There's no shame in opening a can of beans. That might be a surprising statement coming from someone who wrote an entire cookbook extolling the virtues of beans of all varieties, especially when cooked from dried, but the fact is I put canned beans right up there with canned tomatoes.

This year, many of us spent a lot more time in our kitchens than we could have imagined turning out multiple meals a day and sometimes getting bored with our own rinse-and-repeat repertoires. We were also cut off from our usual communities and seeking connections.

Months after temporarily closing in July, Central Food in Kendall Yards will not reopen, chef and owner David Blaine announced Monday. The Spokane restaurant specialized in locally sourced new American fare. The eatery was closed since July 3 for safety and financial reasons amid the pandemic.

Well, folks, we made it – the end of this challenging year is finally here and not a moment too soon! We are beyond ready to move forward and ring in a, hopefully, brighter new year. And no better way to celebrate than with a much-deserved cocktail appropriately named Adios 2020.

What a difference four years makes. “When I opened Zona Blanca in 2016, I was on unemployment,” chef and restaurateur Chad White said Dec. 15 at the new location of his ceviche restaurant and oyster bar, which is set to open in mid-January in the downtown Holley-Mason Building after the recent COVID-19 shutdown delayed a December debut.

Onions are versatile, cheap and delicious. With so many varieties of onions and other similar vegetables in the Allium family, it can be hard to know which is best for a specific recipe and cooking method. The allium genus includes onions, shallots, leeks, chives, garlics and scallions.

Spokane brothers Jason and Chris Gass did their research before opening their brewery, YaYa Brewing Co., in Spokane Valley in October 2019, but nobody plans to be operating during a pandemic when embarking on a new endeavor. Five months after an unexpectedly strong start, YaYa found itself having to close down.

If I run out of homemade granola, someone needs to call a doctor because it’s a sign that something is terribly amiss. I always have a batch in my refrigerator (where it keeps longer than at room temperature) waiting to be eaten with milk and berries, sprinkled on yogurt or layered on top of simmered fruit for a short-cut crisp.

A platter of crispy potatoes appeals to all the senses. That enticing golden color. The texture and sound of the crunch. The smell. The way the crackling crust gives way to a creamy interior. Soggy, limp potatoes are just the opposite: sad and unappealing. Why even bother? Thankfully, there are ways to ensure maximum crispy potential.

I lit up like the twinkling decorations around me when I overheard two women at a holiday potluck a few years ago rave about their favorite bite of the night: the stuffed figs I brought! This was no ordinary party – it was the annual fete of Les Dames d’Escoffier, a philanthropic organization of female leaders in the fields of food, beverage and hospitality.

Christmas comes early as I share recent top-notch takeout in town. You’re welcome, and Happy Holidays! Takeout is at its best with slow smoked barbecue. If it wasn’t enough to have the city’s best ribs, burgers and wings, the popular Spokane Valley eatery is making waves with its limited-edition smoked brisket cheesesteak.

You might as well thank me now because I’m about to make your Christmas morning a bit merrier. Instead of slaving in the kitchen flipping eggs and toasting bread, you’ll get to relax and partake in the holiday festivities with the family while breakfast cooks itself.

When we set out to create a list of Christmas Day takeout options in town, we didn’t realize that many of the restaurants were already sold out, and of course orders would have to be placed early ahead of Friday. There were about 20 options. As of our deadline, the following is what is left, and please note that the deadline in most instances to place orders is Tuesday.

Coconut milk is waiting to become the shining star of your cuisine during these dark and cold months. This oil-in-water emulsion made from the liquid extraction of grated coconut pulp delivers all the creamy richness you want from a cozy meal but with tons of vibrant flavor. Coconut milk can be up to 20% fat, which determines its thickness.

No-Li Brewhouse owner John Bryant discussed the brewery’s recent accomplishments and upcoming goals with Don Chareunsy, The Spokesman-Review's features editor, in a virtual gathering of the Northwest Passages Book Club on Tuesday evening. Spokane was recently named one of the top 50 cities for beer drinkers in the country.

Whether you eat to live or live to eat, we all eat, so let’s get down to business: Herein lies our Spokane-centric holiday gift guide to indulge those special foodies in your life, yourself included. Recommendations include Spiceology, Cougar Gold Cheese, Side Hustle Syrups, Dry Fly Distilling and more to support local businesses. Bon appetit!

We live in interesting pandemic times, and the culinary industry is no different. While takeout and outdoor patio dining are the norm during the latest shutdown through Jan. 4 in Washington, Idaho is still fair game for in-person dining, as are the casinos in Washington. I’ll never say no to steakhouses, one of my all-time favorite dining options.

Beer has proven to be a welcome libation during the pandemic, and through the first half of 2020, beer sales in the U.S. increased about 16% compared to the same period in 2019, according to SmartAsset. However, some cities are better than others when it comes to availability, prices and variety of beer.

Let me help you with the stress of the holidays by checking a side dish off your Christmas menu. If you have mashed potatoes on your list, go ahead and scratch those off (I’ll wait) because we are upping your spud game with a dish so remarkably tender, they earned the name melting potatoes. This recipe starts with thick-sliced slabs of Yukon Golds.