Lemon Scented 'Canada Cornstarch' Shortbread Cookies

 

Christmastime means many different things to people. For some it is a religious holiday, a time to celebrate Christianity, and indeed, the spirit of Christmas. For others, its a winter holiday, a time to celebrate with family and friends, to revel in the season for giving and for its cheer and happiness.

Preparations for Christmas start early. The stores have their lights on and their goodies early. Halloween is no sooner done, than the Christmas decorations come out. Everyone puts up their trees and houses are beautiful with twinkling lights and sparkling reindeer (I even saw a moose this year, yay!) In our family we do things a little differently. We have two birthdays to celebrate first, and so in order to make sure everyone gets their moment in the lights, we start our Christmas preparations after the second birthday is done. Our tree and lights go up a little later, and (by this time, poor, broke me) starts thinking about Christmas presents. I don't bake all that much, to be honest, simply because its just the three of us and I don't love all that sugar floating around :)  Plus we have lovely friends that always bring us Christmas goodies.

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Indian Street Food - Vada Pav (Spicy Potato Patties in a Soft Roll) With Dry Garlic/ Chilli/ Coconut and Cilantro/ Mint Chutneys

Winter's here in earnest. Halloween was (thankfully) warm(ish), but come the first of November, the snow's started, and yesterday we had almost a foot of snow. Now I'll be the first to admit that winter is not my season... but then I am grateful that it didn't start early this year like last year, where it was so bitterly cold in October. Winter this year is also mitigated for me, as I count down the days when I am heading to India for Christmas with Adz. + 28 C has never sounded so good!

That said, I know I haven't posted for a few weeks here. For the first time in almost four years, I was really really sick. The flu's been around for a while, but I've never felt this sick in a long time. Its taken me almost two weeks to get back to normal, and I still have the odd twinge here and there along with a lingering tiredness which is incredibly frustrating. Add that, and a whole slew of other things, and its not been a great month one way or another. But thankfully, I am now feeling much better and normal service is resumed.

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A Cherished Canadian Recipe - Thomas Crosby Muffins (Cheese (and Bacon) Breakfast Muffins)

So, a cherished Canadian recipe, eh?

It took me a while to think of one, to be honest. If there is one really cherished family recipe that I have, its my father-in-law's great aunt's good chocolate cake recipe. I don't know if I will ever post that one, to be perfectly honest. I am of the firm belief that there should always be a couple of 'secret' family recipes that need to be passed down through the generations, and this one, along with Grandma Horan's butter tarts are the ones that I will be passing down. I do email the recipes on occasion, if people ask nicely :)

My in-laws were here, visiting us, and as is our wont, MIL and I were sat down with a nice cup of tea (or coffee, depending on the time of the day and MIL's mood :)) and we were chatting away about anything and everything. The conversation steered towards recipes, in particular, family recipes, and I remembered the Canadian Food Experience Challenge for this month (a little late, but that seems to be my life at the moment) I asked her what her cherished recipe would be. And this led to a quite an interesting discussion, not just on recipes, but everything that makes Canada what it is, and the uniqueness of our blended heritage. I found it a really interesting and stimulating discussion, especially as a non-Canadian (albeit a  permanent resident) and an immigrant. My cherished family recipes usually come from my mother, as tends to be the case with young women, and they are all Indian. Does the fact that I cook fusion-style in Canada make them Canadian? The debate was an interesting one, and we both came to the conclusion that when it comes to recipes, food and cooking, we all bring some part of our heritage with us whenever we move and settle down somewhere else.

Canada, in particular, has been built on immigrant traditions, be it Ukrainian/ Eastern European, French, English, Caribbean, Chinese, Japanese or East Indian... and many more. If I had to look for a true 'Canadian' recipe, I would have to go back to Native traditions. So again, what should have been a simple theme, turned into another round of soul searching, and conflict, of worrying about my place in the world, and of being true to one's heritage, as opposed to blending in into a homogenous mass.

It also linked in with a post I saw about a Calgarian who saw his neighbours ritually slaughtering and roasting a goat in their backyard and got really upset about it. But he also posted about why immigrants should follow the 'culture' of the country they live in and leave any 'unsavoury' bits behind. This is how one poster put it - as he/ she says, bluntly 'When you come to Canada, there's only so much of your "culture" that we can tolerate. The rest needs to be checked at the border. Behave like a Canadian, and you'll be treated like one. Slaughter animals in your backyard ritual? Well don't be surprised when your friendly Canadian neighbor isn't too fond of having you in his neighborhood.' I wondered if this person has gone hunting that seems so important in the great Canadian tradition.

