Overhauled Kitchen Engine revs up today

Spokane’s family-owned kitchen store, The Kitchen Engine, is unveiling its expansion today at the store’s two-year celebration.

Owner Eric Frickle says almost 800 square feet of new floor space opens today, including a demonstration kitchen, sea salt bar and second cash register.

The Kitchen Engine is in the Flour Mill, 621 W. Mallon Ave., and is open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The Fusion line of kosher sea salts are infused with flavors such as habanero pepper, vintage merlot, matcha green tea, aged balsamic vingar and porcini mushroom.

They’re not spice blends, Frickle says, but premium kosher salts infused with natural flavors. The salts will be displayed behind the new register, just as teas and coffee line the wall behind the original.

Frickle says they’ll also be adding a full line of All-Clad pans, Whiteware and three new lines of cutlery, among other items.

There’s a long menu of demonstrations and tastings for the next three days while they celebrate. Everything is free except a Friday cooking class with Chef Char Zyskowski, although some demonstrations require advance registration.

Zyskowski, of Apple Charlotte, will teach a harvest menu cooking class Friday starting at 1 p.m. The class would normally cost $75, but the Kitchen Engine anniversary price is $39.99.

The menu includes hors d’oeuvres, herb salad, seafood of the day, grilled vegetables, parmesan potatoes, Char’s ciabatta and fruit crumble.

It is limited to 15 people and will fill up fast. Call the store at (509) 328-3339 to see if there are spaces left in the cooking class or register for other demonstrations.

Here’s the celebration schedule:

Today

10 a.m.-2 p.m.: Microplane zester, Zojirushi bread machine and rice cooker demonstrations by Kathy Fekete.

10 a.m.-noon: Bosch Universal Plus demonstrations from Kitchen Resource.

12:30-2:30 p.m.: Brad Gunn from Coeur d’Alene Olive Oil Co. will be there offering tastes of many of their products.

1-5 p.m.: Marty Nakayama presenting Shun Cutlery.

Thursday

11 a.m.-1 p.m.: Dan Moskin will demonstrate Vita Mix smoothies and risotto using a Kuhn Rikon pressure cooker.

Noon-2 p.m.: NordicWare Stove Top Smoker demos by Lonnie Morse.

1-4 p.m.: Made in Napa Valley gourmet food tasting hosted by Annette Jackson.

1:30-5 p.m.: Annie Rhees from RSVP will demonstrate the Herb Scissors.

Friday

8:30 a.m.: Greg Hjort of Doma Coffee Roasters will be answering questions and serving samples.

11 a.m.-noon: Knife skills class by Hank Allen of Wusthof Cutlery. Registration required.

1-4 p.m.: Cooking class with chef Char Zyskowski of Apple Charlotte. Registration is required.

1-5 p.m.: Nancy Thompson doing Kyocera Ceramic Cutlery, The Cheese Knife and William Bounds Pepper Mill demonstrations.