With new restrictions handed down from the state, local restaurants and bars have found themselves scrambling for tents, heaters and most notably space to provide their customers comfortable and safe outdoor dining. As the mandates change, sometimes weekly, there is one thing that stays steadfast.

It's not like you have to wait until the actual day to indulge, but if you want to celebrate National Cookie Day the right way, consider grabbing a cookie on Friday. The holiday was born in 1987 when Matt Nader of San Francisco's Blue Chip Cookie Co. declared Dec. 4 as the day to celebrate cookies in all their various flavors and forms.

A new fast-food joint opened Tuesday in Spokane: Southern-born, Southern-styled and Southern-run chicken sandwich restaurant Chick-fil-A opened its doors. What’s all the fuss about? Luckily, the writer and designer of your favorite Further Review pages – um, that’s me – is from the South.

Cookies are thought to have been invented in Persia – what is now called Iran was one of the first countries to refine sugar – in the 7th century. Cooks began making small cakes, pastries and wafers. These spread to Europe with the Muslim invasion of Spain and then the Crusades.

I love latkes so much, I named my dog after them. That’s not the punchline to a joke. When we got our Labrador retriever puppy in November 2019, we took one look at her pale yellow coat and named her Latke. And last Hanukkah, we tried photographing Latke with latkes, but being true to her Labrador self, she ate them before we could snap a single frame.

Wine consumption is up among millennials, but you couldn’t tell from the way it’s being advertised. Marketed around tasting notes and points, instead of any sense of fun, wine is still perceived as intimidating. Grape varieties, regions and industry terms can be difficult to grasp. To make it more approachable, we should meet the new wine drinkers.

Warm, soothing and aromatic and centered on nourishing produce, this soup has a truly healing vibe to it. But, more than that, what draws me to it is how alluringly tasty it is. Flavor-wise, sweet earthiness of butternut squash and sautéed onion lead the way. Those vegetables are simmered in a savory broth along with chunks of fresh pear.

In the world of wine, pinot noir might be the most cherished, celebrated and debated. There is a charm, almost a siren’s call, that beckons wine lovers to return repeatedly. Yet it presents myriad challenges for viticulturists and winemakers who will use polite terms such as “finicky” in public when they would rather use the coarse colorful language.

I have an apology to make. Seven months ago, in this very column, I was spewing some drivel about the importance of healthy foods and exercise and lean proteins and blah, blah, blah. Seven months might as well be seven decades – a lot has changed since then. A lot of people have gotten sick.

Preheat the oven and tie on your apron – there’s baking to be done! Friday is National Cookie Day, and what better way to celebrate than to whip up a batch to fill your cookie jar (and belly). So, get ready to level up your baking game because we’re making a cookie that’s so nice, it’s baked twice: biscotti.

Chances are wherever the extended McHugh family and friends are gathering today, they’ll be tucking into matriarch Barbara McHugh’s turkey dressing. While the group may be smaller than usual, Barbara, 92, hasn’t retired from the kitchen. “I’ll be making my dressing,” she said.

Cacio e pepe has an exquisite ring and a rich taste, but it is one of the simplest, traditional Italian dishes around. It is a staple of modern Roman cuisine, translating as “cheese and pepper,” and believe it or not, that’s really all there is to it.

According to thediscoverer.com, the latest dining hotspots are not always in the expected cities – Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Seattle, Portland, blah, blah, blah – and the blog has named “five remarkable and unexpected foodie destinations that are wowing those with an appetite for the unknown,” with our own Lilac City making the list.

When this dish emerges from the oven, the first thing you notice is how gloriously cheesy it is with an alluring, golden-brown crust of nutty, funky gruyere. Scoop into it, and you get to the tender quinoa studded with pieces of autumnal roasted vegetables all moistened and married in a light, creamy cheese sauce.

If Spokane is rich with talented up-and-coming chefs, then we are absolutely spoiled to be in the heart of such a beer-forward region. Our little town is often found on national lists naming cities who have turned the culinary corner and created a culture that has made a cornerstone out of our food and alcohol industry.

Onions are a staple of cooking in almost every cuisine and season. They’re so commonplace that you probably have one variety or another around the house. But what happens when you don’t have the type called for in a recipe? Not a whole lot, it turns out. “I think they’re more interchangeable than people think,” says Kate Winslow. 

This will be an unforgettable holiday season for all of us, and it begins with Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, Northwest wineries, retailers, restaurants and others in the hospitality industry are suffering because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Each year, these businesses bank on October, November and December, which they often refer to as O-N-D.

There’s a handful of dishes that scream comfort food to me, and pot pie is one of them. With a deliciously creamy filling, chock-full of meat and veggies, and tender flaky crust, it’s easily one of my favorite foods to warm both the belly and soul. This spin on the classic dish turns the pot pie into a slab pie by making it in a sheet pan. 

My heart is breaking for the culinary industry after Gov. Jay Inslee’s second shutdown of indoor dining in restaurants was issued on Nov. 15 and continues through at least Dec. 14. Chef and restaurateur Adam Hegsted echoed the same sentiment when I dined Tuesday night at Coeur d’Alene Casino’s Chinook in Worley.