Eat Spam And Act Like A Real Man
Who says real men don’t eat Spam?
A cook-off featuring the canned, meat-like substance is among the scheduled events at the first annual Manly Men Parade and Spam Festival on June 22 in Roslyn, Wash. (the place where they filmed “Northern Exposure,” remember?).
Beginning at 9 a.m., contestants set up and start cooking, with judging by the general public at 11 a.m. There’s a $10 entry fee, part of which will go toward prize money; a tasting cup, spoon and ballot will set spectators back $1.
Other activities include the “Running of the Spam Cans,” the crowning of the Spam Queen and her royal court and a “Manliest Toolbelt” competition. Participating restaurants will feature Spam specialties on their menus. (Dr. Fleischman to the emergency room, please.)
For more information, call (509) 649-2210 or (206) 581-3929.
Straight scoop
I scream, you scream, we all scream for … public television, of course. And tonight, PBS airs a special, “An Ice Cream Show,” all about the cold, sweet stuff (7 p.m. on KSPS in Spokane, KCDT in Coeur d’Alene and KUID in Moscow.)
The hour-long, scrapbook-style documentary dishes up everything from the Ben & Jerry’s factory in Vermont to a beachfront ice cream/ azuki bean/ice cone stand in Hawaii to the Robin Rose Ice Cream Parlor & Traffic School for sweet-toothed but lead-footed drivers in - where else? - California.
Cone heads
Not surprisingly, ice cream was the most popular response when kids were asked to complete the sentence, “I love (blank) so much, I could eat it 100 times a day!” in an Internet survey by the MooTown Snackers snack food folks. A full 37 percent picked it, compared to 10 percent for hot dogs and an admirable 9 percent for fruit.
Fish ice
Sure, we’re all enjoying that tasty Copper River salmon while it’s here, but what if you want to freeze some to save it for later?
Floyd Hutchens of Monarch Fisheries in Coeur d’Alene, a former commercial fisherman in Alaska, offers this advice:
Cut fish into serving-size portions, place on a cookie sheet and put in the freezer for a day or two, until solid. (As soon as the fish is no longer tacky, put plastic wrap over it so it doesn’t dehydrate.)
Then, mix 1/4 cup sugar with 1 gallon of water. Dip the frozen fish into it three or four times, to coat; a protective ice coating will form. Wrap the fish tightly in plastic or seal in an airtight zip-lock bag. The fish will keep well for one year.
, DataTimes MEMO: We’re always looking for fresh food news. Write to: The Fresh Sheet, Features Department, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210. Call 459-5446; fax 459-5098.