Bienvenu’s idea for her new cookbook, Cooking up a Storm: Recipes Lost and Found from the Times-Picayune of New Orleans, was inspired by Hurricane Katrina and the recipes lost during the disaster.

Bienvenu is the author of “Who’s Your Mama, Are You Catholic and Can You Make a Roux?” and co-author of four cookbooks with Emeril Lagasse.

In her new cookbook, Bienvenu compiled 250 authentic recipes along with the stories about how they came to be and who created them.

Bienvenu grew up in southern Louisiana and had worked with working with Ella Brennan and Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse at Commander’s Palace.

She’ll discuss her experiences in New Orleans and will demonstrate how to cook these dishes:

• Roosevelt Hotel Shrimp Remoulade

• Masson’s Oyster & Artichoke Soup

• My Mama’s Crab Chops with Tartar Sauce served with Café Degas’ Stuffed Red Peppers & Toasted French Garlic Bread

• Chocolate Pot de Crème

The class costs $65. To register, click here.

On July 22, Central Market, 3815 Westheimer, will be cooking up food from Down Under for $40 a person.

The menu for July 22:

• Smoked Salmon “Summer Roll” with Herbed Cucumber Salad & Soft Goat Cheese

• Beetroot & Rockette Salad with Aussie Blue & caramelized Macadamia Nuts

• Chilled Celeriac Soup with Apple Slaw & Lemon Yogurt Drizzle

• Yabbies on the barb with Pumpkin & Sweet Potato Bake and OZ Pink Salt Crust

• Grilled Lamb Chops with Grilled Summer Vegetables

• Cheeses from Australia with Wild Honey, Australian Damper Bread, Lavosh, Water Wheel Crackers & Dried Fruits

• Wattleseed Crème Brulee, Lemon Myrtle Pound Cake with Quandon (Peach) Compote & Berry Pavlova

The wines are (may vary depending on availability):

• Yalumba Riesling

• Oxford Landing Viognier

• ShooFly Buzz Cut White

• Yalumba Sangiovese Rose

• The Wishing Tree Shiraz

• Betts and Scholl OG Grenache

• The Chook Sparkling Shiraz

To register, click here.

Join them for grilling and enjoy an evening of toe-tapping music, free of charge. Experience what summer nights are all about in Houston.

Concerts will take place on Central Market’s patio, 3815 Westheimer.

July 17 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Something Unique

Come capture the right groove while Something Unique sets the right mood.

July 18 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The Corona Beach Band

Enjoy the sights, sounds and great food as The Corona Beach Band jams.

July 24 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

RhythmZone

Come and enjoy the perfect mix of familiar favorites with the sounds of RhythmZone.

July 25 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Sonny Boy Terry

Join Central Market for one of Texas’ top harmonica players and devoted blues recording artists.

July 31 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Luther and the Healers

Come listen to the great sounds of this Texas-based blues singer.

For more information contact Central Market at 713-386-1700

The West U Recreation Center playground, 4210 Bellaire Blvd., is now open.

Thanks to the successful leadership and volunteerism of Park Lovers’ Ball 2010, co-chairs Jennifer Gatto, Daryl Hoover, and Kara Samples, the Friends of West University Place Parks Fund, Inc.,committed $150,000 to fund the Recreation Center playground.

The new, state-of-the-art playground offers a wide variety of fun activities for children ages 2 to 12 years.  The unique equipment combines fitness play elements with a more traditional system, resulting in a more versatile playground that offers a powerful mix of fun, fitness, creativity and exciting challenges to get kids moving.

The entire area has a turf safety surface and is shaded by a large canopy to help kids stay safe from the sun and keep the playground looking great.

Additional amenities include four new benches and two new trash cans and recycling cans on each end of the play area to add to the efforts of keeping the area clean and green.

For more information on The Friends of West U Parks Fund, Inc., please visit www.westuparks.org or log on to www.westu.org for information regarding West U’s parks.

The tournament will start at 10 a.m. on Thursday and Friday.

The winners in the five divisions will be awarded trophies. Competitors advanced to the tournament because they are the best of the 400 Harris County girls and boys who played in the five-week, preliminary rounds at countywide neighborhood agencies’ sites.

