Owners, operators, and lake city locals, Mark and Heather Nehlich, along with their business partner and Seattle restaurateur, Stan Moshier, have been in the food service industry for many years. Inspired and motivated by the movie Chef, Mark and Heather decided to bring their love of great food and passion for this fusion cuisine to their hometown through a food truck. And maybe make people say, “Oh, baby!” with every bite in the process. “The food that we make is food that we really love,” says Heather. “Food without love and care isn’t good food, and good food is one of the best things in the world.”

Everything served at Oh Baby is made from scratch. And you can taste it! I grew up in Texas, so I deeply appreciate and savor the juicy brisket, pulled pork, and pork belly stuffed into tacos and breakfast burritos, and piled onto nachos. The birria and “pickle” fried tacos are soooo good, but comfort food like posole, queso with handmade chips, and a gooey quesadilla can’t be missed. They also make their own sauces and salsas, and they have Stan’s “Oh Baby” hot sauce available for baptizing your tacos in spicy deliciousness. Check out the menu online (ohbabyfoodtruck.com) and follow Oh Baby on Instagram for hours and menu updates.

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In 2020, a lot of home drinkers turned to n/a alternatives. As one of the owners of the mobile, non-alcoholic, pop-up Steady Bar in Coeur d’Alene , Idaho, since 2019, I have sipped my way through a lot of n/a liquids. I have also mastered my own Campari, vermouth, whiskey, and tonic alternatives. One of the first n/a spirits I ever tried was Seedlip®, and they remain my favorite to this day.

Instead of copying the flavors of an ABV liquor, Seedlip Distilled Non-Alcoholic Spirits are crafted to bring three distinct flavor profiles to a drink: herbal, citrus, and spice. Named after baskets used 300 years ago by English farmers to hand-sow seeds, Seedlip draws on the medicinal traditions from the same time period used to distill herbal remedies in copper stills.

Founder Ben Branson, frustrated by unimaginative, sugary n/a drinks and inspired by the recipes of 1651 physician John French, spent two years perfecting the sophisticated vegan, allergy-free, sugar-free, and calorie-free options available today: Garden 108 (blend of peas and hay with traditional home garden herbs), Grove 42 (blend of three types of oranges and spice distillates), and Spice 94 (blend of allspice berries, cardamom and two bark distillates).

My absolute favorite is Garden. On the nose, it is surprisingly intense with aromas of sweet peas, dewy grass, and herbal leaves fresh off the stem. Seedlip calls it a “celebration of the English Countryside.”

As a mixer, it deftly fills the space where gin might have been and adds balance to a fruit juice or sweet syrup. It’s deeply refreshing topped with tonic and lime on the rocks, but my favorite way to drink Garden is in a Steady Bar Peter Rabbit: muddled lime with 2-oz. Garden and 1-oz. Sugar Snap Pea Shrub, topped with club soda over ice. Garnish with a carrot shaving.

Order your Seedlip or get more recipes at seedlipdrinks.com.

Originally published as “What To Drink When You’re Not Drinking: Seedlip” in the January-February 2022 issue.

Find more product reviews and recommendations for beverages and other Provisions in the Food & Drink lifestyle department.

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First, the company is solar-powered and uses the industry’s only home-compostable wrapper. That’s awesome, but when it comes to a food bar, the ingredients and taste are the number one concern. Every LivBar is USDA certified organic; low-allergen; plant-based; made with superfood, immunity-supporting ingredients; and baked, giving it a crunchy and chewy texture.

As someone with celiac disease and other dietary restrictions, my selection is limited to the “super healthy” bars, and they are not always the most enjoyable. Enter the LivBar. I selected the ginger, lemon, turmeric flavor first.

The top of the bar wrapper includes a list of ingredient credentials and what the bars are free from: Vegan, Gluten Free, Soy Free, Dairy Free, Corn Free, and GMO free. This pretty much covers my food restrictions and might leave some people asking, What’s left?

