Coast Monthly sits down with local cooks or food lovers for a chat.

Candi Storey was born near Hobart, Ind., and grew up mostly in foster care. She eventually moved to the South.

“My soul was meant to live here,” she said.

She moved to Mississippi, then to New Orleans and finally to Galveston in 2010. Her first job on the island was at Oasis Juice Bar & Market. Her other jobs included light construction, skin care, making her own soaps and driving for ride-hailing company Get Me. Earlier this year, she opened Fika Java & Juicery, 613 University Blvd. on Galveston’s East End.

Fika (pronounced fee-ka) means to have coffee in Swedish, and is named to honor her Swedish grandmother. Along with coffee, Fika serves fresh-made juices and smoothies, as well as food items prepared and baked on site.

Q: Who is your biggest inspiration or mentor?

A: Dennis McFadden and Kathleen DiNatale, who gave me my first job in Galveston — at Oasis — and sparked my passion for this work.

Q: What is your favorite kitchen gadget?

A: A zester! I like zesting things for a more intense flavor. I zest garlic to get almost a paste-like consistency.

Q: What is your biggest food pet peeve?

A: Soup or gumbo that isn’t served hot enough. I was in New Orleans over Memorial Day and had the best-tasting gumbo ever, but it was lukewarm.

Q: What is your first food-related memory?

A: The blandness of the food in Indiana, though it wasn’t until I moved to the South and found flavors that I realized the difference and why I think my soul is drawn to the South.

Q: You lead a healthy lifestyle and your store is full of healthy options. What do you like to cheat with?

A: Occasionally a dirty martini or vodka and juice. Foodwise, I like the goat cheese Danish at my favorite coffeehouse in Houston.

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Storey provided this recipe:

Matcha Tea Cookies

INGREDIENTS

1¼ cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon pink sea salt

1 teaspoon ground vanilla bean

2 teaspoons matcha tea

1 stick softened butter

½ cup raw sugar

½ cup brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons raw cocoa

2 tablespoons goji berries

1 cup rolled oats

DIRECTIONS

Whisk together flower and next four ingredients.

In a mixer, cream butter and sugars together. Add egg and vanilla to sugar mixture.

Stir in dry ingredients until mixed. Fold in cocoa, goji berries and oats.

Scoop onto baking sheet and bake at 350 F for 10 to 12 minutes.