Three-on-3 Basketball, added to the Street Olympics in 1998, is designed to teach leadership, discipline and the value of teamwork.

The Street Olympics program, which Harris County Commissioner El Franco Lee started 24 years ago, provides free educational and social activities for youth.

For more information, visit www.streetolympics.org.

The Audrey Jones Beck Building, 5601 Main Street.   Permanent collection: selections of European art until 1920 and American art until 1945.  Katsura: Picturing Modernism in Japanese Architecture, Photographs by Ishimoto Yasuhiro, through Sept. 12; The Masterworks of Charles M. Russell: A Retrospective of Paintings and Sculpture, through Aug. 29.

Creation Station: At the Moulin Rouge – This week´s theme: Looking at dancers from Paris, France.  At Creation Station, families can drop in anytime and create art with an MFAH teaching artist. Each week, explore a different work of art and learn a new art-making technique.

Recommended Ages: 4+.  From June 10 to Aug. 15, children can become an MFAH Art Detective at Creation Station. Each week, there will be a new work of art for detectives to investigate and explore in the galleries. After each “case” is completed, participants earn a stamp from the MFAH Teaching Artist at the Creation Station program. When the program ends, all Art Detectives will be eligible for a special prize drawing.   July 15, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and July 18, 1 to 4 p.m.

Summer Storytime, Bring your family and explore the museum together with Summer Storytime. Family friendly Summer Storytime tours introduce young learners to the world of art through hands-on gallery activities, close looking, and the reading of one to two storybooks in MFAH galleries. Drop-in Summer Storytime Tours last one hour and are offered every Thursday and Friday at both 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Reservations are available for groups of 10 to 30 people. Contact the Education Department at 713-639-7858 to schedule your group Summer Storytime tour.  One hour Summer Storytime tours meet in the lobby of the Beck Building.  July 15 and July 16, 10:15 to 11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Gallery Investigations, This week´s theme: Looking at dancers from Paris, France
Gallery Location: 225.  Uncover details and insights about works of art from around the world with an MFAH educator at this interactive gallery experience. Drop in anytime.

Recommended Ages: 4+.  From June 10 to Aug. 15, children can become an MFAH Art Detective. Each week, there will be a new work of art for detectives to investigate and explore in the galleries. After each “case” is completed, participants earn a stamp from the MFAH Teaching Artist at the Creation Station program (also held 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdays and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays). When the program ends, all Art Detectives will be eligible for a special prize drawing.  July 15, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Sketching in the Galleries, This week´s theme: Looking at dancers from Paris, France
Gallery Location: 225.   Observe, learn, and create surrounded by art. An MFAH teaching artist guides your sketching experience in the galleries. Drop in Free with general museum admission. From June 10 to Aug. 15, children can become an MFAH Art Detective at Creation Station. Each week, there will be a new work of art for detectives to investigate and explore in the galleries. After each “case” is completed, participants earn a stamp from the MFAH Teaching Artist at the Creation Station program (held 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdays and 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays). When the program ends, all Art Detectives will be eligible for a special prize drawing.  July 16, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Members’ Tour: How Did They Do That ? Ceramics, Marveling at a completed work of art on view at the museum, do you ever ask yourself “How did they do that?” Find out the answer this summer by examining the process artists use to create works of art. The Members Tour each month will focus on different materials frequently found across the MFAH collection — oil painting, gold, and ceramic — and explores how various artists employed each medium to achieve distinctive visual effects. Discover subtle details in works of art that reflect the materials used to make them and gain a new appreciation for familiar works of art on these tours.  July 10, 17, 24, 31: Ceramics: Throwing, coiling, slabbing, firing, glazing, incising: discover these processes, along with their tools and materials, all used in making ceramics. Travel around the globe and through time to explore this universal medium that connects objects from the Neolithic Age to new contemporary art forms. Advanced registration required. RSVP today at rsvp@mfah.org or 713-353-1550. Reservations are available on a first come, first served basis.  July 17, 11 a.m.

Join them for grilling and enjoy an evening of toe-tapping music, free of charge. Experience what summer nights are all about in Houston.

Concerts will take place on Central Market’s patio, 3815 Westheimer.

