As part of their “Food & Thought” series, the SFMOMA and Meatpaper magazine will team up for an evening of edible flowers to usher in spring’s bounty. Local chefs Leah Rosenberg of Blue Bottle, Leif Hedendal of Cooking with Leif, Morgan Maki and Linh Phu of Bi-Rite Market, Josey Baker of Josey Baker Bread, and Ryan Ostler and Katharine Zacher of Gypsy Kitchen and Catering will present their flowery dishes, served alongside complimentary locally produced wine and beer.

When: Thursday, April 21, 2011
6pm to 8pm

Where: SFMOMA rooftop café
151 3rd St. (between Mission and Howard)

FREE with half-price museum entry. Tasting plates $5

Artisanal L.A. is a two-day event features workshops, book signings, panels and vendor booths from some of the city’s most prominent food personalities and artisanal food producers. Panels include “How Farmers Markets are Made,” moderated by Laura Avery, and “Urban Homesteading” along with expert discussions of beekeeping and butchery. The weekend also includes demos by Intelligentsia coffee, the Eagle Rock Brewery, and much more.

When: Saturday, April 16 – Sunday, April 17, 2011
12pm – 5pm

Where: The Santa Monica Place “Dining Deck”
395 Santa Monica Place (Broadway & 3rd St.)

Tickets are $10 in advance per day or $18 for a weekend pass. Free bike valet!

Sixpoint Craft Ales is holding an art and design competition on the theme of “Beer is Culture.” Submissions are uploaded to an album on their Facebook page, with Sixpoint’s “fans” voting on the winner. By way of explanation, Sixpoint notes:

“What were the first crops cultivated by the earliest human societies?  In Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilization, the earliest settlers grew barley and wheat.  Crude fermented beverages were produced.  The birth of human culture is synchronized with fermented cereal grains! Beer is Culture.”

To enter, simply post your image to their Facebook page. Finalists will be announced May 7. The top 6 will receive a Sixpoint “care package” and membership to a museum of their choice. The winner’s image will become Sixpoint’s Facebook profile pic (last year’s winner is pictured here), and will be interviewed on their website.

Enter by April 30, 2011!

I’m not sure why, but April is National Grilled Cheese Month. I would, I think, find this a tad offensive if I wasn’t so excited to have an excuse to eat melted cheese on bread all month…for research, of course! Each week in April, I will be posting a new tip for how to dress up your grilled cheese.

This week: white cheddar with green apple sauerkraut.

I’m a big fan of Farmhouse Culture‘s ultra-tart raw organic kraut. It’s made in Northern California from locally sourced ingredients, and will make your mouth pucker and your body sweat, but in a good way. Their Apple Fennel kraut is the perfect accompaniment to grilled white cheddar on multigrain or, better yet, rye bread. Try it with a little Russian dressing (mayo, ketchup, sweet relish and horseradish) for a vegetarian Reuben.

Farmhouse Culture’s full line of sauerkrauts can be purchased online at Foodzie, but you can also use regular high-quality kraut mixed with very thin slices of green apples. And remember, always grill your cheese in a heavy, well-greased skillet. Olive oil works remarkably well, but if you’re gonna eat all that cheese, why not just go for butter?