This obviously upset me, as Canada really is built on immigration and its these cultures that bring so much to the community. Suddenly its now all about emphasizing what the differences are, rather than getting along with each other. Its also ignoring some essential aspects of being Canadian and Canadian culture. How can one 'culture' be superior to another? Where is the famed Canadian tolerance? Are we really going to go the American way (generalising a bit here, I know) and live in fear of difference?

The whole story led to more soul searching for me about what really is Canadian culture... or even if there is any such thing. Obviously culture also includes food, and when it comes down to it, what really can be defined as Canadian food? I could just as easily claim that the food I cook is Canadian, just as on the flip side, my neighbour's food is not Canadian, but Ukrainian, and the ones on the other side cook English food, and the ones a few roads down cook Caribbean and Filipino. Food is just as political in this sense, as all those debates on multiculturalism and cultural homogeneity. And its a debate I keep having with myself, as I struggle to come to terms with my 'otherness' as people here see me, just as much as I see myself and my child as Canadian.

What is it like to be a Canadian after all? Are we not all Canadian, despite our heritage?  Should I forever be doomed to be seen as the 'other' just because of my skin colour? Is that British family next to ours more Canadian than me?

At this point I wondered if I should even be taking part in the Canadian Food Experience Project. After all, as an immigrant, for a lot of people it seems like the 'otherness' will always be there. Whether it is manifested in cooking Indian food, and writing a website that concentrates on my heritage, a niche, if you will, or the rest of my life, which is as solidly Canadian as you can get. I don't celebrate Indian festivals, I don't dress Indian, I rarely speak my native languages, I have all but lost touch with my roots. I am not even considering bringing my child up to be in touch with her mother's side of the world (this is a whole other debate in itself) The only thing about me that is even remotely Indian in any way is my skin colour and this website. Its my way of keeping my memories alive. But then I am told/ bombarded with messaged about how I should be more integrated into Canadian culture... a culture that has evolved by assimilating other cultures in itself. The assumption that I am different is killing me. My place in this country is hardly assured. It is easy to get caught up in my own difference, and these conflicting pieces of news/ media/ opinions were not helping.

But then I realised something else. That for every person that assumes a difference, there is another one who accepts. My wonderful family, for one. They have been Canadian for many generations,  going as far back as the second voyage of the Mayflower and the subsequent exodus to Canada. And to them, I am just me. Not an immigrant, not an Indian/ British person, not brown (or blue or green or yellow) just... me. And my friends here. And the people I work with, who come to me to learn about Indian cooking. My blogging community. Its no surprise that some of my popular posts are on Indian dishes. For every person who sees me as an interloper, there are hundreds, thousands others who accept me for who I am, who respect my diverse life experiences, and more importantly, love me. This is what keeps me going, and this is why I will continue to blog about my Canadian Food Experience Project.

After all that angst, though, the more practical, unsentimental food blogger/ sous chef side of me realised that all this drama wasn't going to get my post done on time. And in the end it was kinda easy to find my cherished Canadian recipe, seeing as I had already posted it anyway. I just had to rewrite it a little.

This recipe is my favourite for many reasons. Not just because these muffins are just out of this world good (hello... bacon??) but also because I love their quirky back story. My MIL gave me this recipe for cheese and bacon breakfast muffins quite a number of years ago. And she called them Thomas Crosby muffins. Both MIL and I figured that this has to be our Canadian recipe, not least because of its unique heritage, but also the copious amount of good old Canadian cheddar that goes into it.

Thomas Crosby was a missionary who worked primarily among the native Americans in the BC area of Canada. Legend has it he used to go by boat to the various hamlets, converting people and preaching to them. His big success was the conversion of the Tsimshian chief. The United Church, to which my in-laws belong, had a missionary boat that used to traverse up and down the coast. There were several of these boats, and the last one was the Thomas Crosby V. A lot of these small communities didn't have a resident minister and one of the tasks of the minister on board the missionary ships was to go into these villages and perform all the rituals associated with the religion. Officiate at a bunch of marriages, for example, christen a whole lot of babies, preach, help out with disputes, and then head on to the next place. One of our friends was a preacher, who still does similar work, except that he's bowed down to modern life and now flies in to the villages.