Well, real food. LivBars are full of seeds, brown rice, flax meal, quinoa, a bit of sugar, and loads of flavor with a great, nutty texture and several unique flavors to choose from. Other options include blueberry, vanilla, kale; raspberry, kale, maca; coffee, maple, cacao; and lemongrass, cherry, matcha. At 180 calories, it makes for a healthy, allergy-friendly snack on the trail or ski hill. 

Find them locally at Natural Grocers or shop online.

Find more product reviews and recommendations in the Food & Drink lifestyle department.

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When packed up the NomadiQ is slim with the grill surface enclosed by the bottom of the grill when you fold it up not unlike a waffle iron This keeps any grill grease from getting all over the place while on the road or while hauling the grill using the included shoulder strap.

Once you reach your destination, the grill quickly folds out with two grill sides that each have their own temperature adjustments which is nice for grilling meat on one side and vegies at a lower temp on the other. Both grills easily pull out for cleaning, and each side has its own push-button ignitor.

I often use traditional, natural hardwood charcoal for barbecuing, but on longer camping trips lugging around dusty, bulky charcoal can be a pain. And in the summer, open fire restrictions during the peak of wildfire season often include charcoal grills, so a portable propane grill like the NomadiQ is an awesome option for clean, safe outdoor cooking.

For fuel, the NomadiQ uses the ubiquitous, 16-oz green propane bottles that so many of us use for car camping, or you can set it up to run off of larger propane bottles.  

MSRP: $299.99 including two drip trays and a propane hose/regulator. A protective pouch and griddle options are sold separately.

For more reviews and recommendations for grilling gear and outdoor cooking ideas, visit the OTO archives.

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Here are a couple that are delivering fresh produce and good foods that might not pass the perfection-purity test required to make it to a typical grocery store shelf.

Misfits Market and Imperfect Foods existed before 2020. Their goal has always been to get food typically wasted on the shelf or in the field, either due to excess, esthetics, or other issues, into the hands of those who need or want it.

Order online within a specified timeframe, choose a box for your family size, select your products, and your groceries are delivered each week.

Misfits focuses primarily on produce, offers only organic and non-GMO products, and ships with eco-friendly packaging. They offer weekly and bi-weekly subscriptions and make it easy to change when needed. Add-on foods include packaged dry foods, condiments, fresh herbs, and limited seasonal produce for additional costs. You set the delivery day and order Friday-Monday.

Imperfect Foods is more customizable, especially if you’re looking for more than produce. They cater to a variety of dietary needs, and their add-ons include dairy, meat, fish, canned and dry foods, snacks, frozen foods, and even pet treats. You have a narrower ordering window and Imperfect chooses your delivery day, but you can pause and change your subscription at any time.

For recommendations and reviews of other subscription box services as well as Provision food and drink articles, visit the OTO archives.

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When we think about snacks on the trail, we want lasting energy and ease of carrying and eating. These easy-to-make protein bites contain just six ingredients, making them simple to make and super yummy to eat! 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond flour
• 1/4 cup smooth or chunky nut butter of choice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon pea protein powder

Directions:

In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients until well blended. Roll the dough into small balls up to an inch in diameter. Store in the fridge or freezer. Throw a few into a container that’ll fit in your pocket or fanny pack.

You might want to bring extra for your friends as they’ll end up taking yours otherwise.  If you are someone who likes a wider flavor profile, try adding up to 2 teaspoons of any of the following: chopped dates, dried plums, cranberries, coconut flakes, oat flour, sesame seeds, or crushed nuts. If the dough becomes too stiff or crumbly, add more nut butter until you reach an easy-to-roll consistency. 

Finally, roll in coconut flakes and/or cocoa powder and enjoy!  

Suzanne Tabert is a bio-regional herbalist, wildcrafter, founder and director of herbal education at the Cedar Mountain Herb School, teaching from a lifetime of personal and academic studies of plants and their habitats. She is a member of the American Herbalists Guild, the American Herb Association, Partner in Education at United Plant Savers, and is practicum supervisor and adjunct faculty at Bastyr University. She has been teaching herbal medicine for 30 years.

