I get an incomparable rush from MacGyvering dinner. The gratification of making something wonderful from random bits in the refrigerator is so great that I’d go so far as to say I prefer it to cooking with a fresh grocery haul. This colorful, hearty salad is case in point. One evening I found myself staring down a near-empty refrigerator with just some steamed green beans leftover from a previous meal and a lonely wedge of radicchio. I probably would not have otherwise thought to put these two ingredients together, but serendipity did it for me. I cut the crisp, cool beans into bite-size pieces and sliced thinly the radicchio. As I tossed them together, I took pleasure in how their hues, textures and tastes played off one another so perfectly.

A pot of beans: Cooking doesn’t get much more basic than that. Beans might be cute (especially pretty heirloom varieties), and well-made beans make a tasty, cheap side dish. But that seems to be about the extent of it. What are beans going to teach you?

Two employees and one of their spouses have purchased the restaurant and bar and are planning to largely keep things the same while they get comfortable in their new roles. Chef Silviano “Sil” Hernandez, bartender Mari Bork and her husband, Brad Bork, are busy taking on new tasks as owners and managers. And they’re collectively thrilled to be in this position.

The winter Lester Cup competition is in full swing, featuring five big bone-warming beers from Spokane breweries: Bellwether’s Remembrance Russian imperial stout (10.5 percent ABV), cellared several months in kegs for extra smoothness. Bellwether is at 2019 N. Monroe St.

Impress your Valentine with this dreamy dessert.

Main events include Thursday night’s Seafood Bash, Friday night’s Smoke & Fire tasting, Saturday night’s Foods from around the World tasting and Saturday’s Grand Tasting.

A trio of top Spokane chefs –Travis Dicksinson, Chad White and Jeremy Hansen – will be running three-course $19 menus at their downtown Spokane restaurants from Feb. 18 through March 2.

The downtown eatery has revamped its cocktail menu, hiring a new bar manager with international experience to update and reinvigorate the bar program.

Warm up with soup from these spots in and around Spokane

Sure, you can open a packet of brown powder and have a cup of hot chocolate in an instant. Or, whip a few ingredients together and have the best-quality handmade stuff always on hand.

After launching his line of artisan breads last summer at local farmers markets, Leo Walters is prepping for his first brick-and-mortar location.

Zucchini “sushi” is a low-carb and fun play on traditional sushi, using ribbons of zucchini in place of the seaweed wrapper, nori.

It’s the reason to buy extra rice for take out, so you have the building blocks of tomorrow night’s fried rice.

If you’re not going to a friend’s house or hosting a party at your own place, here are some spots to consider for your viewing pleasure.