For a lot of people on the coast, including lighthouse communities, this boat was a lifeline and it was not just a religious boat, but also a source of information about what was going on in the mainland. It brought in supplies and provided communities with sustenance and also little luxuries. Simply put, it was their connection with the world.

So what does all this have to do with muffins, you ask! Nothing, really, its a quaint story :-) The reason my MIL calls these Thomas Crosby muffins is that when she went on the Thomas Crosby V Missionary Boat as a tourist, the lady that cooks for the boat had made these muffins as a welcome to their guests. MIL loved these and wanted to make them herself, so she persuaded the cook to hand over the recipe. And so a family favourite was born (er, baked!) and is handed down to this generation... story, angst and differences, all buried under tender, buttery, cheesy, bacony, muffiny goodness.

Recipe:
(Printable Recipe)

1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 + ½ teaspoons baking soda (bicarb of soda)
1 cup buttermilk
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons margarine or soft butter
¾ cup rolled oats (normal oats)
1 cup grated (Canadian, if available) cheddar cheese
4 slices crispy bacon, crumbled (optional)
1 beaten egg

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 F (205 C)

Whisk in the 1 teaspoon baking soda into the buttermilk and set aside.

In a bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, salt and sugar. Rub in the soft butter/ margarine, until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
 
Stir in the oats, cheese and bacon and mix well.

Stir the beaten egg into the buttermilk mixture, then gently fold the liquid into the flour mixture.

Drop heaped tablespoons of the mixture into a lined muffin tray. Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 15 - 20, until well risen and lightly golden.

Serve warm with butter. Makes about 12 – 15 based the size of your muffin tray.

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Rooh Afza and Saffron Cardamom Macarons

I will hold my hand up here. I am terrible at piping, icing or decorating. My biggest achievements when it comes to doing any sort of measly decoration have been Aditi's (very easy) birthday cakes (its not like one can go wrong with Hello Kitty or Binoo) and the odd Christmas or Valentine's Day cookies. 

Its not like I am not a creative person. Its just that the majority of my creativity seems to be taken up with savoury food, ice creams, popsicles and easy cakes. Cuisine and desserts, of course, but that's a given. So when my very talented friend Lillian from Beyond Umami asked me if I'd like to learn how to make macarons, I was understandably apprehensive. But then she mentioned that she'd like to play with Indian flavours, at which I relaxed considerably. I can do Indian, and I can do flavour. We brainstormed a bit, and I asked her if she'd be interested in trying out a very classic South Asian flavoured syrup called Rooh Afza. Lil was intrigued, and so we settled on this first flavour.

Rooh Afza is a flavoured rose and herbal syrup from India and is well known all over the subcontinent as a cooler and flavoring for several classic Indian desserts and drinks like kulfi and falooda.

As a kid, we always had a botle of Rooh Afza in the fridge. It came into its own during the hot summers, where we would be out playing in the blazing hot sun all day, and whenever we were thirsty, we came in and drizzled some of this fragrant syrup into cold water and quenched our thirst. Rooh Afza is incredibly sweet, and a little goes a long way, so we would get constantly yelled at for pouring in lots of the syrup into our iced waters, and mum would threaten to take it away if we kept at it. And when I was a little more grown up, during my short stay in Bombay, I loved to hang out at small roadside halwai (sweetshops) that did some of the best Rooh Afza faloodas *more on those in another post.

Rooh Afza is very easy to source in Edmonton. Any desi grocer on 34 Ave will have boatloads of these bottles, and they are reasonably priced too. And like I said earlier, a little goes a long way, and the syrup never goes off, so if you like the flavour (and to be honest, it can be an acquired taste due to its flavour and super sweet taste) its worth getting a bottle. 

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Indian Classics - Traditional Potato and Peas Samosas

My favourite samosa memory is from my hometown, even though I've had über delicious ones when I've been away at university as well. My cousin Brad introduced me to this little chaat place just under a block of apartments close to home, called Vrindavan. They made some really good chaats and samosas. One of my favourite chaats from there was a 'ragda samosa' where there made and fried fresh samosas, which were then broken up and smothered in a curried pigeon pea or chickpea sauce called a ragda and sprinkled over with chopped onion, a sweet/ sour tamarind chutney, cilantro and spicy, fried chickpea noodles called sev. The whole experience is, and has always been, mindblowing to me, with all the textures and tasted melding together into an explosion of flavours. Every time I visit back home, this is one of my first foodie stops.