July 10 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Tanya Nolan

Come and enjoy the unique sounds of this multi-instrumentalist and singer of R&B, Jazz, Tejano, and Hip-Hop.

July 11 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Snit’s Dog & Pony Show

Grab a friend and dance the night away to this American roots Rock n’ Roll band.

July 17 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Something Unique

Come capture the right groove while Something Unique sets the right mood.

July 18 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The Corona Beach Band

Enjoy the sights, sounds and great food as The Corona Beach Band jams.

July 24 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

RhythmZone

Come and enjoy the perfect mix of familiar favorites with the sounds of RhythmZone.

July 25 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Sonny Boy Terry

Join Central Market for one of Texas’ top harmonica players and devoted blues recording artists.

July 31 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Luther and the Healers

Come listen to the great sounds of this Texas-based blues singer.

For more information contact Central Market at 713-386-1700

All funds raised will benefit the Challenger Baseball program, specifically their trip to the State of Texas All Star tournament July 23 to 25 where the Challengers have been invited to play an exhibition game after opening ceremonies.

The WULL Challengers will combine with First Colony LL Challengers to represent District 16 for this game and will play ORWALL (Woodlands area).

The parade starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday with the pool party ending at Colonial Park at 2 p.m.

Holiday heat and holiday traffic can be a bear.  The zoo has gathered some tips in the Frequently Asked Questions below that will help with visits to the zoo over the holiday weekend.

Q: Is the Fourth of July a free day at the Houston Zoo?

A: The Fourth of July is no longer a free day at the Zoo. However, our guests can buy discount tickets in advance of their Zoo visit at any Fiesta Mart grocery store in the greater Houston area.  Visit the courtesy booth of any Fiesta Mart in the Houston area to purchase an adult Zoo admission for $9 and a child Zoo admission for $6.  For more information, visit the Houston Zoo on-line at http://www.houstonzoo.org/hours/.

Q: On busy holidays I can never find a place to park. Is there an alternative to parking in Hermann Park?

A:  Parking is limited in Hermann Park.  However, off-site parking is available just a short walk from the Zoo’s Medical Center gate at Memorial Hermann Medical Plaza, 6400 Fannin.  The garage charges for parking, but Saturday and Sunday rates are just $6 per car.  For more information, visit the Houston Zoo on-line at http://www.houstonzoo.org/directions/.

Q: What if I don’t want to drive? Does METRO serve the Houston Zoo?

A:  Both METRORail and METRO buses are good alternatives to navigating the holiday traffic.  And you can save $1 off your adult Zoo admission when you present any METRO bus or METRORail ticket at the Zoo admission booth (one offer per person).

METRORail stations at Fannin and Cambridge and Fannin and Sunset serve the Zoo as well as 5 METRO bus lines. For a METRORail schedule visit the Zoo on the Web at http://www.houstonzoo.org/directions/ for links to METRO rail and bus schedules.

Q: What’s the best time to visit the Houston Zoo?

A:  Our animals are most active and the crowds are usually smaller first thing in the morning (Zoo gates open at 9 a.m.) or late in the afternoon, especially in the heat of the summer.  This time of year the Zoo closes at 7 p.m. (last ticket sold at 6 p.m.).

Q: Can we bring our own refreshments when we visit the Zoo?

A: Absolutely! But please don’t bring glass bottles, alcoholic beverages or straws.  And please pack out what you bring into the Zoo.

Q: Do you have any other suggestions for a summertime Zoo trip?

A:  Always check the weather forecast before you come.  But don’t let a little rain keep you away.  The Houston Zoo includes several indoor exhibits – the Tropical Bird House, the Reptile House, the Kipp Aquarium and the Natural Encounters Building.

Wear comfortable clothing, especially loose fitting light fabrics (especially in summer) and shoes that are suitable for walking.

Take your time and enjoy your stay.  By spending a little extra time at each exhibit you’ll give our animals an opportunity to demonstrate natural behaviors such as grooming, courting and scent-marking.

Parents can add to their child’s Zoo experience with simple but engaging games and exercises.  For example, pick a letter of the alphabet and see how many animals you can find whose names start with that letter.

