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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Too Many Cooks archive for Jan. 1, 2012

FRIDAY, DEC. 21, 2012

Dry Fly's new Creel Collection. (Lorie Hutson)

Barrel-aged gifts galore

If you haven't already wrapped up your gift giving for the season, here's a great last-minute idea. Dry Fly Distillery recently began releasing some more specialty offerings in the new Dry Fly Creel Collection. Among the goodies are a barrel-reserve gin (that was bottled for…

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TUESDAY, DEC. 18, 2012

Neighbors sing carols outside the Perry Street Cafe on Dec. 13 2011

Perry Street loses its cafe

The Perry Street Cafe is closed. Owners Debbie and Geoff White said the breakfast and lunch restaurant served its last meals on Sunday. The phone number for the cafe now rings at the Perry Street Cafe in Cheney, 24 W. 1st St. "It is very…

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TUESDAY, DEC. 11, 2012

Terry Hackler, proprietor of Twelve String Brewing Co. in Spokane Valley, holds a glass of his beer next to the fermentation tanks at his tiny microbrewery, which has a tap room for tasting. (Jesse Tinsley)

Celebrate with Twelve String Brewing Co.

Terry and Sue Hackler are celebrating the first anniversary of Twelve String Brewing Co. starting today with the release of Anniversary Ale Volume 1. The beer is a double IPA style with 9 percent alcohol by volume and 100 international bitterness units, said brewer Terry…

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Gifts from the kitchen are a fun way to celebrate the season, and the people who mean the most to you. (Lorie Hutson)

Holiday gifts from the kitchen

If you need me this weekend, I’ll be in the kitchen making my holiday cookies and gifts. There’s still time to join me and whip together some treats for others before the season slips away. I'm fussing over ideas for the Meyer lemons I found…

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TUESDAY, NOV. 13, 2012

Ariane Smith finishes a taste of wine Saturday at Robert Karl Cellars, one of the wineries open for tastings in Spokane  for the Holiday Wine Fest. The winery had quilts on display, a jewelry artisan and complimentary Moroccan stew for visitors. Fourteen wineries are participating in the festival, which continues today. (Photos by Jesse Tinsley / The Spokesman-Review)

Holiday Wine Festival begins Friday

The Spokane Winery Association will host the annual Holiday Wine Fest starting Friday, Nov. 16. Local wineries and winery tasting rooms will be open noon to 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday for the event. Here's a map to the wineries and tasting rooms: www.spokanewineries.net. The…

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THURSDAY, NOV. 8, 2012


Deborah Di Bernardo, owner of Roast House Coffee, will be using the Melitta coffee brewing method at the dinner in New York, June 2—the same method she is using here at the Champagne & Chocolate Gala in 2012. 
 (Renee Sande)

Free coffee and tiramisu tasting Saturday

Roast House Coffee and Downriver Grill will team up for a coffee and tiramisu pairing on Saturday, Nov. 10 at 10 a.m. Roast House owner Deborah Di Bernardo will brew six different coffees from the Spokane microroastery to taste with chef Ryan Stoy’s tiramisu. Each…

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TUESDAY, NOV. 6, 2012

The Meat Pie and Scotch Eggs offered at Central Food, in the new Kendall Yards development.

Blaine's Central Food now open

Over in Kendall Yards, amid a sea of new construction, David Blaine's new restaurant Central Food is beginning to open. Central Food opened today, and will have limited hours this week as the staff tests menu items, learns the new computer system and generally work…

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FRIDAY, OCT. 19, 2012

TUESDAY, OCT. 16, 2012

The Shop is located at 10th Avenue and Perry Street on the South Hill. (File)

Wine, beer on tap at The Shop

Last weekend, my husband John and I were out on South Perry Street running down photos of food trucks and their owners. We met Tom Pinyo at the Thai Lunch Box and had his deliciously tame mussamun curry and chicken satay with peanut sauce for…

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THURSDAY, OCT. 4, 2012

Lora Lea and Rick Misterly of Quillisascut Farm in Rice, Wash. were honored recently at the Chef's Collaborative Sustainable Food Summit. (Leslie Kelly)

Misterlys honored by Chefs Collaborative

Chefs Collaborative, a national network of chefs committed to sustainable food practices, honored Rick and Lora Lea Misterly of Quillisascut Farm in Rice, Wash. this week. The collaborative recognized the Misterlys efforts as a "foodshed champion" during the fourth annual Chefs Collaborative Sustainable Food Summit…

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WEDNESDAY, OCT. 3, 2012

Beignets is closing.
 (Courtesy Beignets / The Spokesman-Review)

Beignets closing

Beignets is closing. The new downtown restaurant and creperie didn't make it three months. Owner Judie Sowards opened the restaurant with her son Ryan in mid-July. It is at 121 N. Wall St. They said the business was done in by a group of people…

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THURSDAY, SEPT. 27, 2012

Nancy Despopoulos, left, and Theresa Callan make souvlakia, a shish kebab  served on pita bread with sauce, for visitors Saturday at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church’s annual Greek Festival dinner. The event is a major fundraiser for the church. (PHOTOS BY JESSE TINSLEY / The Spokesman-Review)

