• Saltimbocca (Chicken Breast with Prosciutto, Sage & Breadcrumbs in a White Wine Reduction)

• Grilled Salmon in a Honey-Orange-Thyme Dressing with Buttery "Smashed" Potatoes & Baby Broccoli

• Baked Lemon Tart with Roasted Pine Nuts & Whipped Cream

Safety & Precautions

• At check-in, you will be asked to sign a waiver before entering the Cooking School.

• For that reason, we ask that all attendees arrive at least 5 minutes prior to the confirmed start time of the class.

FAQs

Find FAQs about CM in-store classes here.

FREE show! Y'all come! The Old Hippie Cowboy turns 81 years young.

Bobby Earl Smith is a singer-songwriter and veteran of 1970’s bands Freda and the Firedogs
and Alvin Crow and the Pleasant Valley Boys.

Bobby Earl played in the John X Reed country band at C-Boy’s Heart and Soul and the Continental Club from 2018-2020.

He is in the Texas Music Legends Hall of Fame of the Austin Songwriters Group and has performed at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville.

Bobby Earl Smith, the “Old Hippie Cowboy,” celebrates his 81st birthday on Saturday, June 8th from 2-5pm. The birthday band is John X Reed, Marcia Ball, Freddy Fletcher, Marty Muse, Eric Smith, and Bobby Earl. Special guests will pop up.

Admission is free with voluntary contributions, large or small, encouraged to benefit H.O.M.E—Housing Opportunities for Musicians and Entertainers.

Please donate to the H.O.M.E. kitty at the birthday party or online here.

Growing up in Spring, Texas, Songwriter BettySoo enjoyed the benefits of a multi-generational home life. One of those benefits included learning to cook from her maternal grandmother, who was widely admired by the Houston Korean community as an outstanding, traditional, home cook. Tonight, you’ll not only be serenaded by BettySoo, but will enjoy her version of her grandmother’s Galbi-jjim, Korean braised short ribs, accompanied by spicy pickled cucumbers. Served at special events, these ribs can be prepared to equally delicious effect on a stove top, in a pressure cooker, or in a slow cooker. Korean desserts are not generally as sweet as western desserts, but they are delicious and complement the savory flavors of Korean cuisine. Tonight, you will enjoy a refreshing serving of green tea shaved-ice.

For ages 21 & up.

ABOUT BETTYSOO

BettySoo's vocal prowess is a thing of wonder. A word-class instrument of deft phrasing and purity, a voice that knows when to hold back and when to dive in. At her own live shows, taking a verse onstage with friends or singing harmonies in sessions with Austin's finest, BettySoo sings with consummate loveliness and self-assurance. A voice that know the roots of American music inside and out; coming from a most unexpected place - a diminutive Korean-American with a deceptively girl-next-door demeanor.

ABOUT HOME

Home, formed by a group of concerned women in Austin, is a 501(c)(3), tax exempt, non-profit organization that strives to create more security for aging musicians of the Austin music scene by providing financial grant assistance, including referrals to available resources. This monthly series will help the performers who put Austin on the musical map by making sure that they have secure housing and can keep us entertained. Your support will make a huge difference right here in Austin.

Menu

• Korean Short Ribs with Rice

• Spicy Korean Quick Pickle Cucumbers

• Green Tea Shaved Ice

Safety & Precautions

• At check-in, you will be asked to sign a waiver before entering the Cooking School.

• For that reason, we ask that all attendees arrive at least 5 minutes prior to the confirmed start time of the class.

FAQs

For more information about our classes, please click on the links below:

Find FAQs about our in-store classes here.

Find FAQs about your private classes here.

Shannon Sedwick, who along with her partner Michael created Austin's beloved Esther's Follies, has been serving up delightful comedy, entertainment, and meals from the tables of her restaurants, first Liberty Lunch in the 70's and now The Tavern, for decades. Now she joins forces with Central Market Cooking School in what she describes as "a romp though the garden with fresh veggies, fruits, and Spring cooking" to raise awareness and benefit HOME (Housing Opportunities for Musicians and Entertainers).

For ages 18 & up. 21 or older? You'll enjoy a glass of wine.

ABOUT Shannon Sedwick

Shannon Sedwick has been involved in many community activities as a member of the Arts Commission, Leadership Texas, The Downtown Austin Alliance, The I-35 Coalition, The 6ixth Street Austin Owners Association, and is currently President of the Old Pecan Street Association, which has produced the Pecan Street Spring and Fall Festivals for over 40 years.