Kids of all ages are invited to join in the fun by decorating their bicycles, tricycles, non-motorized scooters, wagons, and strollers.

Please line up in front of West U Elementary, 3756 University, by 9:45 a.m. to participate.  The parade begins at 10 a.m. sharp, heading west on University, South on Academy, West on Byron, and ends at Colonial Park, 4130 Byron.

After the ride, festivities will continue at the newly opened Colonial Park Pool until 2 p.m.  There will be free admission to the pool, along with games, and activities for the residents of West U and their guests.

Remember to bring an appetite since members of the West U Rotary will be serving BBQ plates for their annual fundraiser.

Visit the Parks and Recreation website at www.westu.org for a complete schedule or contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 713-662-7427.

Creation Station: Life of the Cowboy, This week´s theme: Looking at art of the American West.  At Creation Station, families can drop in anytime and create art with an MFAH teaching artist. Each week, explore a different work of art and learn a new art-making technique. Recommended Ages: 4+.

From June 10 to Aug. 15, children can become an MFAH Art Detective at Creation Station. Each week, there will be a new work of art for detectives to investigate and explore in the galleries. After each “case” is completed, participants earn a stamp from the MFAH Teaching Artist at the Creation Station program. When the program ends, all Art Detectives will be eligible for a special prize drawing.  July 1, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Summer Storytime, Bring your family and explore the museum together with Summer Storytime. Family friendly Summer Storytime tours introduce young learners to the world of art through hands-on gallery activities, close looking, and the reading of one to two storybooks in MFAH galleries. Drop-in Summer

Storytime Tours last one hour and are offered every Thursday and Friday at both 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Reservations are available for groups of 10 to 30 people. Contact the Education Department at 713-639-7858 to schedule your group Summer Storytime tour.  One hour Summer Storytime tours meet in the lobby of the Beck Building.  July 1 and July 2, 10:15 to 11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Gallery Investigations, This week´s theme: Looking at art of the American West
Gallery Location: 111.  Uncover details and insights about works of art from around the world with an MFAH educator at this interactive gallery experience. Drop in anytime. Recommended Ages: 4+.

From June 10 to Aug. 15, children can become an MFAH Art Detective. Each week, there will be a new work of art for detectives to investigate and explore in the galleries. After each “case” is completed, participants earn a stamp from the MFAH Teaching Artist at the Creation Station program (also held 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdays and 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays). When the program ends, all Art Detectives will be eligible for a special prize drawing. July 1, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Sketching in the Galleries, This week´s theme: Looking at art of the American West- Gallery Location: 111.   Observe, learn, and create surrounded by art. An MFAH teaching artist guides your sketching experience in the galleries. Drop in Free with general museum admission.

From June 10 to Aug. 15, children can become an MFAH Art Detective at Creation Station. Each week, there will be a new work of art for detectives to investigate and explore in the galleries. After each “case” is completed, participants earn a stamp from the MFAH Teaching Artist at the Creation Station program (held 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdays and 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays). When the program ends, all Art Detectives will be eligible for a special prize drawing.  July 2, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Admission to MFAH, 1001 Bissonnet St., is $7 for adults; $3.50 for seniors, students with ID, and children 6 to 18; free for 5 and under.  Free admission for all on Thursdays and first Sunday of each month. Free admission on weekends for ages 18 and younger with a public library card. Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 12:15 to 7 p.m.

Fifteen participants came and learned the game from USA Pickleball Association Ambassador Dr. Chris Rampacek.

With interest high, West U Senior Services will be playing Pickleball again at 6104 Auden on July 2 at 1 p.m.

Call 713-662-5895 for more information.

The 2010 Southwest Foodservice Expo will be at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston June 27 to 29.  Influential restaurateurs will mingle with leading suppliers at the largest foodservice trade show in the region.

“As one of the largest, most inclusive foodservice tradeshows in the nation, the community of sharing and collaboration at Expo is extraordinary,” said Texas Restaurant Association CEO Richie Jackson.  “Industry professionals who attend the show are guaranteed to walk away with countless ideas for improving their own business operations.”

Hundreds of exhibitors will fill more than 200,000 square feet of the George R. Brown Convention Center and thousands of foodservice professionals will benefit from three days of networking, education, culinary demos and competitions.