Of course, I would be doing the dhabas of Delhi a disservice if I didn't mention them when it comes to samosas, of course. JNU, where I was at residential university is widely considered to have some of the best dhabas or street eateries in Delhi (though I am sure other university students would disagree vehemently with me) and samosas used to be the fail safe option as we staggered out bleary eyed after pulling all-nighters at the library or in friends' rooms. Or even after a hard night's partying, haha. Samosas were my personal hangover cure at university, all that deep fried goodness and a hot, steaming cup of  masala chai... what's not to love about that cure? (OK, until I discovered the traditional British fry-up, but that's a story for another time) 

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Indian Classics - Potato Pakoras (Potato Bhajias or Spiced Fritters)

Canadian Thanksgiving has just been, and what a lovely day we had. I certainly have a lot to be thankful for. My family, my friends, my wonderful husband and child, all the people I've met here in Edmonton, and who have become such a big part of my life. Thanksgiving is certainly special, and while we don't necessarily celebrate it a huge way, we certainly had a wonderful time surrounded by family and friends. I do miss my own family back in India, but even the distance is bridged with regular phone calls and Skype meetings.

Its certainly been a pleasant week on the whole. My in-laws arrived last week, and my child hasn't stopped bouncing since. We love having mum and dad with us, even if it forces me to give up my slobby ways and be more organised, for a change. We even have meals at regular mealtimes, wow, and that's a real change for me :)

But of course, that's not the point of this post, now... what's the point again? Ah yes. More potatoes. Just what you all wanted, right? Right?

As I frantically try and use up all my millions of potatoes, I am pulling recipes from all over. We've had my MIL's scalloped potatoes as a staple food. We've had potato curries and masalas and hash browns. We're having potatoes for breakfast, lunch and dinner... and as a snack in between :) Which brings me to these potato bhajias or pakoras. This is a recipe from my mum, one that she uses to make cabbage pakoras (that recipe's coming soon) and I adapted it to suit my potatoes.

There really isn't very much to this recipe, especially once you get the consistency of the batter right. The idea is to get to the same consistency as heavy cream, so that when you dip your spoon in it, the batter drips off heavily at the end. If you make your batter too thin, it won't coat the potatoes. Too thick, and the outside pakora coating won't be as crispy. So make sure you add the water bit by bit, and stop when you get to the texture you like.

If you have a mandoline, the slicing of the potatoes takes next to no time at all. If not, slice them thinly, as uniformly as you can, as they then cook evenly in the oil.

My mum always tested the oil by dropping a small blob of batter in it. If the batter rose quickly to the surface and was covered in bubbles, then the oil was the right temperature. I decided to be a little more scientific about it and take the guesswork out (or just crabby, I suppose) If you have a candy or oil thermometer then the oil needs to heat up to 375 F (if you don't have a thermometer, I very highly recommend you get one, the ease of making such deep fried dishes is immense, and they don't even cost a lot) Once the oil is at the right temperature, then you can slide in the coated potato slices, one at a time, and making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Essentially, when you overcrowd the pan, the temperature of the oil drops, and the pakoras won't cook as evenly.

These pakoras are best eaten as soon as they cool down just a little, as hot as you can take them, basically... the fresher they are, the crisper they taste. However, if they do get cold, place them in a single layer on a baking tray, and you can reheat them quickly in a preheated 400 F oven for about 5 - 7 minutes, turning once, to get back some of the crispness. These pakoras can be served with any kind of chutney. My favourite is mint chutney, but they go well with a variety of them (check out some of my recipes here and here)

For me, this is a taste that takes me straight back to India and to my university days. My friends and I used to hang around the dhabas (street eateries) all the time, and chow these down by the dozen, all dipped in spicy hot Maggi chilli sauce and ketchup. A hot cup of freshly made masala chai, and this is the perfect afternoon snack, especially now that the days are getting crisp and cold, and the leaves are all blowing away in the chilly wind.

Recipe:
(Printable Recipe)

2 large potatoes, scrubbed, no need to peel
1 cup chickpea flour (gram flour)
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon whole cumin seeds
¼ teaspoon hot chilli powder
½ inch piece of ginger, grated
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 green chilly, finely chopped
Salt to taste
Sparkling water (or plain water) around ¾ cup
Enough oil to deep fry, I use canola or vegetable

Method:

Slice the potatoes thinly as you can or around ¼ mm if you have a mandoline. Rinse the slices, if you wish, and dry with paper towels.

