Snickerdoodle

Well, if you haven't fallen in love with these little babies just by their adorable name (snickerdoodle!) then you definitely will once you've tasted them. These soft cookies are of German origin and known for its cracked cinnamon-sugar surface.

Did you know: What's in a name? The term "snickerdoodles" apparently was the mispronunciation of the German name "schneckennudeln" (or snail dumpling) for this pastry.

My first snickedoodle encounter was during a visit to New York City's iconic bakery, Magnolia, a few years ago. After just one bite, I made it my mission to find and master the recipe so my family and friends in Vancouver could enjoy these cookies as well.

Guess, what I did! I found the snickerdoodle recipe in the More from Magnolia cookbook by Allysa Torey, the original owner of Magnolia. I highly recommend that you add this to your cookbook repertoire (if you haven't done so already) as it's one of my favorite cookbooks because it features 74 classic baking recipes that made Allysa's Greenwich Village bakery world famous.

Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (room temperature)
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 2 tbsp milk (room temperature)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 6 tbsp sugar mixed with 2 tsp cinnamon (for sprinkling)

Preparation:
1. In a small bowl. combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until smooth (about 2 minutes). Add eggs, milk and vanilla and beat well. 3. Add the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Wrap the dough tightly with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
5. Drop the rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving several inches between for expansion. Sprinkle generously with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake for 12-14 minutes.
6. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 5 minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe adapted from More from Magnolia

Spicy Corn & Black Bean as Salad, Salsa or Dip!!

I was so excited to share this recipe because it's incredibly tasty and versatile but so easy and quick to whip up! Also, it's guaranteed crowd pleaser that won't break the bank.

So make this simple seasonal side dish at for your next beach picnic or lazy Sunday afternoon al fresco fare with beloved friends and family.

Did you know: Out of 10,000 items in a typical grocery store, at least 2,500 items use corn in some form during the production or processing! Corn can be found in cake mixes, instant coffee, chips, Aspirin, toothpaste and yogurt (just to name a few).

Ingredients:
- 3 corn ears
- 1 can of black beans (rinsed & drained)
- 4 tsp Italian parsley chopped
- 1 avocado, pitted, peeled and diced medium
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil 
- 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper (optional)
- salt & pepper 

Preparation:
1. In a large pot with boiling water, slowly add the 3 corn ears and cook until tender (about 10 minutes). Remove corn ears from boiling water and cut kernels off cobs.

2. In a large non-stick skillet, heat 1 tbsp of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the corn kernels and cook, stirring occasionally until browned in spots, for about 3 minutes.

3. Transfer corn to a large bowl and stir in black beans, freshly chopped parsley, lime juice and avocado. Season with salt & pepper.

Try this: This side dish would be delicious with corn chips, toasted pitta chips, pork tacos, baked chicken or quesadillas.

Recipe adapted from Everyday Food.

Arturo's Mexico to Go!!

Candice's Cusina visited Arturo's Mexico to Go, an impressive food truck parked on West Cordova & Howe Street serving authentic Mexican cuisine made from scratch. Got to love salsa and guacamole made fresh daily, two of my favorite condiments.

I was warmly greeted by Kurt, one of the managers at Arturo's who generously treated me to his favorite dish on the menu, Tacotino, but with a twist. He let me try his "pimped out" version with chorizo, pico de gallo and sour cream on top of what's comes in a Tacotino, rotisserie pork, lime and chipotle sauce wrapped in a flour tortilla. Well, now I'm hooked on these tasty bundles!

The lime and chipotle sauce bring out the robust flavours of the pork and chorizo which are both so tender and delicious while the flour tortilla is a warm luscious blanket that brings the whole meal together.

When I asked Kurt how they came up with this food truck concept, he proudly replied that Arturo befriended a retiring Mexican cook who willingly gave him her recipes so that they could continue on her culinary legacy in Vancouver. With some minor recipe tweaks to incorporate local ingredients, Arturo's Mexico to Go was born.

