3 food events you should know about: couscous festival; k&l's champagne tent event; taste of abbot kinney

_This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts._ FOR THE LOVE OF COUSCOUS: Chef Farid Zadi’s Couscous

Festival takes place Saturday and Sunday at his new cooking school, Ecole de Cuisine Pasadena. Guest speakers include Mediterranean and North African food expert Paula Wolfert, who will be

demonstrating hand-rolled couscous, and Faye Levy, who will lead a lecture and tasting of Jewish North African food. Times writer Charles Perry will discuss medieval North African and

Andalusian dishes, and Zadi will demonstrate the making of Moroccan mint tea. A $20 ticket includes $15 in food coupons for sampling tagines, Algerian pastries and pizza, Spanish

_escabeches_, Turkish coffee and, of course, plenty of couscous. Tickets must be purchased in advance at couscousfestival.com for one of two session on either day: 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and

3:30 to 7 p.m. BUBBLES, BUBBLES, MORE BUBBLES: K&L Hollywood hosts its annual fall Champagne Tent Event on Oct. 23. A group of artisanal growers/producers will be flying in from France

to present their wines. Many of the big name producers also will be on hand to present their selections. More than 50 Champagnes to taste in all, including Bollinger, Dom, Krug, Louis

Roederer, Moët & Chandon and more. There will be small bites too. 4 to 7 p.m. Tickets are $75, available online. ALL-OUT IN VENICE: The second annual Taste of Abbot Kinney will take

place in Venice on Oct. 24, featuring Abbot Kinney’s burgeoning restaurants, bars, artists and merchants. Highlights include food and wine tastings, samplings from local wineries and food

trucks, and musical performances. Some participating restaurants: Abbot’s Habit, Abbot’s Pizza Co., Brickhouse, Casa Linda, French Market Café, Hal’s, Joe’s Restaurant & Bar, Lemonade,

Lilly’s French Café & Bar, Marla’s, N’Ice Cream, the Otheroom, Primitivo, Three Square Bakery & Café and Tlapazola Grill. Some participating food trucks: Ludo, Del’s Lemonade, Jody

Maroni, Lake Street Creamery, Organic Oasis, Slammin’ Sliders, Surfer Taco and TnB BBQ. Tickets available online at www.tasteofabbotkinney.com and at the event’s entrances. Tasting ticket

packages are $25 to $100. -- Betty Hallock