Food

When you drink it, it’s hard to taste the ingredients of what made Rainier Brewing Company one of the Pacific Northwest’s most recognizable brands. It took grandiose costumes, extravagant sets and hilarious scripts.

For most of my life on this big blue marble, I’ve known tacos as tacos and sandwiches as sandwiches, the distinction between them self-evident.

Salads frequently play minor support roles, dishes that help round out meals. They’re often an afterthought, like store-bought dinner rolls. Some salads are so good they always draw attention. Here are three. These vibrant salads are ready for summer and any time of the year. Serve them at picnics and serve them at holiday dinners, like Memorial Day. They’re elegant, visually impressive, and they travel well. Did I mention that they’re delicious?

I have been writing biographies of Washington’s wine pioneers for the past three years, with one unforeseen benefit: I’ve been getting the inside story on which wines are the hidden gems.

Americans have a funny relationship with pasta. It has become such an integral part of our cooking, but we tend to fall into one of two camps: We either depend on recipes that are rooted in Italian tradition, or we’ve strayed – or perhaps galloped! – so far from tradition that we don’t even think of pasta as necessarily Italian anymore. For both groups, it’s all too easy to get into a rut.

On Saturday, Spokane Lilac Festival Association is hosting its third annual Spokane Lilac Festival Brewfest, which will feature over 30 local and regional breweries, as well as live music from Snacks at Midnight.

I’ve written about some pretty niche cooking topics over the years. But often the articles that are the most discussed and the most fun to debate focus on those mundane, everyday tasks in the kitchen. You know, the ones everyone has an opinion about.

After a hiatus of nearly five months, Bon Bon reopened its doors in late April. The bar was temporarily shuttered as ownership of the adjoining Garland Theater changed hands. The bar’s hours are 4-10 p.m., seven days a week.

The first time Tom Mathe, head bartender at L’Avenue in New York City, saw a child order a mocktail, he didn’t know what to think.

Regional wineries are celebrating Mother’s Day weekend with spring release, “a time that traditionally wineries are ready to release new products and people are excited about the new vintage,” Patricia Butterfield, Winescape owner, said.

Since opening their Liberty Lake location in 2022, 3 Ninjas has been serving up flavorful dishes in large portion sizes for lunch and dinner. Now, they’re taking that same approach with breakfast, adding five menu items that are “ninja delicious,” according to Steven Kitchens, one of the three co-owners of the restaurant.

As North Idaho’s population continues to increase, Coeur d’Alene’s Adam Schlüter has created a bonding avenue within his community, a beloved concept that he hopes can be applied to many different cultures and communities worldwide: a potluck dinner with live music and fellowship.

Spokane’s Second Harvest Food Bank will host Flavors of India Cooking Class, taught by registered dietitian Carolyn Negley, on May 15.

Fried green tomatoes and peach cobbler?

Pancakes are often considered a spurge that veers away from healthy breakfast goals – a reputation that isn’t entirely unwarranted. Since many batters are made primarily with white flour, sugar and butter, they’re literally a type of cake cooked in a pan – fine to eat now and then, but not every day.

Raising the Bar and the Hogwash Whiskey Den are teaming up to host a tequila cocktail class, teaching attendees the history of tequila as well as teaching them to make tequila-based drinks.

Redeemed Coffee Co. has opened a new location on the edge of downtown Spokane in addition to its existing café inside the Fairchild Air Force Base hospital.

Cinco de Mayo (the fifth of May) is a perfect time to celebrate Mexican food and culture. Eastern and central Washington, and much of Idaho, are blessed with many Mexican restaurants, bakeries, taquerias and mobile food vendors. Please visit them and enjoy their excellent food, service and festive music. Experience these cultural treasures during Cinco de Mayo and year-round.

On the first Friday of May, schools around the country celebrate School Lunch Hero Day. This national holiday is when students and other school staff can say an extra special “thank you” to their nutrition staff members.