Get yourself to the Greek

The 77th annual Greek Festival is underway at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 1703 N. Washington St. Lunch started at 11 a.m. and is served until 2 p.m. today and tomorrow. It's a beautiful day for souvlakia from the outdoor tent. There are Greek…

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WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 26, 2012

Children at Grant Elementary in Spokane's lower South Hill got a taste of Washington grown food from Othello and Cheney, Wash. on Wednesday's salad bar. (Lorie Hutson)

Washington produce featured on school salad bar

The kids at Grant Elementary School in the Perry neighborhood got a taste of fresh Washington fruits and vegetables on the salad bar on Wednesday. The Washington Department of Agriculture and the Washington State Nutrition Assoication teamed up for "Taste Washington Day" at school districts…

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This photo is from the Coeur Coffeehouse page on Facebook. The new coffee shop sells coffee from Stumptown Coffee Roasters and will host a latte art and brewing competition on Thursday. (Courtesy of Coeur Coffeehouse)

Coeur Coffeehouse hosts latte throwdown

Mike Garrison first noticed the art deco building with the corner door on a drive to Spokane Art Supply. He didn’t have plans for a business, but the space somehow convinced him that he needed to open Coeur Coffeehouse. Garrison, who grew up in Coeur…

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From left, Mark Moeller, Mark Irvin, John Bryant and Sean McGuffin bottle Silent Treatment Pale Ale at No-Li Brewhouse, located at Trent and Hamilton. (Colin Mulvany)

No-Li vs. Ninkasi

It’s Cougars vs. Ducks at Saturday’s game in Seattle, but the real winners will be hop heads. During Saturday’s match-up between Washington State University and the University of Oregon at CenturyLink Field, Spokane’s No-Li Brewhouse will take on Eugene’s Ninkasi Brewing Co. in the first…

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TUESDAY, SEPT. 25, 2012

A sign on the door of the West Wing of the White House Grill announces that the restaurant is closed. (Lorie Hutson)

West Wing closes

A sign on the door of the West Wing announces the bad news for garlic lovers. Raci Erdem, owner of the beloved White House Grill in Post Falls, has shuttered Spokane's sister restaurant. The West Wing, 4334 S. Regal St., opened in November 2010. The…

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WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 19, 2012

Applesauce Cake with Caramel Glaze. (Lorie Hutson)

Applesauce cake recipe

I made this cake for last week's appearance at the Kitchen Engine. I can't stop thinking about making it again. I sprinkled just a tiny bit of extra sea salt over the glaze before it set to give it that popular salty, sweet pop of…

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TUESDAY, SEPT. 18, 2012

Twin Springs Organic Farms sells produce, such as these heirloom tomatoes, at the Liberty Lake Farmers Market on Saturdays and the Liberty Lake Farmers Market on Thursdays. (Lorie Hutson)

Tomatoes galore

If you have a lot of tomatoes, this traditional recipe for tomato preserves is a fun way to use them. Savory and sweet, it makes a nice addition to a meat and cheese tray. Tomato Preserves From "Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving." 1 tablespoon…

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THURSDAY, SEPT. 13, 2012

Danish Puffs. (Lorie Hutson)

Come see me

Good morning. Come see me at the Kitchen Engine this morning at the Flour Mill. I have goodies. I'll be there with food and newspapers from 10 a.m. until noon today and 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Friday. I'll have tastes of this Danish…

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WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 12, 2012

Roasted sweet bell peppers at the Spokane Farmers Market on Sept. 12. Jeanette Herman of Cliffside Orchards is roasting peppers at the market. (Lorie Hutson)

Roasted peppers at the farmers market

Jeanette Herman has a new toy. Although she is best known for her organic fruit from Cliffside Orchards, Herman and her husband Jeff also grow tomatoes and vegetables on their farm. They sell their produce at the Spokane Farmers Market. She roasted peppers in a…

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TUESDAY, SEPT. 11, 2012

Judges picked this tiramisu from Lasagna's On Ya as the best dessert at the Spokane Interstate Fair 2012.
 (Courtesy of the Spokane Interstate Fair)

Best fair food

I have not yet made my annual trek to the Spokane Interstate Fair, but I'm looking forward to checking out the fare offered this year. Judges have already done some of the hard work finding the best food. Bob Rogers, executive chef at Masselow's at…

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THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2012

Brews on Washington is closing Saturday

The owners of Brews on Washington have announced the espresso shop and bar will close on Saturday. Owners Brett and Katie Anderson announced the closure on the Facebook page for Brews on Washington, 7 S. Washington. "There's no easy way to say it... Katie and…

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TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012

Rex's Burgers and Brew, 14 N. Post St., is open for business. (Lorie Hutson / The Spokesman-Review)

Rex's and Fraiche are closed

Rex's Burgers and Brews and Fraiche Contemporary French are closed. Owner Connie Naccarato declined a request we made last week to take photos at the restaurants for a review planned for the Food section. At first, she said the restaurants, which she opened with chef…

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 11, 2012

Cooking inspirations, favorite recipes, restaurant finds and other musings from the local food world and beyond.




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