Food

Axiom No. 1: Even good cooks make bad meals. Axiom No. 2: Sometimes the bad meal can be salvaged.

Sure, you could make your own blueberry muffins from scratch. But sometimes you want a special occasion breakfast without the trouble. Likewise, it would be nice to have that fresh-from-the-oven taste without traipsing to the bakery that morning. The solution? Use a few simple ingredients to give store-bought muffins a gourmet makeover. This recipe for toasted blueberry muffins topped with caramelized bananas can be on the table in the time it takes to brew a pot of coffee.

The work started last weekend as Highland Park United Methodist Church members gathered to mix, roll, cut, dry and season senbei – traditional rice crackers – for their annual dinner and bake sale. The reward will be April 28 when the church opens its doors from noon to 7 p.m. for the 58th year to share the food and traditions of Spokane's oldest and largest Japanese congregation.

Future Cougars of Color Dinner - Presented by Washington State University Future Cougars of Color, with Dr. Samuel H. Smith, WSU President Emeritus, Dr. V. Lane Rawlins, WSU President, keynote speaker, and Dr. Elson S. Floyd, WSU President Designate. Business attire. Thursday. 7 p.m., Northern Quest Casino, 100 N. Hayford Road, Airway Heights. $150. (509) 335-7301. Spring Market - Downtown Spokane - Held Thursdays through May 3. Fresh-baked goods, flowers, pasta, wooden treasures, fresh eggs and more farm-fresh goods. 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Community Building lobby, 35 W. Main Ave. (509) 232-1950.

Great taste and great nutrition in a chip? That's what Frito Lay was shooting for in its new Flat Earth snack line, which promises a half-serving of fruits or veggies in each ounce of crisps. The snacks missed on at least one of those goals, according to the Spokesman-Review Reader Food Panel. Tasters gave the Tangy Tomato Ranch, Garlic & Herb Field and Farmland Cheddar baked snacks two and a half stars at a recent taste testing. That falls between poor and fair on our five-star scale.

The fresh, cool flavors of lime-marinated fish and cheeses made at Washington State University won over judges in this year's Inland Northwest Healthy Nacho Recipe Contest. Ann Yanecek's Ceviche Nachos will be featured on the Downriver Grill menu starting Saturday through Cinco de Mayo. Chef/owner Jonathan Sweatt, one of the judges in the contest, said eating the nachos conjured images of a sunny patio and a cool drink.

Do dinner parties make you nervous? Imagine how Rod Jessick is feeling this week as he prepares to host more than 500 chefs for the Western Regional Conference for the American Culinary Federation.

Girl Scouts Cookie Sale - Booth and direct sales through Sunday. Varieties include: All Abouts, Tagalongs, Thin Mints, Cafe Cookie, Do-Si-Do's, Trefoils, Samoas and new sugar-free Little Brownies. $4. (509) 747-8091. Crazy Cooking - For girls age 14 to 18, learn great Italian recipes. Today. 3:30-5:30 p.m., Girl Scout Program Center, 1404 N. Ash St. $10. (509) 747-8091.

Experiment with a new kabob recipe each week with Sally Sampson's new cookbook. Her book "Recipe of the Week: Kabobs," will give you an excuse to keep the barbecue hot long after the season has sent any fair-weather grillers indoors.

Three finalists will compete Saturday at the Downriver Grill in the annual Inland Northwest Ultimate Healthy Nacho Recipe Contest cook-off. Judges chose recipes from Ann Yanecek of Deer Park, Eric Olson of Spokane and Ann Staley of Spokane Valley as finalists in this year's competition. Yanecek will make her Ceviche Nachos. Olson is making Pork Loin Nachos. Ann Staley will make Cowboy Caviar Chicken Nachos.

You might think of them as Lunchables for adults. Oscar Mayer's new Deli Creations Hot Sandwich Melts are grown-up versions of the convenient pre-made lunches that kids love. It turns out, adults love them, too.

Here's one way to breathe life into your tired weekly menu: A new kabob recipe each week. Author Sally Sampson's new cookbook is subtitled "52 Easy Recipes for Year-Round Grilling." Sampson, who is the author of seven cookbooks, doesn't fuss with too many extras. After a few straightforward tips on grilling, skewers and equipment, she launches directly into the recipes. It's the perfect book if your taste buds are suffering from spring fever. The skewers and kabobs are the stars, but the fresh vegetables and fruits that accompany each will help shake you from the winter blahs. There's Asian Shrimp, Lamb with Rosemary and Mint Hoisin Sesame Pork, Spicy Chicken with Cilantro and Ginger, and Swordfish with Dijon Tarragon Marinade, among the recipes. Look inside today's Food section for the Greek Shrimp with Lemon and Feta recipe from the book.

Think how much faster pasta would be to prepare if you didn't have to boil it. If it's fresh pasta, you don't.

If you've never tasted the delectable candies made by Bruttles in Spokane, the picture alone in the latest issue of Saveur magazine could be enough to send you straight to the shop for a bag. There's a page dedicated to the story behind the gold-wrapped, nutty, chocolate-dipped confections in the April edition. They couldn't look more scrumptious.