(SpoCOOL) A Spokane Blog

Crystal, aka SpoVegan, rumples up in the kitchen with her Potato Salad with Tempeh Bacon. I tried these at yesterday’s Vegan Potluck and feel in love. Fortunately she sent the recipe and now I can pass it to all of you SFB readers too.

From Crystal:

Here’s my “recipe” for the potato salad I made for July’s vegan potluck. I just threw this together, so all measurements are approximate. Add/subtract or increase/decrease ingredients to suit your taste and/or pantry.

You’ll need:

8 – 10 small to medium potatoes (white, yellow or red)
1 package tempeh “bacon” strips
2 T fresh rosemary (or one sprig), chopped
1 C Veganaise
2 T Tofutti Sour Supreme
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Scrub potatoes and cut into chunks, leaving the skin on. Add potatoes to a large pot of water and boil for about 20 minutes, or until soft. While potatoes are cooking, heat a large skillet and add tempeh strips, chopped into bite size pieces. Cook tempeh until it browns, about 6 minutes.

Drain potatoes. Add rosemary and salt* and pepper to the still warm pot used for the potatoes. Add drained potatoes back to the pot, on top of the rosemary. (My thinking behind this is that the heat from the potatoes will draw out some of the oil/flavor from the rosemary.) Add Veganaise and stir. Add tempeh and Sour Supreme, stir. Adjust salt/pepper to taste. You can eat this warm, or refrigerate before serving.

*Because the tempeh is really salty, add a little bit of salt at a time. You can always add more, but it’s hard to fix something if it’s too salty.

Be on the look out for some Spokane blog alliances building. TEO will be working with SpoVegan, and will soon have a vegan tag so you can find all the great vegan eats in neighborhoods around Spokane, where you will be able to provide your input too. Visit SpoVegan for more on the monthly potlucks and great Spokane+Vegan information. You don’t have to be vegan to come to the potluck, but you do have to bring something vegan.

• 7/26 Movie Night: Food, Inc.


• 6:00pm at Santé.

“Join us for an exclusive sneak peek of the movie FOOD INC. before it hits Spokane theatres. Three courses for $30. Please RSVP by Saturday.”

Location: 404 West Main, Spokane, WA 99201
Tel: 509.315.4613, Fax: 509.315.4612

... and so do we, having just visited the country.

We have given the Bistro some love in the past, and, after taking in some Moroccan style halibut and chickpea soup last night, we’re not above doing it again. Just the fact that they went all out with a full Moroccan selection (well, minus dessert) is a good thing, and even better were the flavors that stayed true to what they authentically should be. I mean, really, too often thinking outside of American and European cuisine around these parts tend to be a slab of tuna with soy sauce that is called “Asian.” (“Asia” is, apparently, a tiny little continent somewhere on the right of the map where they only eat tuna.)

But I digress. Nice couscous and a perfect blend of sweet and spicy flavors, the fish was perfectly prepared. The soup, too, fit the theme as advertised. I might just be a dude going to restaurants and not a legit food journalist, but gee golly, I thought the Bistro served up a menu that was just a little bit different with high quality flavors.

Which is good, because the one minor issue I do have with Latah Bistro remains: Outside of the specials, the menu rarely changes seasonally. I mean, I’m fairly certain I saw the pumpkin bread pudding on the menu. In July. Odd. Or possibly avant garde.

Anyway, run down there and see if the menu is still there, because it was awesome.

For those of you who are too lazy to walk downtown from Browne’s Addition, and who are tired of The Elk and The Swamp, there is now Andy’s Bar. The former home of a rather red-leaning sandwich shop, Andy’s is now utilizing the Cedar and 1st space rather impressively—that they managed to fit both a large bar and a good amount of tables and chairs is impressive. There is also outdoor seating.

During our 1am visit there were still a good amount of people hanging out, and a variety of types of people. In other words, the homogeneous Baby Bar dress code was nowhere to be seen here. On the flipside, neither was a good selection of beer on tap. Both the IPA and Porter was done for the night, and the highest quality ale left was the Drop Top Amber. Nothing wrong with that beer in itself, but one could wish there was a bit wider selection and availability.

Regardless, I liked Andy’s. The place has a nice laidback low-key vibe, without feeling pretentious. (Hello, Baby Bar and Zola.) Definitely worthwhile checking out. Next time I will even try the food.