Readers Give Us A Recipe For Success
Some days, when our spirits are flatter than a sick souffle, we wonder if anyone out there really cares.
The answer, we now know, is a resounding “yes.” Almost 200 faithful IN Food readers responded to the survey published here last month, telling us what they did and didn’t like about the food section.
Most were women, but a dozen men weighed in as well. Ages ranged from 18 to 82. And while most were in Spokane County, we heard from folks from Bonners Ferry to Walla Walla, Moses Lake to Libby.
What did they say? Most IN Food features averaged 3.5 to 4 points on a scale of 5. Even the less popular ones have strong supporters; when limited space prevented us from running “Cheap Thrills Cuisine” a few weeks ago, we received some phone calls.
As for what people most want to see, the message came through loud and clear: nutritious, low-fat recipes that are easy to make, without running to the store for a bunch of weird ingredients. We’ll keep giving you a steady diet of those, along with some more ambitious recipes for creative cooks.
The survey showed support for some new features. “Kid Stuff,” a monthly column of recipes by and for kids (and adults looking for easy dishes), starts in September. Profiles of and recipes from area chefs will begin later this fall. And we’re thinking about the best ways to incorporate recipes from readers into an already crowded mix.
We realize we won’t satisfy everyone, particularly John Brangwin of Spokane, whose top wish was “actual food” - although he admitted, “May be hard to deliver (in) paper.”
Thrills galore
“Cheap Thrills” fans will be thrilled to learn that 90 of the quick comic-strip recipes have been collected in a new book, titled, naturally, “Cheap Thrills Cuisine” by Lombardo and Bui (Little, Brown). Suggested retail is $8.95.
Road trip
Interested in learning more about organic farming? The Palouse-Clearwater Environmental Institute is offering a day-long organic food tour Saturday in the Spokane area.
The tour begins at the Spokane MarketPlace in Riverfront Park at 10 a.m., proceeds by bus to farms in Deer Park and Ford, and returns to the park at 5 p.m. Cost is $15; to register, call (208) 882-1444.
Legume gala
Saturday also marks the annual National Lentil Festival in Pullman, featuring foods from lentil pancakes to lentil pizza to lentil ice cream and cookies, along with a parade, microbrew tasting, children’s activities and more. For information, call 1-800-365-6948.
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MEMO: We’re always looking for fresh food news. Write to: The Fresh Sheet, Features Department, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. 2160, Spokane, WA 99210. Call 459-5446; fax 459-5098.