When it comes to finding delicious, solid recipes, the internet can be an overwhelming source with its extensive recipe databases, magazine sites, cooking shows, and food blogs. There are several blogs in Spokane that review and recommend restaurants and eateries, such as Spokane Eats and SpoCOOL, but food and recipe blogs are a rarity. My local online favorite is called “Feasting At Home: Where Healthy Meets Delicious.”
Sylvia Fountaine is a former restaurant owner, former caterer, and current chef. With a partner, she opened Mizuna in Spokane back in 1996, then ran Feast Catering for many years. She started “Feasting At Home” as an outlet for her catering recipes and was soon hooked on the blog life. “This is way more fun than catering,” says Fountaine. “I can do it in my pajamas at home!”
Fountaine’s recipes and blog posts focus on seasonal ingredients, flavorful combinations, and healthy cooking for a fast-paced world. As we head into the growing season and look forward to the opening of the farmers markets, her blog will be one of my first stops for dinner ideas. “A big part of seasonal ingredients,” says Fountaine, “is going to the farmers’ markets, seeing what’s there, and coming up with food to make from those ingredients.”
With each post, she aims to help her readers find a balance in their kitchens and families. “Some people who come to my blog are vegan, some are vegetarian, and some are paleo,” explains Fountaine. “I try to find the common denominator among those groups, and that is plants.”
Although she owned a vegetarian restaurant for 10 years, she is married to a carnivore and doesn’t hold to the belief that “one diet fits all.” Her pages are filled with foods that cover a wide spectrum, from vegan and gluten-free, to ethnic, fish, and rich meats. Her blog’s accessibility, practicality, and presentation have opened her up to a whole new world of people. “It’s a really cool business,” she says, “because you are reaching a huge market with the internet, not just Spokane. It’s interesting and fun meeting people from all around the world.” //
Feature photo: 15 minute Thai curry noodles from Feasting At Home. // Sylvia Fountaine