“This year we are excited to have first-time exhibitors showcasing the latest technology innovations such as touch screen tables, digital signs and menu-labeling systems, as well as a new Food Nutrition Center featuring sessions on how to comply with the latest nutritional standards that are at the forefront of the nation’s health movement,” said TRA Vice President Expositions Mel Forehand.

The Education Idea Center features sessions on topics ranging from the state of the industry, federal health care reform and social networking to restaurant construction, operations and marketing.  These sessions are free to attendees, and speakers represent some of the leading restaurant companies in the country, including Brinker International, Pizza Patron and Z’Tejas.

Of course, there is no shortage of celebrity chefs.  The winner and runner-up of Top Chef Season 6, Michael Voltaggio and his brother Bryan Voltaggio, will demonstrate their culinary skills and creativity at the Culinary Showcase on June 28.

Houston chefs Randy Evans (Haven), Hugo Ortega (Hugo’s), Michael Dei Maggi (The Rockwood Room), Danny Trace (Brennan’s of Houston), Mark Schmidt (The Rainbow Lodge) and Kiran Verma (Kiran’s) will shine a spotlight on the dynamic local restaurant scene while sharing their expertise with attendees through education sessions and culinary demos.

For more information or to register for the 2010 Southwest Foodservice Expo, visit www.swfoodexpo.com.

Linsey Hasenbank, owner and designer of LLH Designs, is hosting a Mini Design Flea at her home in West U on Saturday.

When people walk into West U resident Linsey Hasenbank’s home they often take a look around and say, ‘Did you do this yourself?’

Hasenbank, owner and designer of LLH Designs, an independent stationery and card company and blogger, doesn’t have any interior design experience but her home says differently.

After holding an open house for her stationery company in May, fellow blogger and West U resident, Tricia White, known as Morning T on her blog, said they should get together and sell some of their things at a home sale.

Hasenbank got in touch with her other blogger friend, interior designer Holly Mathis, and their idea for a mini design flea was formed.

“We’re all just inspired ladies that thought this was doable,” Hasenbank said.

Hasenbank, Mathis and Morning T will be holding a Mini Design Flea from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday at the Hasenbank residence, rain or shine. They will be selling their own personal treasures and high end items at less than retail price. The home sale is not a garage sale, Hasenbank said.

For directions to the flea and the address click here.

Whole Foods, 4004 Bellaire Blvd., is donating lemonade and cinnamon crumble muffins for refreshments at the design flea.

Stationery from LLH Designs will be for sale on Saturday, along with original artwork from local artist, Holly Lewis Hudley.

Hasenbank has made it her personal commitment to put half of her LLH Design sales toward a “mini home makeover” for Prince and Sheila Couisnard, co-founders of The Forge.

The Couisnard’s always have kids who don’t have families coming to their home in the third ward, Hasenbank said.

“Prince and Sheila are like everyone’s mom and dad in the third ward,” she said.

Hasenbank and her husband wanted to do something nice for them since they do so much for others. Her husband has been helping do home repairs.

Hasenbank is going to use the money from the home sale to buy Sheila some new linens, a few small rugs and some window treatments, among other things.

Hasenbank said that the Couisnard’s would never ask for anything and whenever she and her husband ask how they can help, they always tell them about someone else who’s in need.

The Couisnard’s have no idea that she’s going to be donating her earnings from the home sale for new items for their home.

Hasenbank will also have a donation jar at the sale for anyone who wants to donate to help send an inner city child to Kamp Kanakuk in Missouri with The Forge. The cost to send one child to camp is $200. Hasenbank said she hopes there will be enough donations to send at least one child to camp.

“If you love Houston, you have to care [about The Forge],” she said. “The inner city seems so far away, but it’s not.”

When Hasenbank started walking through her house, picking out things for the home sale, she realized her possessions don’t define her.

“Everything is a gift from God,” she said. “My motivation for everything I do is to use the gifts God’s given me.”

Hasenbank is excited about the sale and hopes that the people who attend will find treasures for themselves.

“I hope that happens,” she said.

