Fresh Sheet: Trader Joe’s opening in north Spokane

Trader Joe’s is celebrating the grand opening of its north Spokane grocery store Friday.

Shoppers can expect traditional Trader Joe’s décor: cedar-covered walls and Hawaiian motifs as well as homages to the neighborhood.

The grocery chain, headquartered in Monrovia, California, and founded in 1958, has more than 450 stores in 41 states. The first Trader Joe’s store remains in operation in Pasadena.

Trader Joe’s is known for its more than 3,000 private label items – from salsas and marinara sauces to fried rice and soups – as well as its regular prices – no coupons, promotions or discount cards here.

The 12,000-square-foot store is located at 5520 N. Division St. Hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. On the Web: traderjoes.com.

Italian cooking classes

Cindy Swain, a Davenport native and food blogger in Italy, is offering Italian cooking classes and demonstrations in Spokane and Coeur d’Alene this week.

Saturday’s presentation is noon to 2 p.m. at Williams-Sonoma in River Park Square in downtown Spokane. Swain will be doing a pasta-making demonstration.

Tuesday and April 27, she’s teaching at the Culinary Stone in Coeur d’Alene. On the menu: tagliatelle ai funghi porcini e panna, or handmade ribbon noodles in porcini mushroom cream sauce topped with Parmesan cheese, and tortellini dolci, or mini pies filled with organic jam.

In 2008, three days after her 25th birthday, Swain left on a 10-month, around-the-world trip that ended in Italy. She’s lived there ever since.

Now 33 and married to an Italian, Swain cooks and writes in Correggio, a small town in the Emilia-Romagna region. It’s in Italy’s so-called “food valley,” near Bologna, known for lasagna and meat sauce; Modena, known for balsamic vinegars; and Parma, known for prosciutto and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Swain returns to Davenport every year or so. Her parents, Lee and Deborah Swain, still live there.

Tuesday’s Explore Italy’s Food Valley class – as well as the April 27 class – runs from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and costs $35 per person.

The Culinary Stone is located at Riverstone, 2129 Main St. in Coeur d’Alene. Call (208) 277-4116. On the Web: culinarystone.com/ classes.php.

Find Swain’s bilingual food blog at italicanakitchen.com.

Cole’s Fine Foods expands

The gluten-free bakery and specialty food store in north Spokane has expanded and now includes a cafe.

Cole’s Fine Foods focuses on offering high-quality, gluten-free meals. It’s located at 521 E. Holland Ave., Suite 20.

On the Web: colesfinefoods.com or facebook.com/coles finefoods. Call (509) 413-1739.