Chinese New Year goodies (Chinese almond cookies)

It's the night before Chinese New Year, which means a big family dinner with amazing dishes (see below).

There are certainly no shortage of goodies going around. From my mother's "lor bak go" (white radish pudding), to lucky red pocket candy (strawberry and cream), to sugared lotus roots, there are lots of options to fill my belly.

But as I grow bolder and gain more confidence to try new recipes, so does my willingness to contribute to the day. This year, it'll be something simple, such as Chinese Almond Cookies. The following recipe was given to me by an Aunt and then modified. (I added some red food coloring when I added the vanilla, egg and almond extract). Enjoy...and Happy New Year!

Chinese Almond Cookies (Makes about 100 cookies)

Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter, softened at room temperature
- 3/4 cup shortening
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg (room temperature)
- 2 tsp almond extract
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup ground almonds
- 1-1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 egg yolk (for the egg wash)

Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F in the middle rack of your oven
- Beat butter, shortening and sugar in a large bowl until it's fluffy
- Add egg, almond extract and vanilla, beating lightly (red food colouring - optional)
- In another bowl, use a fork and whisk flour, ground almonds and baking powder
- Add to the butter mixture and with a wooden spoon, stir to create a stiff dough
- Roll the dough into 1 inch balls
- Place on parchment paper to bake (2.5 - 3 inches apart)
- Mix 1 spoon of water with the egg yolk to create and egg wash; brush over the cookies (this is what gives it the pretty yellow shine)
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the edges are a light golden colour
- Take cookies off of the tray and place on cookie racks
- Cool completely

If you're not giving these cookies away, store them in an air-tight container (between waxed paper). You can also freeze them.

Enjoy...and Happy New Year to all! <> :)

Curry makes feta taste better...

...or maybe it doesn't. I admit that I'm a little tipsy as I post this, but I had such an amazing dinner that I wanted to talk about it. Tonight is the first night of the Olympics, so the booze, sweets and yummy foods are aplenty.



I had the most amazing cucumber salad and deep fried/baked drumsticks. Add a bottle of pinot grigio and wow. Me, being super inquisitive, I wanted to know how everything was made. Here is an approximate recap of the recipes. I haven't tried these yet, but I will soon.

Cucumber salad ingredients
- Dill
- Cucumbers
- Lemon / lime juice (freshly squeezed)
- Feta cheese
- Olive oil
- Red peppers (if desired)
- Salt (to draw out the sweetness)
- White/Red onions


Double beer battered drumsticks
- Chicken drum sticks
- Beer + buttermilk mixture
- Flour
- Oil (for deepfrying)

After deep frying, bake.

I swear, it was really good. I'll most likely try these dishes in my own kitchen.

And, for those who are taking part. Happy Olympics. Go Canada, go!

Chocolate hazelnut cookies

I love the taste of hazelnut and chocolate, but I often find the combination to be too sweet. I came across this recipe on Foodnetwork.com, but have since modified it to have less sugar. One of my favourite cookies to make (and give away over the holidays).

- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/3 cup chocolate hazelnut spread (originally 1/2 cup)
- 1/3 cup sugar (originally 1/2 cup)
- 1/3 cup brown sugar (originally 1/2 cup)
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In another medium bowl combine the butter, chocolate hazelnut spread, sugar, and brown sugar. Using an electric mixer, cream the ingredients together, about 4 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Add the hazelnuts and stir until just combined.

Using a tablespoon measure, spoon out the cookie dough onto a cookie sheet, spacing the mounds about 4 inches apart. Use the tines of a fork to flatten the cookie dough. Bake until lightly golden around the edges, about 8-10 (12 minutes max, because it'll start to burn). Use a metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let cool.

Breaking down the lingo

Culinary terms can be confusing - what is blanching, what is a sauté pan and how is it different from a frying pan? And in the end, does it make a difference? Yes and no, and it really depends on how precise the dish you're cooking needs to be.

For example, cakes (the bane of my existence) are not flexible when it comes to whipping time and speed (it messes with the texture) but savoury dishes like stir fry are. So how can you break it down?

With something like this (and this isn't a promo - I stumbled across this when I was searching for something to read on the train ride home). Canadian Living Magazine just ran a "special" cookbook issue, focusing on the basics of cooking (pans, techniques, types of meats). It's a great read and breaks information down into bite-sized (haha) pieces.

You can order this special issue here or hit your closest news stand).

Birth of a dumpling

I'm not sure when exactly, but at some point, I became a food snob. By that, I don't mean limiting myself to foods that are rare and expensive, but to good, tasty, food.

I like to spend time in the kitchen as much as I do in restaurants. Though every time I eat in a restaurant, I learn something new. Why something works, why something doesn't work, why I want to go running into my own kitchen.

I believe that cooking is strengthened by experience, in the form of eating and, rolling up my sleeves.

I once said that if I ever rule the world (or strike it rich, whichever comes first), I'd apply to chef school...first at George Brown, then Cordon Bleu, etc, etc, until I become a full-fledged chef.

Let's be clear - I don't ever want to own a restaurant. My passion for food lies in what I can make for my friends and family. To see the looks of surprise and pleasure when they try a new dish - either out of my own kitchen or from someone else's.

May this entry be the start of my culinary education, or at the very least, a place where I can share my love of food.