For those who can’t attend the sale but would like to make a donation to The Forge for summer camp, write a check for any amount to “The Forge” with summer camp as the memo. Mail checks to LLH Designs, 3827 Arnold St., Houston, TX 77005.

Central Market, 3815 Westheimer, will serve up and sample the best from local neighbors who raise and grow the homegrown tastes of Texas, starting Friday through July 4.

Customers will have the opportunity to meet the farmers, growers, ranchers, cheesemakers, brewmasters and entrepreneurs who are creating the tastes of home.

During Big State, Big Taste all Texas wines will be 20 percent off with the purchase of three or more. Top chefs from across the state are making their presence known as well. The uniquely Texan products by big names like Kent Rathbun, Jim Severson, David McMillan, and Dean Fearing will be featured during Big State, Big Taste.

Central Market is taking it up a notch with their state-inspired demos that are so hot they make Tex-Mex look tame. Nothing says summer like freshly baked peach cobbler pie, the delights of Texas Tea on a summer’s eve, or that juicy bite into a Pederson’s Sausage and Padrino Tamales. They’ve spared nothing; after all, everything is bigger in Texas.

Local greats like Cooper Farms and Springer Farms prove everything is better as well. Big State, Big Taste representatives from each will be on hand to speak with customers about their products, farm and farming.

Cooking School Highlights:

June 26, 6:30 p.m.                 Patti Ramsey, Big State, Big Flavor

June 28, 6:30 p.m.                  Monica Pope, Big State Big Taste

Visit Central Market’s Cooking School for reservations.

On Saturday, the Zoo is hosting Donuts and Dinosaurs with the gates opening at 8:30 a.m. for an early morning tour of the Houston Zoo Dinosaur! exhibit and a special dinosaur lecture and presentation in the Zoo’s Brown Education Center by Dinosaurs Rock of Texas.

Touch real dinosaur eggs and dino poop.  Dig for fossils and enter to win an authentic prehistoric specimen.

Register and purchase your tickets online at http://www.houstonzoo.org/donuts-and-dinos/.  Tickets are $21 for member adults, $16.50 for member children (ages 2-12), $25 for non-member adults and $20.50 for non-member children (ages 2-12).  Tickets may also be ordered by phone when you call Group Tickets at 713-533-6754 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Donuts and Dinosaurs Schedule

8:30 to 9 a.m. Gates open, check-in/registration, access to Dinosaurs! before the Zoo opens.

9 to 9:30 a.m. Continental breakfast inside the BEC Auditorium

9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Dinosaurs Rock Texas presentation and Fossil Dig

Donuts and Dinosaurs ticket holders may parking in the Houston Zoo main parking lot off Hermann Park Drive and enter through the Zoo’s main entrance.  Please bring a copy of the confirmation letter you received when you purchased your tickets.  Your Donuts and Dinosaurs ticket includes all-day Houston Zoo admission.

DINOSAURS! At the Houston Zoo features10 life-like animatronic dinosaurs presented in a wooded, landscaped setting.  The Houston Zoo’s horticulture department selected plant species for the exhibit that represent those found in the fossil record, including cycads, ferns, ginkos, and monkey puzzle trees.

State-of-the art electronics control the dinosaur’s fluid, choreographed movements, punctuated by spine chilling roars.

Created by Billings Productions of McKinney, Texas, each dinosaur is built on a steel frame and covered with an intricately designed foam rubber ‘skin’ and painstakingly hand painted.

The Fab Five will play on the Colonial Park Deck, 4130 Byron, from 7 to 9 p.m. on Friday.

Party on the Patio is a free event for West University Place Residents, sponsored by the Village News/Southwest News and the City of West University Place.

Families can swim at Colonial Park Pool while listening to the music of the Ezra Charles’ Texas Blues Band.

Blankets and lawn chairs are permitted, and concessions will be available for purchase from the Edloe Street Café and Deli.

For more information, please contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 713-662-5383.

Cooking classes for children ages 5 to 12 will take place for $40 a class at Central Market, 3815 Westheimer. Classes are taking place now until July 22.

Students will learn how to make a variety of kid-approved snacks, including baked French fries, fresh butter cookies, and mini-pepperoni pizzas, in classes ranging from “Cookie-Palooza” to “Pizza Party”.  Older students will even have the chance to develop safe, beginner knife skills and grilling basics.

