This Week’s Links We Luv: Austin Restaurant Week, Bourdain in Austin & More

I wrote a Links We Luv post about SXSW a couple of weeks ago and got so much great feedback that I’m planning on making it a regular post every couple weeks. I plan on posting helpful articles I find related to Austin food news, cooking tips, and recipes.

Here’s a recap of my favorite links this week:

• Austin Restaurant Week Starts Today – Starting today, some of the most popular Austin restaurants will be offering special three course pre-fixe menus. A donation will be made to Meals on Wheels and More for each reservation made through Open Table, so get out there and eat for a great cause.
• Anthony Bourdain in Austin – Anthony Bourdain was in town for SXSW and it sounds like he stayed for awhile filming.  According to Austinist.com he visited JMueller BBQ, Contigo, Barley Swine, La Condesa, Franklin BBQ, Quality Seafood and El Taco Rico. And yes, he confirmed to me on Twitter that he waited in line at Franklin BBQ.
• The Most Common Cooking Mistakes (Cooking Light) – Cooking Light has a pretty comprehensive list of 42 common cooking mistakes and what you can do to avoid these errors. There are a few no brainers, like tasting your food as you cook, but I found this article extremely helpful. I will be applying a few of these tips in my own cooking.
• Base jumpers skip bar tab by strapping on parachutes, leaping 55 stories off building – I had to share this crazy news story. A group of men base jump off a 55 story building to skip out on a bar tab. You can watch the news report on youtube.
• The Cooking Oil Comparison Chart – I’m guilty of pretty much using either Olive Oil or Canola Oil for everything, but I’d really like to branch out to using some more exotic oils. This chart is a great starting point for moving beyond just your basic oils. It compares some of the most common (and not so common) types of cooking oil, examines which options are the healthiest, and what each is best used for.