Lindaman’s Still Going Gourmet

When you talk about culinary pioneers in Spokane, Merrilee Lindaman’s name would have to appear at the top of the list.

In the 13 years since she and her brother, David, launched their gourmet takeout restaurant, there has been a major infusion of creative cooking into the area. But, back then, Lindaman’s was virtually the only game in town - the only one with staying power.

“We wanted a mom-and-pop kind of place that smelled like, looked like and tasted like the food made from scratch,” said Lindaman.

Still, building a business on casserole-type dishes designed to look and taste good over several hours proved a huge challenge.

“I was naive. I didn’t realize what I was getting myself into,” Lindaman said.

She found herself taking all sorts of classic dishes and adapting them to the casserole format.

“All everyone ever wanted was farm food. Some of the pretty dishes you see in other places these days, like a polenta or a torta rustica (layered with meats, cheeses and vegetables), we couldn’t give it away at first,” she said. “If there was a word up on the board that was hard to pronounce, it wouldn’t sell.”

Among the fixtures on the ever-rotating menu were King Ranch Chicken, meatball lasagna, the cheesy Chicken Joseph and, of course, the decadent desserts. Some of the most popular dishes were happy accidents.

“Someone wanted a breakfast casserole recipe and I didn’t have any time, so I told them to add sausage to the chili relleno,” she said. The resulting Jimmy Dean’s chili relleno is one of the biggest sellers.

These days, however, Lindaman said people are looking to lighten up, a request she’s happy to fill.

“The trend is moving toward simpler, cleaner foods,” she said. That means more dishes served over pasta or rice and more grilled items. (She plans to install a grill in the spring.)

“I see rattlesnake stroganoff on the menu at Stars in San Francisco and I wonder, ‘Who’s eating that?’ I think people want something they can understand,” she said.

That doesn’t mean Lindaman is going the meat and potatoes route. Some of her new favorites are flavors from Malaysia, and she’s always been a sucker for Mexican food, so she brings those elements into recipes.

For instance, a red snapper gets a fiery kick from a rub made with achiote (annatto seed) paste. Take something basic and add lemon grass, Lindaman said, and you have something special.

Many of the 1,000 recipes she’s come up with over the years are a result of teamwork. Several members of the kitchen staff have been around since the start, and according to Lindaman, they play an invaluable role.

“It’s like having family around. I couldn’t have done it for this long if we weren’t having fun,” she said.

Her longtime staff includes Sharon Boland, Starla Rios, Candy Spitzer, Karen Cunningham, Jennifer Walls, Susan Chappell, Jennifer Wittstruck and Lynn Bohmsen.

Everyone from servers and cooks to customers helps fine-tune dishes over time. And there’s special attention paid to how appealing something will look in the case.

“Sharon especially wants to keep doing it until it’s perfect, until it’s prettier and has better visual appeal,” Lindaman said.

Pasta Emily

The ingredients are straightforward and simple in this quick-fix dish. But when it’s all put together, this pasta creation is worthy of serving to company.

1-1/2 pounds dry linguine

2 tablespoons plus 2/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup fresh garlic, minced

2 red onions, sliced thin

Lemon juice

3 ripe avocados, cubed

4 large tomatoes, cubed

1-1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

4 tablespoons cilantro, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add linguine; cook until tender and drain.

Meanwhile, saute garlic in 2 tablespoons olive oil, add onions and cook until tender-crisp. Do not cook any of the other ingredients. Toss the avocados in 1 part lemon juice to 3 parts water; drain. Toss all ingredients together with remaining olive oil and serve.

Yield: 6 servings.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo

MEMO: Chef du Jour is a monthly feature of IN Food that profiles area chefs and provides one of their recipes for readers to try at home.