Seasoning Spokane: Michlitch Company ...

While working on last month's gluten free article, I was introduced to a great local business run by a wonderful couple.  This month's Local Cuisine feature is about Michlitch Company, with long historical roots in the region, they have been blending seasonings since the late 40's.

Take some time to read about the owner, Don and Joyce, then visit them in person or online.  You can read their story and learn more about the store in the June issue of  Spokane Coeur d'Alene Living pages 183-195.

Click here to read it at spokanecda.com

Going Gluten Free ...

The Local Cuisine piece this month is all about Going Gluten Free.  A trend that is finally making its way into Spokane, with local restaurants taking note and making changes to their menus.  If you want to understand what gluten is, why people are avoiding it, and how many of our everyday items contain it - read my article in this months magazine on pages 167-169 at spokanecda.com.

Road trip to Washington State's Olympic Peninsula ...

Spring has arrived and the weather is perfect for hitting the trails and the rocks, but first I have to head to Port Angeles for a little continuing education.  Just across the bay from Seattle, Port Angeles is a great place for exploring the Olympic Peninsula. Mountains, beaches, and lots of water to enjoy, and off course to learn - I'm updating my mediation skills and a little legal continuing education.  My class was over two weekends, which left my weekdays free to explore.




After a full weekend of learning it was time to do a little exploring.  After a trip back across the infamous Tacoma Narrows bridge, the first stop was Mount Vernon, where I visited the Washington State University research facility to learn more about cider apples.

The facility has studied and analyzed more than 80 varieties of cider apples and I got a little inside information on how to make an even better hard cider.  Even if you're not into cider apples, anyone interested in gardening or cooking (they have a great collection of edible flowers and herbs) should make time to stop by and walk the grounds.

The weather was perfect, especially for the Seattle area, so I headed up to hike around the Mount Baker- Snoqualmie National Forest.  As a side note the I-5 Skagit River Bridge that I used several times in and around Mt. Vernon collapsed two weeks later.

I made my way back to Port Angeles by way of Deception Pass to Whidbey Isalnd to catch the last Ferry to Port Townsend.  A nice relaxed drive during the week and great views of the islands and Seattle - just a perfectly clear day.  If the weather was like this all the time, I could live in Seattle.

One last hike before I making my way back to Spokane is Hurricane Ridge just outside of Port Angeles in the incredible Olympic National Park.  Even if you don't want to hike all the way up, the park has great views below with plenty of trails and streams.




When you're in Port Angeles, be sure to stop in the Next Door Gastropub for a bite and a pint or two.  They have good selection of Pacific Northwest beers on tap and great burgers.

I have a Home – Time to make Beer and blend a little Wine ...

So I survived my journey through Idaho and Montana, no bears, wolves, or other creatures got me.  All of my equipment held up and except for the one -16 below event it was amazing! I arrived in Spokane the 1st of April, retrieved my items from storage and signed the lease.

Each time I move I’m reminded of how much I dislike moving, but true to my constitution, everything I own I can move by myself – including my California King bed, which is just too comfortable to discard.  Once moved in, it seemed logical that the next task at hand was to make some beer.

Inspired by the publication of my Homebrewing article (see Homegrown Beer) this month, I headed down to Jim’s Homebrew Supply in Spokane to buy some grains and hops.  Mixing things up a little for my summer ale, I added some additional Munich to the batch looking to round out the middle palate.

With the beer in the fermenter and nothing to do but wait, I headed up to Sandpoint, Idaho to see my friend Denise at Pend d’Oreille Winery and to blend some wine.  Each year the winery invites select wine club members to join the winemakers and blend their own special wine.

All of the blends are created from the winery’s own barrel finished Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah – with just a hint of Malbec for me.  Under the guidance of the winemaker, each guest is allowed to mix and match until they reach a wine  they are happy with.  Then their blend recipe is carefully measured into a magnum bottle.  It is as much about the wine as it is about just a great afternoon with like-minded people.



So I had this amazing meal planned to go with my incredible blended wine, exotic game and locally harvested mushrooms.  One last heavy meal before Summer; however, once I was done giving out samples to everyone who, “simply just had to try my first blend”, there was only a half a bottle left – which I enjoyed by myself with a great homemade burger and fresh sweet potato fries.  Not exactly the meal I had envisioned, but I still have a magnum of Pend d’Oreille’s Reserve Cab for an invitation only dinner party.

Homegrown Beer: The Craft of Home Brewing ...

There are a couple of fun articles in this month's Spokane Coeur d'Alene Living magazine.  I had the opportunity to write a great feature piece on late night dining in the Spokane area and they published my home brew piece too.