Sift together the chickpea flour, ground coriander, ground cumin, turmeric, baking soda, whole cumin seeds and chilli powder.

Stir in the grated ginger, crushed garlic and green chillies.

Slowly add enough water to make a thick batter, the consistency of heavy cream. I used roughly ¾ cup, but it depends on how dry your climate is, so adjust the water accordingly.
Add salt to taste (I use about ¾ teaspoon)

Heat the oil in a deep pot to 375 F. Coat the potato slices in the batter and gently slide into the hot oil, three, four slices at a time, depending on the size of your frying pot. Don't overcrowd the pan, or the pakoras won't fry evenly.

Deep fry, turning often, for 4 - 5 minutes, until the pakoras/ bhajias are a deep golden brown. Gently lift from the oil, using a slotted spoon, and drain on kitchen paper.

Serve hot with chutneys or ketchup.

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Watermelon, Rosewater and Mint Popsicles

 

Every summer there seems to be a theme to this site. Last summer was all about the ice creams. This summer those ice creams seem to have gotten stuck on a stick, and its really been all about the popsicles and creamsicles. What's not to like about ice cream and sorbet on a stick anyway? 

Aditi and I certainly have no complaints at all. Check out m'lady's expressions in the pictures below and you can certainly see that she's been loving this summer.

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Indian Sweets - Chai Ice Cream

What is more refreshing than a cup of chai on a hot day? Why, chai ice cream, of course! 

This has got to be simply, my most favourite ice cream of all time, and let's just say, when it comes to ice creams I know what I am talking about. I love the way the spices infuse into the strong tea, and create, well, the only way to describe it is 'warmth'... and yes, I know I am talking about an ice cream here. Anyway, coming back to my point, I love the way the spices create a warmth to this ice cream, and give it a uniquely Indian taste. I can't think of a better dessert to finish off an Indian meal than this delightful ice cream.

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Lemon Limoncello Cream Popsicles

I am such a smart one, aren't I? Edmonton is having a massive heat wave, with temperatures in the mid thirties all week, and I decide that one of the hottest days of the decades is the day I need to photograph my delicious, but incredibly fragile and melty, limoncello creamsicles. Oh, clever me!! Or, better still, what a idiot idea that turned out to be. I got about 2 photos before those creamsicles started turning into a puddle of cream (oh, the cream was pretty delicious) and it was a frantic chuck-them-in-the-freezer... omigosh what am I going to do... CAT! KID! stay away from those, those are alcoholic, they are, oh, misery, what am I to do??

All this drama... while the answer was blindingly obvious, of course. Eat the damn things and sod the pictures :) Oh, and when you're at it, drink all the limoncello as well, you'll need it!

 

That said, can you think of a more perfect way to beat the heat? Fresh, tangy citrus teamed up with a delicate liqueur, all in a delicious creamy popsicle?

Thought not.

The idea for these creamsicles came from David Lebovitz's book. I've been addicted to his lemon ice cream for years now, but I also wanted to change things up a bit, as some aspects of it weren't quite working for me. The ice cream kept turning slightly powdery (delicious, nonetheless) and obviously some ingredients just weren't the same here. So I worked and reworked it several times, before coming up with this version, which, to be honest, is pretty close to perfect. The alcohol keeps the creamsicles smooth and creamy, while dissolving the sugar and lemon juice prior to blending in the half and half got rid of the powderiness. And of course, you can always freeze this in an ice cream machine, like I did, and serve with a sprinkling of lemon zest and a splash of limoncello.

And how did I stop them melting enough to take some pictures? Well, I cut out some paper towels in the shape of these popsicles, and placed the creamsicles gently over top of them. Solved part of the melting problem, but these pics were still taken in under five minutes :) Sometimes, photography has to take a backseat to more practical considerations like, how do you keep these treats away from sneaky li'l hands? That, I haven't yet figured out!!

 

 

Recipe:
(Printable Recipe)

½ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
½ cup caster sugar (berry sugar) *increase to ¾ cup if you like your creamsicles sweeter
2 cups half and half (10% cream or 1 cup single cream + 1 cup whole milk)
Pinch of salt
1½ - 2 tablespoons limoncello

Method:

Place the lemon juice and sugar in a bowl, and whisk together until the sugar is reasonably well dissolved.

