Got cookbooks?

June 3, 9:38 PMSF Sustainable Food ExaminerJeri Lynn Chandler

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Omnivore Books, 3885a Cesar Chavez St., SF

Sustainable food enthusiasts eager to recover former approaches to food and cooking -- as well as stay on top of the latest -- have a great resource in San Francisco's Omnivore Books. Devoted solely to food and carrying new, vintage and collectible editions, Omnivore Books opened November 8th of last year on Cesar Chavez Street in San Francisco's Noe Valley neighborhood. Open less than a year, the bookstore has already attracted a lot of attention from food and book lovers alike.

Omnivore Books was conceived by Celia Sack, most likely to indulge her own proclivity for rare books and cooking. The store is appropriately housed in a 1930s butcher shop and is even decorated with some of the original equipment, along with some of Sack's own collection of cooking artifacts.

Wander in for a browse and you will find everything from 150-year-old collectible cookbooks to books about wine and cocktails and backyard self-sufficiency. There are volumes signed by M.F.K. Fisher, Jacques Pepin and J. Rodale, among many others. Stock is selected to please just about everyone -- home cooks, professional chefs, food historians, book collectors.

Three events coming up later this month might be of interest to sustainable foodies. Check Omnivore Books' website for even more scheduled events.

Thursday June 11 • Nate Appleman, Chris Cosentino, and Traci des Jardins • 6 p.m. • Free
Three venerable San Francisco chefs will form a panel to discuss the current state of restaurants and cooking. Appleman just won the James Beard award for Rising Chef of the Year at his restaurant A16 (he will also sign copies of the eponymous cookbook). Cosentino is the king of offal and chef/co-owner of Incanto, a block south of Omnivore Books. Des Jardins is the chef and owner of Jardiniere, Mijita, and Acme Chophouse, and has garnered too many awards to even mention here.

Sunday June 14 • Patricia Unterman • 3-4 p.m. • Free
San Francisco Food Lover's Pocket Guide. Hot-off-the-presses, this is the latest guide to everything edible that San Francisco has to offer! Unterman, owner of Hayes Street Grill, is a joy to hear. This guide offers an intrepid, unapologetically discriminating, and refreshingly down-to-earth selection of the best and most interesting eateries, markets, and other food- and drink-related spots in San Francisco, the East Bay, Marin County, and the wine country. In its compact format, this book is a hip-pocket must for locals and tourists alike, covering everything from sophisticated California cuisine to authentic Mission taquerias.

Saturday June 27 • Karen Solomon • 3-4 p.m. • Free
Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It. This fantastic book's title says it all: not just about preserving fruits and vegetables, it's also about beef, fish, potato chips, and more. For creative urban dwellers, the kitchen is a workshop space, and an how-to guide. Detailed instructions, prep-ahead tips, shopping lists, and optional extras outline the shortest route between crafty cooks and a pantry full of hand-labeled, better-than-store-bought creations.

There is also a benefit event for the Chez Panisse Foundation's Edible Schoolyard project scheduled for June 26, but that event is already sold out.