My beer article, "Homegrown Beer in the Pacific NW: The Craft of Home Brewing" is on page 196.
For a direct link to the magazine article, click here at spokanecda.com

You can read about great places to go "after the show" in the Local Cuisine section of the April issue on pages 177-179.
Click here to read it at spokanecda.com

Getting Lost in Glacier: Metaphorically Speaking ...

The good news is I have a place to live, other than a hotel or my truck - which is actually quite comfortable; the bad news is that I can’t move in until April 1st.  So I have a couple of options – couch surf in Spokane, Seattle, and Portland for the next month or head out for a little snowshoeing.  It is still snowing, the average temperature is something like 20 degrees, so of course I am going truck camping and snowshoeing.

Gary, my partner in crime for brewing and vinting, hooked me up with the owners of the North Idaho Mountain Brew in Wallace, Idaho.  Who wouldn't want to spend a few days camping at a brewery? Located next the brewery is a RV park and some simple cabins.  Upon arrival they set me up in a cabin with a heater and then we moved to a tour of the brewery – beer in hand.

The weather didn't cooperate for hiking or shoeing - rain, so I spent some time at the brewery and checking out the rest of Wallace.  Okay if you've been to Wallace you know that takes about a half a day – but there is a new wine bar coming to town. The brewery is a must stop, located just outside of downtown and not to be confused with the "Wallace Brewery"; check out their Loft Honey Lager with any one of the great food item selections.  Note: As the brewery is also a restaurant, they are kid friendly.

Of course the day I decided to leave I woke up to six inches of snow, but it was time to head out to Montana.  I took the cutoff at St. Regis to Flathead Lake, a beautiful drive; most of the time I was locked into 4-wheel drive with snow and ice on the road until just outside of Flathead Lake.  I made my way up past the lake into Kalispell and then into Whitefish, Montana.  I found a hotel and settled in.  I went to the local climbing store and picked up a topography and trail map of Glacier National Park.  It was also a good time to gained some insight into the park and trails from the locals.

I headed up to the park and checked in at the Ranger Stations – which was actually closed.  I told them where I would be car camping and headed down the snow covered road amidst a bit of a blizzard.  I settled into my camp site and called it a night.

 The next day was perfect, fresh snow, clearing skies, and the temperature was above zero.  I scoped out several trail heads and mapped out my next two weeks of shoeing.  That evening as I returned to camp I was greeted by a Ranger, initially he was concerned that I was camping in the winter, but after seeing my gear and layers of clothing he was confident that I knew what I was doing – I asked that he check on me periodically just in case, in the immortal words of my friend Kathleen, “A bear didn't eat my ass”.

I spent the next two weeks shoeing out of the Lake McDonald (western side) and the St. Mary Lake (eastern side) areas of the park.  The solitude was refreshing; I actually went four days on the St. Mary side of the park without seeing or talking to anyone. Most days I didn't see anyone on the trail; on weekends I would run into some fellow snowshoers and cross country skiers making their way up the Going to the Sun road.

I met some amazing people, several older couples – I’m talking in their 70’s and one couple who were both in their early 80’s.  I can only hope that I will be shoeing in Glacier when I’m in my 80’s.

Okay, I have to admit.  I bailed out one day.  I woke up about 4:30am, there was nearly a foot of snow on the ground and it was -16 inside the truck.  I had to engage the remote start to heat up the interior before I gained the courage to leave my sleeping bag and use my Costco card to scrape the ice off the interior of the windows.  It seemed like a good time to do laundry, take a shower, have a good meal – and get warm.Other than the one day, I have to say experiencing Glacier in the winter was nothing less than spectacular, something everyone should experience.  You don’t necessary have to camp, you can stay in Kalispell or Whitefish and drive up for the day.

The rest of the trip was great as I headed up towards the Canadian border, through Libby, Montana and down for an overnight in Thompson Falls.  I’ll make my way back through Wallace for a stop at the brewery, a quick date in Kellogg, Idaho and then into Spokane.  If my timing is right, I should arrive just in time to sign my lease and move in.

Central Food: A room with a view ...

Happy to be back in the Pacific Northwest, especially the Spokane Coeur d'Alene area.  I recently checked out a new restaurant in the Kendall Yards district of Spokane called Central Food.  Thank you Esther and Gary for joining me and Arika for shooting the photos with me. You can read my review and more about our experience in this month's Spokane Coeur d'Alene Living Magazine pages 182-185.

Click here to read it at spokanecda.com

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