VOICES

One of my favorite things each month, as we put together a new issue of the magazine, is reading the contributions from our voices. They’re always fascinating, and this month is no exception.

Photographer and artist Al Rendon delivers a touching tribute to his dad, along with a photo of his dad at work, in his piece for this month.

Jen Beckmann’s monthly wine column tells us how US wines burst onto the world stage with a dramatic 1976 taste-off in Paris, pitting California wines against French wines.

Tommy Newman, our music columnist, writes about meeting one of his musical and cultural heroes at the Tobin last week. Tommy loves music, but he’s also got a real talent with words.

Kate Hernandez fills us in on a summer-full of activities for kids at Hemisfair, right at the time parents need some ideas. Kate is a senior at UTSA, working as a Spring Marketing Intern, and we’re glad to have her.

Jane Gennarelli expanded on Kate’s work to point out other nearby options for kids this summer.

Chef José Cruz of Señor Veggie has delivered a recipe for cilantro-lime pesto hummus with oven-roasted chickpeas. I love hummus, I love lime, so this is something I plan to try within the coming week.

Our cover artist this week is Vie Dunn-Harr, who tells us the story behind her oil painting, The Beauty Remains. Jane and I both really enjoy the connections we've made with local artists during the past year, as we've featured their work in both the magazine and Jane's weekly newsletter.

HIGHLIGHTING IMPORTANT STUFF

Another of my favorite things is highlighting issues and organizations that are important to the neighborhood.

The Lavaca Neighborhood Association has been building its profile in recent years. With strong leadership and an active board, it’s been taking a big role in a lot of neighborhood issues. Newly-elected president Melissa Stendahl talked to us about the board’s plans for the coming year.

Conjunto Heritage Taller is a neighborhood non-profit that’s dedicated to the preservation of South Texas’s native Conjunto music. It’s in the midst of a fascinating transition between generations, and we’ve written about it.

The story of the city’s noise ordinance task force continues for another month, but there are signs that it’s making progress. Read about the report delivered by the city’s newly-engaged consultants.

And don't forget -- voting is going on right now. Yes, you're right, we just voted a couple of weeks ago, but this time we're sorting out the primaries for November's general election. Jane Gennarelli explains.

FOOD

And then, of course, there’s food. Food is a big deal in the neighborhood, and I take it pretty seriously myself.

I’ve already mentioned Chef José Cruz’s recipe for hummus.

And I’m wrapping up my series on sourdough bread, telling you how to take your bread-making to the next level by milling your own grain. It’s not as big a deal as you might think, and it gives you some fun options to explore.

In that article, I’ve also included a recipe for an orange-cranberry-pecan bread that I love. My recipe is based on home-milled flour, but I’ve included substitutions using commercial flour.