Feeling a bit down? Cook with these SPL recipes

Some of us aren’t glass-half-full people. We tend to see the worst in most situations, while hoping for the best. Such an attitude helps us weather disappointment.

And life has been a bit difficult over the past going-on two years, now. It certainly has been for those who have suffered directly from the COVID-19 outbreak. But what with masking mandates and all the other adversities that we’ve faced, none of us have escaped some sense of hardship.

How we’ve coped is the question. Movie fans who can afford cable TV, or even just an online internet account, have had access to a lot of programming. Those with access to DVD libraries have watched, and rewatched, a lot of their favorites movies.

And many of us have learned how to cook. Some of us have even refined our already pedestrian skills.

Which is why I, a novice cook in every way, was happy to discover a couple of videos being offered through Spokane Public Library .

The videos, which are introduced by Spokane chef Ricky Webster (no relation), take us through the preparation of a couple international dishes: Wonton soup and Mexican seafood soup. Webster calls them “Around the World in a Bowl of Soup.”

“We’re hoping to highlight the diverse, multicultural people who call Spokane home,” Webster says.

The Wonton soup recipe is presented by Juan Juan, a SPL Community Educator, while the Mexican seafood soup (actually broccoli, shrimp and salmon soup) is presented by a Washington State University student named Alondra. (Neither of the presenters is identified by a last name).

Both recipes seem fairly easy to follow, especially considering Juan Juan and Alondra take you carefully through each step.

But that’s enough for now. I have to head to the store. I’m hungry and those dishes aren’t going to prepare themselves.