A bill that bans the sale of horses for human consumption passed in the House yesterday and is an important step in protecting an animal that is an icon of American culture. Though they are classified as livestock, most regard horses are companion animals due to the unique working relationships that they form with people, through work as cart and police horses and their performance in sports and recreational activities. There are three slaughterhouses in the US, all foreign-owned, that process horse meat for human consumption in places like Japan and parts of Europe. About 90,000 horses from the US are killed each year, either at those plants or after being shipped across borders to slaughterhouses in Mexico and Canada.

The bill still has to pass through the Senate before it becomes law, but this is generally regarded as a huge victory for those in the horse industry - except for those who profit from the horse slaughter industry, of course - across the country.

You walk into a restaurant and, instead of the expected array of seating, there are only a handful of tables surrounding one large, central table that seats 20. The host smiles and directs you to seats between a couple reading the newspaper and a small group that is having a lively discussion. A few of the other diners seem to be keeping to themselves and a few more are drawing new people into their chatter. Generally, the food is not shared, but the space is.

The first time that you find yourself in a restaurant with a large communal table, your initial reaction might be something like mild shock because we are all so used to being seated at our own tables and not interacting with anyone other than members of our own party and the servers. Some people find it to be uncomfortable, eating a meal while seated with strangers, while others enjoy the experience.

The Ricotta Hotcakes from Sydney Food by Bill Granger are easily some of the best pancakes in the world, as JenJen from Milk and Cookies found out when she made a batch for herself. The pancakes manage to have a tremendous amount of flavor and an incredibly light texture all at the same time. In all honesty, the pancakes need nothing on them, but original version served at bills in Sydney is heavenly and comes with sliced bananas and honeycomb butter, which is a compound butter made with crushed honeycomb candy (like the inside of a Violet Crumble) and a touch of real honey. JenJen just used real honeycomb to top hers for an interesting, but simple, twist. Whatever you use, you won't regret trying the recipe for a second.

When I mentioned that the chef I would most like to have cook for me is Bill Granger, it did not immediately occur to me that some people are unfamiliar with him. He is an exceptionally talented Australian cook whose style is of simple, fresh food with clean tastes and, of course, an Aussie flair. I bought a copy of Sydney Food when I first visited his restaurant in Sydney, bills. The cookbook, which includes all the favorites from the cafe menu, is beautifully put together , with straightforward instructions and mouthwatering illustrations. Since it is an Aussie cookbook, you will want to either have a scale or a conversion chart with you when you cook from it, or just try one of his newer cookbooks, like bills food.

Highlights of Sydney Food include Granger's internationally famous scrambled eggs and bills' signature coconut bread (my personal favorite), as well as the incredibly good ricotta hotcakes with honeycomb butter and a wide selection of savory dishes.