COOKING  Sometimes working hard makes for a great vacation. I took a big leap in June and volunteered to work for three weeks on an olive farm in Amaliada, Greece. I took part in this adventure through the World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, also referred to as WWOOF. Read More>>

COOKING  This is prime “lake time” in the Inland Northwest. While the sandy shores of Coeur d’Alene’s edge beckon us to come rest, relax and play, local restaurants gear up to feed the hungry sun worshippers. In the Lake City, Rod Jessick is executive chef of the Coeur d’Alene Resort, and he consults with all of Hagadone Hospitality’s restaurants: Dockside, Cedar’s Floating Restaurant, Tito Macaroni’s, Bonsai Bistro, Beverly’s and the Beachhouse.
“You won’t find me on the beach this time of year,” he says, smiling. Read More>>

SPECIAL SECTION  A German study (published in Pediatrics last April) recently caught my attention. Three thousand second- and third-graders were weighed and asked what they drank. Then, over the course of one year, their teachers were given lesson plans to educate students on the value of drinking water. The students were also given water bottles and encouraged to use them. The results? Kids in the schools where drinking water was encouraged were 31 percent less likely to be overweight than those who were not. Read More>>

COOKING  Huckleberry’s 9th Street Bistro, located on south Monroe, has been a family favorite since our kids were in grade school. Now that the kids are grown and out of the house, we often have a reunion there — purchasing four bowls of soup (from a daily selection of six) and two bagels to pull apart and dunk in the steaming bowls. Huckleberry’s Natural Market and Bistro opened in 1996 and has been a fixture for organic produce, sustainable practices and excellent home-style deli selections. The gracious eating space is often buzzing with locals enjoying the daily fare and warm conversations. Read More>>

COOKING  Spring starts slowly in the Inland Northwest, with blossoms appearing months later than they do on the west side of the state. This analogy sometimes seems to hold true for food and fashion trends as well. Read More>>

COOKING  Did you know that many chefs admit they thrive on deadlines, using their adrenaline to power creativity? Chef Adam Hegsted is known for exploring new territory in the culinary world. His skills have been recognized both nationally and regionally. But his latest position as executive chef for the Coeur d’Alene Casino’s Worley, Idaho, resort properties brings a whole new set of challenges and ample opportunity to get the adrenaline pumping — creating menus and crafting food for six different food venues, often open simultaneously. And there are plans to expand, adding a pub and steak house. Read More>>

COOKING  A recent survey of more than a thousand American Culinary Federation member chefs showed small plates — also known as tapas, mezze or dim sum, depending on their ethnicity — ranked high on culinary “what’s hot” lists. Read More>>

LIFESTYLES  As long summer evenings shorten and mid-day heat is balanced by a crisp chill at night, it’s all too clear the season is changing. As Sandi and Danny sang it so well in Grease… “Ah, ah, those summer nights…” Read More>>

COOKING  Chef Dave Hill was in the back of the house kneading homemade focaccia bread on the day I visited Hills’ Restaurant and Lounge. His eyes twinkled when I arrived, and then he stepped aside mischievously to show me one of several small greenhouses behind his workstation. “Wait until you see the ones on the roof!” he added. Read More>>

COVER STORY  FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO EAT ...and they're all grown here in the Inland Northwest.

Given the opportunity to see better, to delay or prevent Alzheimer’s, coronary disease or diabetes… would you take it? Diet is key to staying healthy and keeping chronic diseases at bay, so InHealth NW challenged me to choose five foods we should be eating. Read More>>

LIFESTYLES  It’s fitting that local film company North by Northwest chose Bordeaux on Broadway as their movie crew caterer. While Chef/Owner Justina Renoud has just made the “final edits” on her new restaurant, two blocks west of the Spokane courthouse, film crews on location in Spokane have been enjoying her healthy creations for months. Read More>>

LIFESTYLES  Chef Pete Tobin grew up in Salem, Massachusetts, and his East Coast edge is infectious. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, he found his way to Spokane, where he’s a chef educator at the Inland Northwest Culinary Academy. Sandwiched between those culinary landmarks, Chef Tobin apprenticed in ski resort kitchens nationwide. Read More>>

LIFESTYLES  Nine years ago, Chef Duane Sunwold, department chair of the Inland Northwest Culinary Academy, dragged himself back from his summer break. “I just couldn’t get over this fatigue. By Fridays, I looked like a walking cadaver,” he sighs. “Then I got a massive migraine… and the right half of my face swelled to ‘Elephant Man’ proportions.” Read More>>

LIFESTYLES  To cook “from scratch” seems to be a dying art — college kids may think the only meaning of the word relates to an itch. But Chef Jason Rex, co-owner of Scratch Restaurant, knows the true culinary meaning. After all, he learned it from his grandmother, Eve. Read More>>