Atwater Village gem Canelé (named after a little cake) hosts a “friends cook” prix fixe dinner most Tuesdays. The menu on offer has been planned and prepared in conjunction with one of the restaurants many friends–chefs, gourmands, and, on August 31, amateur beekeepers.

Guest chef Amy Seidenwurm keeps bees with her husband in Silver Lake. As she told the L.A. Times, “They’re like our 50,000 pets.” But no cat will help you prepare dinner. Here’s the seductive menu:

Honey and pimenton roasted root vegetable salad.

Cocoa-rubbed beef tenderloin with honey jus, corn pudding, and greens.

Eastside honey tasting with cheese and nuts.

What: Friends Cook at Canelé with Amy Seidenwurm

When: Tuesday, August 31, 5:30-10:00PM

Where: 3219 Glendale Blvd., Los Angeles

Q: I was in Madrid recently and splurged on some memorable Ibérico ham. I was tempted to bring some back to the States, but since you can now buy it here I thought I’d avoid the risk of having it confiscated at customs. Which raised the question—if you can buy it in the U.S. now, why are they still throwing it away at the border? The ham dealer in Madrid told us it was because it’s not actually the same ham. Is that true?

Some day, I am confident that we will look back at this age of forbidden pork products as an American folly. Ibérico ham is truly the apex of cured pork products, and Spaniards have been eating ham made from wild pata negra pigs, cured in caves in the mountain air, literally since prehistoric times. But the USDA doesn’t take millennia of hale and hearty Spanish ham eaters at face value, and insists that imported meat products be processed in USDA approved facilities. (But ammonia-treated pink-slime burgers are totally A-OK. That’s logical.) Read on… »

Now through August 20th, my friends at Unison are offering their fabulous table linens, aprons, pot holders & cocktail napkins at 20% off. Stock up while the prices are August hot!

Just use the promo code Table20.

Some of my favorites: The “Juniper” apron (seen here).  “Static” potholders in magenta. “Porter” table runner in moss. And anything made out of “Lush Turquoise“!

Part 3 of Meatpaper magazine’s 4 part series, the Sandwich Lab. The third installment, co-hosted by Meatpaper’s Sasha Wizansky and Bi-Rite’s Susan Kim, will focus on that timeless classic, the Reuben.

From Meatpaper: “The Reuben is a sandwich characterized by its Russian dressing. What exactly is in that pink-hued spread? You’ll find out as we make our own homemade version. Along with the spread, you’ll assemble this classic with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, corned beef, and rye bread to be thrown on the griddle. As you munch, Faun Skyles, Bi-Rite Market’s deli manager and an overall deli historian in her own right, will discuss the anatomy of the perfect Reuben, as well as the many beliefs behind the birth of this iconic sandwich. Beer to be provided.”

When: Tuesday August 17, 7 to 9 pm

Where: 18 Reasons
593 Guerrero
San Francisco, CA

Tickets are $35