Whisk in the half and half and salt. Transfer to a blender and blend for 1 minute, until the mixture is lovely, thick and creamy.

Stir in the limoncello.

Pour immediately* into popsicle moulds and freeze overnight until set completely. Run water over popsicle moulds to release.

* If you leave the mixture in the fridge before pouring it into moulds, it could separate. Give it a good whisk to combine before pouring into moulds or freezing in an ice cream machine.

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Indian Classics - Paneer Tikka (Spicy Grilled Indian Cottage Cheese Cubes)

I am sure all of you have done this on many ocasions. When I am frustrated, mad, angry or just plain pissed... I cook and clean. I vent all of my woes on that poor ingredient that needs to be at the sharp end of a knife. My poor chopping board has been the recipient of many a bash and bang, and my onions and tomatoes cringe when I come at them in that mood. Copious amounts of butter/ oil/ cream get poured into the food, and nothing gets spared in the house. Floors get vigorously cleaned, bathrooms shine, furniture glistens, surfaces sparkle, carpets get beaten... damn, I should get angry more often, right?

Now that you know what I do... you might as well as know why. Its bleeding Air Canada. What other airline in the world can be so contemptuous of its customers? Not content with driving other, smaller airlines out of business, they now hold such a monopoly, that they can pretty much quote you fares out of their ass. Kay and I always got incredibly frustrated with them... for example, their local flights from one small town to another would usually end up costing us more that out entire return flight from, say, Manchester to Vancouver. Such a massive pain in the posterior that!

So basically, this means another long seventeen hour drive to the in-laws then. Argh! And don't even get me started on mobile phone prices...

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Mango 'Lassi' Creamsicles

Me (after listening to Aditi yammering away for what felt like the whole day!): Aditi, don't you ever stop talking? 

Aditi (looking at me quite seriously): Mommy, I am just making sure my tongue works.

Or, this one. 

Me: Aditi why don't you like spice? 

Aditi: Mum, I like spice when you put it in desserts.
Sigh!!! 

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Christmas Baking - 'Spirit Bear' Buttermilk Sugar Cookies

One of the nice things about having a BC boy for a husband is the sheer amount of useless wild animal knowledge you collect. Or perhaps its useful if you are being chased by a bear, I haven't actually had a chance to test all this knowledge yet. But seriously, I now know a LOT about bears, moose, elk, bighorn sheep, caribou, cougars, wolves, coyotes and (hehe) marmots.

I know the difference between a grizzly and a black bear, and how to react if one of them is chasing you. I know that if you startle a bear, you should make lots of clamour, and hope the bear runs away. I also know that if a bear is stalking you (and sometimes you can tell by the strong fishy smell that accompanys them) that you're dinner, and you should fight back. I know that if its a grizzly you're up against, you have to play dead. I know enough never to come between a mama and her cubs. I know that moose are strong enough to topple a car, and are also dumb enough to do that. That coyotes are sneaky animals, and cougars are rarely seen, but attack the weakest of the pack (i.e, between me and Kay, I am lunch) Yep, I probably know more than the average Brit about how to survive (or not) in the wild :-)

I've been lucky enough to see many of these magnificent animals in the wild, even if the coyotes were a bit mangy looking. We've travelled enough along lonely roads and with my friend Mike, and we've seen several black bears and grizzlies. But the one bear that has eluded me so far has been the kermode bear, also known as the 'spirit bear'. Kermodes are white black bears. A genetic mutation makes them white, instead of black and they are not to be confused with polar bears. They are only found in a very specific area of Northern BC, which probably accounts for their being called 'spirit bears' by native tribes and locals. I have been desperate to see one for all the years I've been travelling to Terrace, and the only time I've seen one was the time I saw a kermode in the back of truck being shipped out of town (he had gotten a bit too used to people and was wandering backyards scavenging garbage)

My friend Mike has been lucky enough to see a family of bears, with a mama black bear with two kermode cubs. He's got some great, and super cute pictures of them here, if you want to take a look. My favourite is the one of this little cub, and its the picture I tried to recreate with my bear cookies below.

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Christmas Baking - Chocolate Orange Canada Cornstarch Shortbread Cookies

I committed sacrilege today. At least, according to my husband Kay, who walked by the kitchen as I was making these cookies, took one look at the dough, and threw up his hands in the air with a horrified look.