A sampling of classes includes:

Cupcake-Mania – These little cakes make the perfect snack: Vanilla Surprise; S’Mores Cupcakes; Peanut Butter & Jelly Swirls; and Orange Flower Cupcakes.

Breakfast Basics – Learn to scramble, bake and fry: Omelets; Baked Bacon; Pancakes; and Buttermilk Biscuits.

Mama Mia – Discover these Italian classics: Focaccia; Homemade Fettuccini with Alfredo Sauce; and Brutti ma Buoni (Italian Meringue Cookies).

Mama’s Little Dumpling – Explore the world of sweet & savory dumplings: Pork Pot Stickers; Vegetable Dumplings with Dipping Sauce; and Apple Dumplings with Ice Cream.

International Noodle Celebration – Learn to make these favorite noodle dishes: Mac ‘n Cheese; Chicken Chow Mein; and Fresh Pasta with Tomato Sauce.

To register for the classes, visit www.centralmarket.com.

Beginning June 20, the MFAH will exhibit 70 of these photographs, presenting the images, for the first time, un-cropped and as Ishimoto had originally intended for them to be seen.

For the last 50 years these photographs have been known only from the landmark 1960 book Katsura: Creation and Tradition in Japanese Architecture, by architect Tange Kenzo with an introduction by Walter Gropius. For that publication, Tange rigorously cropped and sequenced the photographs to promote his agenda in a debate that consumed post-occupation Japan’s cultural elite in the mid-1950s: that of the vital relevance and existence of tradition in their efforts to define modernity.

Against this backdrop, the show will explore the nuanced and complex relationship between architecture and photography, and the profound impact these photographs had on the public’s interpretation of Japanese tradition in modern architecture.

“The MFAH received a major gift of 300 photographs from Ishimoto Yasuhiro last fall, and the collection of some 400 photographs now includes work from all of the artist’s major series, including Katsura,” said Dr. Peter C. Marzio, MFAH director. “This is the first time that so many of Ishimoto’s famous photographs of Katsura will be on view in Houston, and the first time that the uncropped images will be shown in such depth.”

“The 1960 Katsura book is regarded as one of the most important books of an architect’s interpretation of built environments through photography in the 20^th century – on par with

Philip Johnson and Henry-Russell Hitchcock’s The International Style: Architecture Since 1922 (1932),” commented Yasufumi Nakamori, assistant curator of photography, MFAH, and curator of the exhibition. “But the book also represented a perspective specific to postwar Japanese culture. Its images and ideas crystallized the Japanese interpretation of Bauhaus esthetics and functionalism, and gave a cue to a younger generation of Japanese architects in mid-century Japan, including Tange Kenzo and Horiguchi Sutemi, who had been struggling to locate tradition in their modern designs. To Tange, the book was a visual manifesto for his postwar design philosophy, and proved that the function-based expressions of pre-modern Japanese architecture were still relevant, coupled with new architectural technologies and materials.”

MFAH hours are Tuesday and Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.to 7 p.m.; and Sunday, 12:15 to 7 p.m.  The museum is closed on Monday, except for holidays.

Admission to this exhibition is included with general admission to the museum.  General admission is $7 for adults and $3.50 for children 6 to 18, students, and senior adults (65+); admission is free for children five and under.  Admission is free on Thursday, courtesy of Shell Oil Company Foundation.  Admission is free on Saturday and Sunday for children 18 and under with a Houston Public Library Power Card or any other library card.

Amber Digby and Midnight Flyer will play on the Colonial Park Deck, 4130 Byron, from 7 to 9 p.m. on Friday.

Party on the Patio is a free event for West University Place Residents, sponsored by the Village News/Southwest News and the City of West University Place.

Families can swim at Colonial Park Pool while listening to the music of the Ezra Charles’ Texas Blues Band.

Blankets and lawn chairs are permitted, and concessions will be available for purchase from the Edloe Street Café and Deli.

For more information, please contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 713-662-5383.

Concert Schedule:

June 18 – Amber Digby and Midnight Flyer

June 25 – The Fab Five