Each week, we offer a roundup of the best literary events in the city. All events are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted. Want to submit an upcoming event for consideration? Go here.
David Lebovitz (The Sweet Life in Paris)
Tuesday, August 30th, 6-7 pm, at Omnivore Books on Food (3885a Cesar Chavez St.)
After 13 years in the pastry kitchen at Chez Panisse, David Lebovitz (pictured at left) hung up his apron and took off for Paris, where he currently resides. His memoir discusses his move, the treats he's encountered there, and the weird quirks of French life (who knew there was a right way to eat a cheese plate or buy an item from a shop?) Lebovitz is in town for the big Chez Panisse 40th anniversary parties, and he'll stop by Omnivore to sign books, have a drink or two, and give advice on where to go when you're in the City of Light.
Mike Weiss (Double Play: The Hidden Passions Behind the Double Assassination of George Moscone and Harvey Milk)
Thursday, September 1st, 6 pm, at Book Passage SF (1 Ferry Building)
Dan White's murder of Mayor George Moscone and gay icon Harvey Milk shocked the entire city-- and that was before his trial, when he was only sentenced to manslaughter, thanks in part to the infamous "Twinkie defense." Weiss covered the 1979 trial for the Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone, and Time; his new book offers an account of how White managed to beat the rap, as well as his plans for killing more politicians after his release, which were, thankfully, never realized before his suicide in 1985.
Anthony Myint and Karen Leibowitz (Mission Street Food: Recipes and Ideas from an Improbable Restaurant)
Wednesday, August 31st, 6-7 pm, at Omnivore Books on Food (3885a Cesar Chavez St.)
From a taco truck to a twice-weekly pop-up to an acclaimed Chinese restaurant, the Mission Street Food project has evolved in recent years, but still maintains its emphasis on creativity and contributing to charity. The husband-and-wife team of Myint and Leibowitz, who currently run Mission Chinese Food and Commonwealth, teamed up with McSweeney's for this book, which is as much memoir as cookbook. Favorite recipes like the PB&J and the Cinnamon Toast Crunch appear in all their glory, with step-by-step photo instructions.
Romney "Nani" Steele (Plum Gorgeous)
Saturday, September 3rd, 12:30 pm, at Book Passage SF (1 Ferry Building)
Just in time for stone-fruit season, Oakland-based Steele brings her new collection of fruit-based recipes to the CUESA cooking series at the Saturday farmer's market. After spending a year at an orchard in Big Sur, Steele developed a new understanding of how to handle and preserve fruit, as well as how to integrate it into dishes both sweet and savory.