ABOUT HOME (Housing Opportunities for Musicians and Entertainers)

HOME, formed by a group of concerned women in Austin, is a 501(c)(3), tax exempt, non-profit organization that strives to create more security for aging musicians of the Austin music scene by providing financial grant assistance, including referrals to available resources. This monthly series will help the performers who put Austin on the musical map by making sure that they have secure housing and can keep us entertained. Your support will make a huge difference right here in Austin.

Menu

• Roasted Carrot Salad with Arugula & Pomegranate

• Peppery Lamb with Shell Beans & Cherry Tomatoes

• Upside Down Peach Cobbler

Safety & Precautions

• At check-in, you will be asked to sign a waiver before entering the Cooking School.

• For that reason, we ask that all attendees arrive at least 5 minutes prior to the confirmed start time of the class.

Part of the Kimmie Rhodes & Friends play to benefit HOME collection.

Come join us in supporting a good cause, HOME (Housing Opportunities for Musicians and Entertainers)!

Part of the Kimmie Rhodes & Friends play to benefit HOME collection.

Come join us in supporting a good cause, HOME (Housing Opportunities for Musicians and Entertainers)!

Part of the Kimmie Rhodes & Friends play to benefit HOME collection.

Come join us in supporting a good cause, HOME (Housing Opportunities for Musicians and Entertainers)!

Diana Finlay Hendricks and musical guest HalleyAnna will show you the easy way to host a Fall Chili Party at the second monthly HOME cooking demonstration at Central Market (4001 N. Lamar, Austin) on Wednesday, October 25, from  6:30 to 8:30 p,m to benefit HOME.  Participants will enjoy a wonderful  three course meal with “Chili-cuterie” board  and beverages and dessert  while learning all about the Official State Dish of Texas.  The mother-daughter team will share music, recipes and laughter, and the menu will include three salsas (Avocado Tomatillo, Chile Macha, and Mother’s Red Salsa), Diana’s 1860 Chili Queen Recipe, along with a delightful Mexican Lime Pie for dessert. 

TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE.

Diana Finlay Hendricks is a writer and food aficionada who specializes in Texas food and culture. Her Delbert McClinton biography, One Of The Fortunate Few (Texas A&M University Press) has gone into three printings, and she is a regular contributor to several southern and Texas publications. She was the editor of Chili Monthly magazine, and judged more chili cookoffs than she remembers.  She has researched and interviewed historic chili experts, chronicling the great chili wars that started the Terlingua chili cookoff craze, and will share stories about San Antonio’s chili queens, chuckwagon cooks, and jailhouse favorites. She has combined the best of the recipes to  create her own unique recipe.  Her featured recipe focuses on the flavor and textures of the meat, chiles and spices, and does not burn your tastebuds! She is currently writing a food memoir of essays and recipes with the working title,  Feast at My Table: Stories and Flavors to Savor. 

HalleyAnna is an acclaimed singer-songwriter who grew up  surrounded by great songwriters and has taken great advantage of this unique experience.  She has toured with and opened for Todd Snider, Hayes Carll, Sisters Morales, Steve Poltz, Walt Wilkins, Terri Hendricks, Susan Gibson, Shelley King and many more of her songwriting heroes. Her third album will be released in the spring of 2024, recorded at the famed Ripley Farm Studio in Pawnee, Oklahoma. She has a degree in creative writing from Texas State University, was named the Texas State Collegiate Songwriter at the Kerrville Folk Festival, A veteran of the Delbert McClinton Sandy Beaches Cruise, she  has been invited to perform official showcases at the Folk Alliance International Conference in Memphis and Kansas City, South By Southwest Music Conference in Austin and major music events across the country.  She has been a lifelong sous-chef for her mom, and if she weren’t a songwriter, she would likely be a chef. 

Part of the Kimmie Rhodes & Friends play to benefit HOME collection.

Come join us in supporting a good cause, HOME (Housing Opportunities for Musicians and Entertainers)!

Part of the Kimmie Rhodes & Friends play to benefit HOME collection.

Come join us in supporting a good cause, HOME (Housing Opportunities for Musicians and Entertainers)!

Part of the Kimmie Rhodes & Friends play to benefit HOME collection.

Come join us in supporting a good cause, HOME (Housing Opportunities for Musicians and Entertainers)!

Part of the Kimmie Rhodes & Friends play to benefit HOME collection.

Come join us in supporting a good cause, HOME (Housing Opportunities for Musicians and Entertainers)!

Part of the Kimmie Rhodes & Friends play to benefit HOME collection.

Come join us in supporting a good cause, HOME (Housing Opportunities for Musicians and Entertainers)!

Part of the Kimmie Rhodes & Friends play to benefit HOME collection.

Come join us in supporting a good cause, HOME (Housing Opportunities for Musicians and Entertainers)!