For many, Labour Day means a barbecue to end the season with a bang before back-to-school Tuesday. This year, however, the transition has special significance for Muslims. Depending on when the moon is sighted, the Islamic holy month of Ramadan begins on Monday or Tuesday (September 1 or 2). During this period, many Muslims will eat and drink nothing from dawn until after sunset. According to Imam Mohamad Rachid of Richmond Jami’a Mosque, fasting is meant to foster self-discipline and piety.

If this was Family Feud —100 people surveyed, top-five answers on the board—this would be the question: what snack goes well with beer? Think salty, crunchy, fatty. Peanuts. Potato chips. Or, for something off the board, chips made from cassava, a starchy tropical root. Exotic brand cassava chips are hard-bite crunchy; a 150-gram bag goes for $2.99 at Polo Market (6475 Fraser Street). Also for the adventurous, super-crisp, palm-sized sheets of Haioreum Korean seaweed are utterly addictive.

What is so mesmerizing about that miniature-doughnut machine? We’re not sure, but we’ll be watching Those Little Donuts float happily down to cinnamon sugar heaven at the PNE’s opening on Saturday (August 16). From her home in Okotoks, Alberta, owner Annette Johnson tells the Straight that the family business has visited the PNE since 1976. Two bags of 13 sweets go for $5 and, new this year, you can buy five bags for $10. Not to worry: the cooking oil is free of trans fats.

Mini plates have been an enduring trend, but perhaps it’s time for maxi plates? Goldilocks (1606 West Broadway) serves up a massive platter of noodles called miki bihon (also available at the 2833 Main Street location if you preorder). It’s a Filipino dish of sautéed thick Shanghai egg noodles and fine rice noodles with prawns, vegetables, and shredded pork.

Little balls of takoyaki are on a roll. Everywhere you turn, people are lining up for this Japanese snack. The bite-sized fritters—each studded with a chunk of cooked octopus—are fried in round, cast-iron moulds. They’re then laced with Japanese mayo, a dark sweet sauce, and katsuobushi fish flakes, which dance on the piping-hot dumplings. Takoyaki is always a hit at the Powell Street Festival, which takes place this Saturday and Sunday (August 2 and 3) at Oppenheimer Park.

With just a handful of tables, teeny tiny Korean restaurant Janchee (775 Denman Street) feels like a home kitchen. The welcoming couple behind the counter is too young to make the place a mom-and-pop, yet they do it all, from cooking to serving. The menu is as compact as the space, featuring simple, not-too-spicy sets ($10 with tax) based around soybean or seafood stews served in a small hotpot.

Is organic food worth the premium price? Jeff Cox, author of The Organic Food Shopper’s Guide (Wiley, $15.95), thinks so. Cox’s compact book spells out the advantages alphabetically by product, from artichokes to winter squash, looking at how each fruit or vegetable is grown. He also makes arguments for buying organic meat, dairy, and kitchen staples such as rice. Pro: practical tips, like buy organic if you’re going to zest a lemon to avoid pesticides in the peel. Con: the focus is on U.S.

Scandinavians have easy summer meals down pat. Lay out some cold cuts, a mound of cooked shrimp, some pickled herring, and condiments like lemon slices and fresh dill. Arrange ingredients open-faced on buttered bread or flatbread. But where to get pickled herring? Years ago, I stocked up in Sweden before flying home to Vancouver. Then I found myself at the Richmond location of IKEA (3200 Sweden Way), and discovered that it sold the exact same brands—and they were cheaper than in Stockholm.

Skip the brunch lines elsewhere in Kits and grab a chair at the Epicurean Caffé Bistro (1898 West 1st Avenue). This Italian deli charms with marble tables inside and a wraparound patio with climbing ivy outside. The menu offers one sophisticated choice after another. Try Uova alla Fiorentina, a scrumptious concoction of eggs in béchamel sauce that’s baked with bocconcini in a cast-iron pan ($10).

As Canada celebrates July 1, patriotism dictates that everyone from coast to coast stand up and eat a hot dog. But given that this week also marks the 400th anniversary of the founding of Quebec City, why not indulge in a messy mass of poutine? Dig into a $5 medium-sized serving at Fritz European Fry House (718 Davie Street). Or, for nontraditionalists, Belgian Fries (1885 Commercial Drive) offers over a dozen varieties—with toppings like Tunisian spicy lamb—for $6.98 to $7.50.

For those who can’t get it together to pack a nutritious homemade lunch in the morning (damn you who can!), here’s an alternative to expensive takeout. An Indian mom might sniff at Chef Chopra’s heat-and-eat curries (280 grams each), but the vacuum-packed vegetarian meals are surprisingly flavourful. Options include mutter paneer (a rich peas-and-cheese curry), baingan bharta (roasted eggplant and tomato), and Bombay pulav (rice with spicy lentils).

Ever tried soy-fortified spaghetti? The Bean Factory, located in Aberdeen Centre’s food court (4151 Hazelbridge Way, Richmond), offers a choice of the soy-protein pasta or rice as part of its meal combos, with toppings like braised tofu or egg tofu with eggplant ($5.42). The outlet specializes in a variety of soy-based snacks, from smoothies to sliced spicy dried tofu.

If you missed him selling samples at the Eat! Vancouver festival, or just want more of that rib-sticking gumbo, here’s where to find Big Al’s soul food. As well as catering, Al Robinson runs the kitchen at the Ringside Bar & Lounge (lower plaza, 4 Bentall Centre, 1055 Dunsmuir Street). There, the Louisiana native cooks up southern favourites like jambalaya, red beans on rice, and fried chicken.

If you live in East Van, take a look-see at the new South China Seas Trading Co. (1904 Grant Street). You’ll find condiments and cookbooks from all over the world, as at the Granville Island location. Currently in the cooler at both stores are fresh morels and fiddleheads, and you can special order truffles and fresh masa (dig out that tortilla press). An on-site kitchen at the East Side location means cooking classes and food to-go sometime this summer.

The colour of new leaves, the organic green-pea soup with fresh mint foam ($7.50) that Jean-Yves Benoît makes at his Mistral French Bistro (2585 West Broadway) is like mouthfuls of spring. You can get it at lunch and dinner, served Tuesday through Saturday. Try for a seat on the south-facing patio.