'What on earth are you doing?' asks he.
'Erm, making Canada Cornstarch shortbread cookies' says me.
'But, but... the last time I checked those cookies are white, not brown' says he, with a snooty look.
'Ah', says I. 'But these are Canada cornstarch shortbread cookies with a twist. A chocolate orange flavoured twist, to be precise. You'll love them so stop complaining and get back in your cage. Change is good!' says me, with a snooty look of my own.

Off he goes, shaking his head, muttering darkly about unruly daughters-in-law that messed about with time honoured grandmotherly and motherly recipes.

Disclaimer: The above events have been dramatised a wee bit, but the essential message from him was the same :-)

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Christmas Baking/ Indian Sweets - Mangalorean Macaroons

Mangalore has its own macaroon. It doesn't taste anything like what you would expect a conventional macaroon to taste like, but its a macaroon all the same. These Mangalorean macaroons are very similar to the German Wasp Nests that I made some time ago, and have the same texture and sweetness of those meringues, except that they are made with cashew nuts, rather than almonds. Pretty much every Mangalorean I know will instantly recall the taste (and price) of these macaroons, and remember them fondly. We used to buy them from Taj Mahal Sweets, and they were a delicious treat for special days.

My fondest memory of these macaroons is associated with my Aunt Kitty's visits. Aunt Kitty is a friend of my mum's, and she lives in a village outside Mangalore, where she's a teacher. She's a wonderful lady, who looked after me when I was a baby, and mum had to go back to work. She is a dedicated teacher, and everyone who knows her and works with her remembers her acerbic tongue, but at the same time, no one disputes her generous heart :-)

As kids, my sister and I loved it when Kitty Aunty (as we called her) came to visit, as we knew we were in for tons of treats. Aunty Kitty loved spoiling us, be it with ice creams from the famous Ideal's ice cream parlour in Mangalore or sweets from Taj Mahal or puffs from Venus Bakery. And of course, these macaroons, which she always loved to buy for us. Even when I was all grown up (some may dispute that fact, hehe) and heading to the UK, she tucked a small packet of these treats in my suitcase, so I wouldn't be deprived of them. I am lucky indeed to have such lovely aunties, and while I get to see them only rarely these days, I can never forget their huge influence on my life.

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Christmas Baking - Snowy Ginger Biscuits/ Cookies

Back in India, Christians all over the country are busy preparing lovely Indian goodies to share with neighbours and friends. We don't really have a Christmas gift culture there, as such, and it has stayed truer to its religious roots. Christmas is a festival that is celebrated mainly by the preparation of lovely food and wine, sweets and Christmas cakes, and the opportunity to share these goodies with friends and family. A true foodie festival to delight young and old alike. Christmas is all about sharing a plateful of dukra maas and sannas with a couple glasses of homemade wine, usually after having sweated through worshipped at midnight mass. Its all about fake cotton wool 'snow' on tropical Christmas trees.

Oh, and the joy and excitement of all of us kids making little nativity scenes or 'Christmas cribs' as they are popularly known... and then heading over to all the neighbours' houses and checking out the competing cribs... coming back home and pestering dad to get some more lights in the crib, cause cousin Binoy's crib is better than ours... and wait for Dad to put up Christmas lights and stars along the pathway to the house... oh, and how can I forget the fireworks that we used to rush out and buy from the little pop up shops that regularly er... 'popped' up during all major festivals (health and safety be damned :-)) As we usually went to convent schools we used to have at least ten days off from studying, which added to the festive euphoria.

Christmas for us in India, was a joyful time, a week filled with family, friends, food and fun. And its something I miss a lot when I am away from home. I have only managed to get back once to India for Christmas in the last ten years, and it makes me sad. But at the same time, we as a family have made up our own Christmas traditions, as we go along and they are a joyful, albeit confused, mixture of Indian, British and Canadian cultures.

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Lemon Courgette/ Zucchini Cookies with Lemon Frost

Neighbours! Love them or hate them, they are an integral part of our lives.

Kay and I have lived through a wide variety of them. The Liverpool fan in London, for example. We lived in the apartment above him, and he cheered and banged the ceiling every time his team scored a goal. Unfortunately for him, Arsenal, who I support, were in their 'invincible' phase then, so I out cheered him every time. I am kind of glad I don't live next to Mr Liverpool anymore, especially considering Arsenal's recent performances :-)

The there was the time when we first moved to Liverpool and lived smack bang in the middle of student halls... I don't have to draw you a picture of that, surely. Lets just say that we only stayed there for a month! Then of course, Madam Rubbish, in the apartment next door to us in Liverpool, who thought that the shared apartment hallway was the perfect place to leave garbage bags full of rotting food. Or the creatures in the penthouse above us, whose moving in party lasted three whole days and nights... and ended up with shoes and household items being chucked over balconies.