For more articles about Provisions, food, drink, or equipment, especially for a journey, visit the OTO archives.

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I’m not down for fried food often, but there’s something about crispy fries that can’t be easily made at home. We’ve tried bagged fries, which are okay and have tried homemade versions, but they never turn out like real fried fries.

Christmas to the rescue. Last year it was the Instant Pot that changed our world. This year it was an air fryer. The Zavor Crunch Air Fryer I bought from Spokane’s Kitchen Engine was a gift for my husband, yet the true gift for the whole family, as with the Instant Pot the year before, is that I dig into these new appliances and start experimenting with new recipes.

The Zavor Crunch is like a toaster oven with two trays, so it fits more food in one batch. The contraption also comes with a rotisserie for chicken and a rotisserie basket for making fries.

The day after Christmas, I had the thing on the counter ready for our first test dish: bacon. 13 minutes in the Zavor Crunch and we had a delightful smelling house, a contained grease mess, and crispy/chewy bacon. Second dish: brussels sprouts. In 10-minutes they were perfectly done with a bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

A couple nights later it was “Fried Chicken,” which turned out crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. My most recent creation was miso mushrooms and sesame chicken breast. We have yet to make the type of fries that inspired the gift in the first place, but I’m sure they’ll be delicious too.

Read more stories about kitchen gadgets, tools, and appliances in our archives.

Shallan Knowles is co-publisher of Out There Venture and visual editor. She enjoys alpine skiing, paddling, biking, running, hiking, and camping with her family and their dog, Fernie.

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The set includes three tools for preparing fresh seafood.

• Put ‘Em Back Oyster Knife: ergonomically-designed knife with a bent tip and handles made from recycled plastic bottles for shucking oysters.
• Frogmore Shrimp Cleaner: original tool that peels, deveins, and butterflies shrimp in one smooth motion.
• Toadfish Crab Cutter: slices through crab shells instead of smashing them.

Toadfish notes that the company also invests in marine ecosystems by planting 10 square ft. of new oyster habitat for every product sold.

MSRP: $88. Toadfishoutfitters.com

For more Food & Drink product reviews and recommendations, visit our content archives.

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A hallmark of the holiday season is gathering with folks you love to share hearty food and drink. COVID-19 makes that more difficult this year, but local businesses are stepping up to provide the next best thing: holiday cocktails on the go.

Lil Sumthin’ Saloon, barely open three months when bars and taverns shut down, recently rebranded as Lil Sumthin’ Cocktail Market. They deliver Texas-inspired hot dogs and cocktails to your front door. Specialty cocktails arrive neatly packaged with reusable glassware, drink garnishes, and assembly instructions. Drinks like the Maple Old Fashioned, a sweeter well-balanced take on the classic, and the Laredo Pumpkin Pie Martini can be poured into sugar pumpkins, surprisingly functional vessels that can be baked and eaten afterward. Also offered for the holidays is a rum hot toddy that explodes with flavor and bite.

Lil Sumthin’ offers free delivery to the downtown core and a flat $5 fee beyond. In addition to individual cocktails, they offer full-size bottles and ingredients. Visit Spokanecocktails.com for both intimate and family gatherings.

Cochinito Taqueria, another favorite in downtown Spokane, also offers custom holiday cocktails for in-house dining, takeout, or delivery via Spokane-based Treehouse Deliveries. The North Utsire features gin, ginger simple syrup, fresh lime, and rhubarb bitters, while the Blood Orange Margarita blends tequila, fresh blood orange juice, sour, and triple sec.

All drinks are built, shaken, then packaged with instructions for pouring. Go to Cochinitotaqueria.com for more information.

As you make holiday plans, support one of our local small businesses, especially in this time of giving and thanks.

To read more beverage reviews and recommendations and reviews visit the OTO archives.

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