When we think of the Great Depression, we often think of soup kitchen linesstretched around city blocks.
Water for Elephants trumpeted into theaters over the weekend with itsmelodramatic circus romance set during the Depression.
Yes, the man who today lives mostly on chips and chili con queso grew up eatingorganic, local produce and meats. And greens; lots and lots of greens from thegarden.

Photo by Mona Makela
“The stew was all right,” Dad recalls. “Fried squirrel is a little chewy.” I’lltake his word on that.

Food for Thought

Water for Elephants' slow food movement tale: Depression Era eats not all friedsquirrel & soup kitchen lines

Bernie's Burger Bus

Photo by Ruthie Johnson Miller
Reserve 101
Justin Turner of Bernie's Burger Bus

Photo via Bernie's Burger Bus/Facebook

Foodie News

Bernie's Burger Bus chef goes beyond burgers: Turner to do food at Reserve 101,debut 2nd outer Loop food truck

The first time Lizz Winstead had sex at age 16, the pill didn't work. The eventssurrounding that experience is why she's an advocate for Planned Parenthood,yielding to comedy to tell her story.

Photo by Mindy Tucker
Betty White is passionate about animal wellfare, philanthropy and using heryou-can-trust-me persona for good. Brilliant Lectures hosts this sassy dame fortwo performances on Saturday.

InstinctMagazine.com
Aszure Barton's work will be featured at Houston Ballet's "Women@Art."

Photo by Amitava Sarkar
As Mercury expands its ethos to encompass music beyond the baroque period, it'salso doing so across genres — and that includes the culinary arts. Music andgastronomy commingle with Triniti to rouse what promises to be a multi-sensoryescapade.

Photo by Kimberly Park

Calendar Closeup

Your weekly guide: Five (plus) don't-miss events — a wild Betty White & Menilbirthday included

Plumbago
The new natural garden: A combination of Mexican sedum, Dianella and dwarf mondograss with flagstone stepping stones.
Lantana

Photo by AZ Plant Lady
Salvia: one of the new low-maintenance, low-water perennial flowers.
Purple coneflower

Curb Appeal

Making gardens greener: Fighting drought & saving money with organics,alternative plants

Hitting the streets in April: Sirena Seafood Truck

Cameron McClung/Twitter
Campechana from Sirena Seafood Truck

Sirena Seafood Truck/Twitter
Siopao from Flip N' Patties

Flip 'N Patties/Twitter

Foodie News

New must-try food trucks: The mobile craze goes international

A rendering of Relish, a neighborhood market opening this spring at 3951 SanFelipe in River Oaks.

Rendering by Morgana Davila

Foodie News

Slow food rising: You'll Relish this new neighborhood market

Lauren Bush
Lauren Bush's clothing line was featured during Houston Fashion Week.

Michelle Watson for LastNightPics.com

The CultureMap Interview

More than a name: Lauren Bush loves doing good, jeans & Tiny Boxwood's

The Haven kitchen, led by Randy Evans, would qualify as a lardcore center.

Photo by Kimberly Park
Houston's Bryan Caswell was name checked in the Time magazine article on the newrespect for Southern cuisine.
Chris Shepherd would be another great example of the movement.

Photo by Janice Schindeler
What's your favorite Houston lardcore spot?

Foodie News

Southern food gets new respect (and a terrible name) with lardcore

The Brooklyn Flea draws an indie crowd.
Tchotchkes await at Discovery Green Flea.
A view on the hyperactive Brooklyn Flea.
The southeast section of Discovery Green will soon see more Saturday afternoonaction.

CultureMap Exclusive

Discovery Green farmers market to be reborn in new vintage Flea market: 60merchants, food trucks & craft beer

Haute Wheels Houston is happening this weekend.
Say "woof" to Good Dog Hot Dog.

Photo by Ruthie Johnson Miller
It's hot out, but don't sweat it: Snowdog Ice Cream is solar powered.

Offroad Eats

Your guide to Houston's food truck party: Haute Wheels rolls in with specialmenus

For 25 years, the Sandcastle competition in Galveston is serious, fun business.54 teams will compete to win the Golden Bucket.

Photo by William Hunt
Love '80s big hair and power rock tunes? This musical (feels more like a rockconcert) is for you.
Improved with wine. First Saturday Arts Market in The Heights gets an alcoholboost.

Photo via Heights 1st Saturdays/Facebook
The Quartus Chamber Players appearance at Classical Revolution made us curiousabout its season finale concert, featuring the music of Brahms and Shostakovich.
See Anthony Rendon mash at Reckling.
Wendy Wagner's "Once Uponse a Time in the Land of O-Poppida..." explores dreams,memory and the anatomy of "cute."

Pick Five (Plus)

Your weekly guide to Houston: Sandcastle showdown, Lubbock mystery & postseasonbaseball

Do you have a cooking sheet you just can't throw away?
There were no volumes of Julia Child in the kitchen.
This is dog-earred in many a modest kitchen.

Food for Thought

The old cookie sheet you can't throw away: Betty Crocker by mom

Haven's 4-by-60-foot bed lined with cedar logs from Cat Spring, watered from a500-gallon cistern that catches rainwater off the pitched roof of the restaurant

Photo by Barbara Kuntz
Sous chef Kevin Naderi with more seedlings to plant

Photo by Barbara Kuntz
Gardener Andrew Phlegar tends to garden-to-fork plants found throughout Haven'sgrounds.

Photo by Barbara Kuntz
Naderi cooks down chef Randy Evans' whole hogs from Harrison Hog Farm to makehead cheese.

Photo by Barbara Kuntz

Food for Thought

A restaurant with earth thoughts: The green heaven of Haven

Joel Luks went from a McDonald's man to a vegan.
Alicia Silverstone is just one of the sexy vegetarians.
Moby doesn't believe in meat either.

Vegging Out

From Big Mac to McVegan: My journey to a meatless life