Culinary Q & A with Adam Snider

Occupation: Marketing Writer

What did you eat today?

I suppose the easiest way to answer this question is with a meal-by-meal breakdown, so here it goes.

Breakfast: 3 Red River & Oats pancakes (I made these a couple of weekends ago and froze the leftovers; I just popped a few in the toaster this morning and had a good breakfast ready in just minutes), and a protein & fibre drink (made from hemp protein powder and water).

Snack: Unsalted, multi-grain rice cakes with peanut butter.

Lunch: It happens that you asked me this on a Thursday, and the company I work for buys lunch for the employees every Thursday. Today, a few of the guys here actually BBQed some steaks and hamburgers. I had a steak, Caesar salad, some raw veggies, and a Coke.

Snack: Organic braeburn apple…these are the best apples I’ve ever tasted.

Supper: I’ve been trying to eat healthier, lately, and to keep with that, I had a turkey burger. The patty was made from organic ground turkey mixed with some hot sauce, a bit of curry powder, and just a touch of garlic powder. I topped this with a bit of Dijon mustard and, instead of eating it on a bun, I wrapped it up in some organic lettuce.

I also had a salad, just some lettuce, mixed bean sprouts, and half of an apple (all organic). I tossed this with a reduction of Yukon birch syrup, red wine vinegar, and olive oil.

What do you never eat?

I try not to discriminate against food, as just about everything can taste good if it’s prepared well, but there are a few things I just can’t eat. The first is Brussels sprouts. I hated these as a kid, and just haven’t been able to bring myself to give them a second chance as an adult.

I also refuse to eat Twinkies. I mean, do Twinkies even count as food? I have never eaten one, and I’d like to keep it that way.

What is your personal specialty?

I like to think that I’m a pretty good cook, but I admit that most of my dishes are pretty simple. If I had to pick a specialty, it would probably be my beef stew. There isn’t really a recipe, so it’s a bit different every time I make it, but other than the odd comment about it being too spicy (I like hot food) I’ve never had a complaint when I’ve made it for other people. My old roommate once said it was the best stew she had ever tasted.

What is your favorite kitchen item?

Probably my slow cooker. That’s the real secret ingredient in my stew, as well as a lot of other hearty dishes that I like to make in the winter months. It’s even good for use in the summer, because it doesn’t heat up the apartment the way that the stove and oven do.

World ends tomorrow. Describe your last meal.

This is a tough one. I’m not sure I can pick just one meal. I’d probably end up eating as many of my favourite foods as possible. A few things that I’d definitely have to include would be: a thick, medium-rare steak; a bison burger; a “deluxe” pizza; a cold beer (maybe a Maudite or an Alley Kat Charlie Flint Lager); a glass of wine (a pinot noir of some kind)…

Then again, maybe I’d try something I’ve eaten before…some kind of endangered species, maybe. I mean, the world is going to end tomorrow, so what harm could it do to eat a bald eagle, right?

Where do you eat out most frequently?

I try to check out a lot of different restaurants, but I think I eat out at Cosmos most often. My girlfriend (Sara) and I both love Greek food, so we tend to visit Cosmos a lot. They have great food, and incredible service. We went to the Rice Howard Way location for Sara’s birthday and they actually comped her entire meal, all of her drinks, and bought her a glass of wine and a piece of cake. Needless to say, I left a good tip and we’ve been telling everyone about their great service.

What’s the best place to eat in Edmonton?

A lot of really great restaurants have opened up in the last few years, and Edmonton is really starting to become a great city for foodies, so choosing the best place is tough.

On top of that, it really depends what I’m in the mood for. Picking an overall best restaurant in Edmonton is not easy, but my personal favourite would probably be a place just off Stony Plain Rd. called Singapore Baba. It’s a small, Singaporean place, run by a husband and wife team, that serves enormous portions for very low cost, and the service is excellent. You feel almost as if you’re a part of their family while you’re there.

Unfortunately, the last I heard was that they had been forced to temporarily close because the wife was in the hospital recovering from a car accident. That was almost a year ago, and I haven’t had a chance to see if they’ve reopened. I have a feeling that, unfortunately, they were probably forced to close down permanently, but I hope not. Maybe I’ll drive down there sometime this week and see if they’re still in business.

If you weren’t limited by geography, where and what would you eat?

This is another tough one, but I think I’d go to Japan to eat genuine Kobe beef. About the only Kobe you’ll see in Edmonton is in burger form, but apparently a Kobe beef steak is the best steak that money can buy. Assuming I had the cash, that would probably be my pick.