So visit Arturo's to get your Mexican fix, andale!

Arturo's Mexico to Go
Corner of West Cordova and Howe Street
http://arturos2go.com

Soba Noodles with Sesame Seeds

I love eating soba, thin noodles made out of Buckwheat, when dining at Japanese restaurants and frequently order my one of favorite dishes Zaru soba, boiled noodles topped with shredded nori seaweed. Recently I watched a Nigella Lawson episode on her cold Soba Noodles with sesame seeds. It looked like it would be simple to make and delicious! Since it is served cold, it would be perfect for summer picnics or for lazy Sunday quick-fix dinners.

Did you know: Soba means buckwheat in Japanese. The noodles are roughly as thick as spaghetti and prepared in various hot and cold dishes.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup sesame seeds
• salt
• 8 ounces soba noodles
• 2 teaspoons rice vinegar (the sweetened kind is just fine)
• 5 teaspoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons honey (I use buckwheat honey for a little added depth of flavor, but any variety works)
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 5 scallions

Preparation:
1. Toasted the sesame seeds in a dry pan over a high heat until they look golden brown, and tip them into a bowl.

2. Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add some salt. Put in the soba noodles and cook them for about 6 minutes (or according to package instructions) until they are tender but not mushy. Dump the noodles into a colander and just run cold a water over them for a moment or two.

3. In the bowl you are going to serve them in, mix the vinegar, soy sauce, honey and oil. Then finely slice the scallions and put them into the bowl with the cooled drained noodles and mix together thoroughly before adding the sesame seeds and tossing again.

4. Leave the sesame seed noodles for about half an hour to let the flavors develop, although this is not absolutely necessary or sometimes even possible. Serves 4 as part of a meal; or 2 when eaten, gratifyingly, as they are.

Try this: Add some pan fried salmon, tofu and edamame beans for some extra texture and protein!

Antipasti Loaf

Antipasti (singular, antipasto) is a traditional Italian dish served as a first course or appetizer. Typical antipasto dishes include few delicious bites of cured meats, cheeses and marinated grilled vegetables.

I adore antipasto even as a simple meal all by itself. There is a sense of epicurean bliss when I top those intensively flavoured morsels onto a thick crusty Ciabatta slice then drizzle this mini open-faced sandwich with sweet extra virgin olive oil. Yummers!!! So here's a recipe that gives the best of both worlds, antipasti gently layered and tucked into a round loaf of rustic bread.

My idea of the best picnic sandwich because it's neatly packaged and can be enjoyed cold. Plus you'll win points when cutting through the loaf and unveiling the multi-coloured antipasti, it's a show stopper!

Did you know: Antipasto means "before the meal".

Ingredients

• 2 (250 ml) jars of assorted marinated grilled vegetables (roasted bell peppers, eggplant, zucchini, etc.)
  
• 1 loaf round sourdough bread, about 8 inches diameter
• Softened butter
• 4 thin slices each of assorted cold cuts such as black forest ham, salami, proscuitto, capicollo, beer sausage, etc.
• 1 ball fresh mozzarella, sliced
• 1 cup baby arugula
• Salt and pepper

Preparation

1. Remove marinated vegetables from the jars & drain.
2. Cut the top off the loaf and scoop out enough bread to leave a cavity with walls about 1 inch thick. Save the removed bread for another tasty dish (breadcrumbs, panzanella salad, etc.).
3. Spread the butter on the inside of the loaf and underside of the cap.
   
4. Layer the ingredients in the cavity until filled to the brim: Black Forest ham, Red Pepper, Prosciutto, Zucchini, Salami, Capicollo, Eggplant, Mozzarella slices (salt & pepper on cheese to taste), Arugula, Salami, and Beer Sausage, for example. Place the cap on the loaf. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Try this: Get fancy by replacing the cured meats with seafood like smoked salmon, seared tuna, sardines, anchovies, cream cheese, capers and marinated onions. Oh Mama Mia!!