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Mangalorean Egg Puffs

My childhood and adolescence were defined by these puffs. If you think that's a sweeping statement to be making, well, lets just say that these puffs figured in, oh, 300 out of the 365 days for the first 20 years of my life. Yes, that's a lot of puffs, wouldn't you say? In all their varieties of course, meat, vegetable and eggs.

Puffs are very popular snacks in many parts of South India, particularly Mangalore and the south coast. They consist of a spicy onion masala, with either meat, vegetables or eggs encased in a light puff pastry. I am not sure how they originated or how they came to be such a such a staple. I suspect that they may have been part of the Portuguese culture that colonised Goa, and then been adopted by the Indians in their spicy avatar. Whatever the origin, these spicy snacks are ubiquitous everywhere, and an absolute favourite of every young child, teenager and adults too.

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Wasp Nests - A Random Recipe

Yes, you read the title right. I made wasp nests :-)

Dom from Belleau Kitchen challenged us to go back to basics for this month's Random Recipes Challenge, and pick a book out of our cookbook collections. Lest I cheat, I got my daughter to do the picking and she picked out this book here. Dr Oetkar's 'German Baking Today - The Original'. My friend Maz had got it for me from Germany, and I remember absolutely drooling through the recipes, but then, as is usual, the book got shelved, never to be used. Dom's hit on a winner here, as I have managed to cook more for this event from my long neglected cookbooks, than I have for a while.

I flipped open the book, and it landed on a page with two recipes. Amarettini and Wasp Nests. I figured at this point, since Aditi had picked out the book, it would only be fair to make a recipe that she could eat (the Amarettini, as the name suggests, has Amaretto in it) So Wasp Nests it was, or to make them sound more palatable, little meringue biscuits with chopped almonds and grated chocolate, that look very much like the nests of those despised insects! Eerily so!

Names aside, these little bites were stunningly good. Crisp meringue with their chewy insides, crunchy almonds, and every so often, a slight hint of bitterness from the dark chocolate to cut through the sweetness. I can easily see these being a real hit at a tea party.

I am posting the recipe, as I slashed it by a third and added a few bits and bobs to the original. The original recipe made sixty nests, and I didn't think it was prudent to have that much sugar floating around in the vicinity of a three year old :-) And good thing too, as they all disappeared within moments of cooling down. Another lesson for next time, spirit some away into a tin before letting little bees get a hold of them!

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Coconut, Chocolate and Marzipan Macaroons

Choclette, over at Chocolate Log Blog announced that this month's special ingredient for We Should Cocoa is marzipan. See, this is why its called a blogger's challenge. I had no idea, other than a simnel cake, how I could include chocolate and marzipan in one dessert. So it definitely was a challenge for me.

Marzipan also reminded me of a story involving me and Kay early on in our relationship. I always claim I was a naive, innocent girl who got sucked into the big, bad wolf's net. Kay, strongly disputes this claim, calling me a little schemer, who knew exactly what she was getting into... and that is an argument that will go on long after we're sitting all doddery in our retirement chairs in an old age home somewhere :-) Or until one of us kicks the bucket, after which the other's version will reign supreme...

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Pani Puri (Gol Gappe)

I don't think anyone who has eaten pani puri, or gol gappe as they are also known, will ever forget the taste sensations when the first ball of deep fried goodness is popped into the mouth. This is truly food at its most simple, yet with terribly complex flavours.

A firm favourite with most Indians, young and old, pani puri is the quintessential street food. You can always tell the who good vendors are, as they inevitably have a dozen or more people standing around them. You stand around him, and ask for a round. You get a little bowl made of leaves, and he quickly makes up a puri with all its additions, dips it in a large vessel of the spicy pani (spiced water) and he passes it to you. You put the whole thing in your mouth, get about ten seconds to chow down and savour the deliciousness (while the rest of the people standing around get their puris) and its your turn again. After about ten of these, you get asked if you want another round. If you say yes, which inevitably I do, then you get another round of ten more puris... and so it goes on. At the end the vendor tots up how much you owe him and you pay up, and wander down the market, stuffed to the gills, but very very happy. Life is made of moments like these.

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