Shanghai Shredded Dried Tofu

I was introduced to this unique dish by a colleague, Heather, at work. She's our resident chef who cooks up a storm every lunch hour and at times, filling-up our tummies with delicious new Chinese dishes. Today's lunch was no exception.

Heather, quite savvy in the kitchen, was able to quickly whip up some of her shredded dried bean curd, also know as tofu, so I could have a taste. (Thank you Heather!) Now most of us have seen and had tofu but...not quite like this. Looking at the dish, it could have easily be mistaken for chow mein because this type of tofu appear like thin egg noodles mixed with stir-fried veggies.

Did you know: Dry tofu in Chinese is called dòu gān and it literally means "dry tofu". However, despite its name, the tofu has not been dried but is an extra firm variety with a majority of its liquid removed out of it. It is then pressed flat and sliced into long strings, resembling noodles.

This shredded dried tofu dish is popular in the Shanghai region, a city located in eastern China. It's typically served cold and as an appetizer mixed with julienne carrots & celery, ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce and sugar. I was told you can easily find dried shredded tofu from your closest Asian market, like T&T Supermarket. So try this recipe as a healthy alternative for lunch!

Ingredients:
1 package of fresh bean curd, string
1 carrot, julienne
2 celery sticks, julienne
1/2 cup sesame oil
1 tsp ginger, grated
2 tsp salt
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)

Did you know: Dry tofu contains the least amount of moisture of all fresh tofu and has the firmness of fully cooked meat and a somewhat rubbery feel similar to that of the Indian cheese, paneer.

Preparation:
1. Submerge the fresh tofu in boiling water for a quick rehydration for 2 minutes then drain completely.
2. Mix the uncooked julienne carrots and celery together with the tofu.
3. Stir together the sesame oil, ginger, salt, soy sauce and sugar until the the salt & sugar are dissolved.
4. Combine the tofu mixture with the sesame oil sauce together until the the sauce coats the tofu & veggies. Then top your dish with the fresh cilantro.

Try this: Customize your dish by adding more texture and flavours like bamboo shoots, water chestnuts and bean sprouts, yummy!!

Paneer Pakora in Vaisakhi!

We visited Surrey and enjoyed a sunny day celebrating the ancient harvest festival Vaisakhi! It's a high octane day commemorating the establishment of Sikh's Khalsa in 1699 and is also observed as the beginning of the Hindu solar new year. We were greeted with with an abundance of FREE tasty food, primarily donated by local businesses and loads of contagious high energy from the Surrey community.

Did you know: In Vancouver, Vaisakhi is celebrated during April and attracts close to 200,000 people, making it one of the

This was my first time at Vaisakhi and I was blown away by all the local community who came in droves to enjoy the parades, floats, live music, crowds and free food so graciously prepared by local residents and businesses.

Try this: Bring your own portable resusable containers and utensils to prevent unnecessarily using countless disposable containers that just end up piling up in our landfill. We did and even managed to neatly package some leftovers for lunch the next day!

In this Candice's Cusina's segment, we're featuring the Paneer Pakora. Paneer is a soft, unripened white cheese made from cow's milk while pakora is a deep-fried fritter that encases the paneer. Paneer Pakora, originated in South Asia, is typically served as a snack or appetizer.


Ingredients:

1 cup gram flour (chickpea flour)
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp tumeric powder
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup water
250 gms paneer (cut into thick squares)
Vegetable oil for frying
Mango chutney

Preparation:

1. Sift the gram flour into a medium bowl. Mix in the coriander, garam masala, tumeric, chili powder and salt.
2. Make a well in the center of the flower. Gradually pour the water into the well and mix to form a thick, smooth batter.
3. Over medium high heat in a large, heavy saucepan, heat the oil to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4. Dip and coat paneer in the gram flour batter then fry them in small batches until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels before serving piping hot with delicious mango chutney!

Did you know: Seva, meaning religious work, is the act of selfless service. So local residents and entrepreneurs who give out free food during Vaisakhi are practicing seva as it's considered an essential devotional service for many Dharmic religions.