LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2020

QUICK FIXES

Kvas Fine Beverage Co. Based in Niagara, Zac and Amy Kvas hand-make intensely flavourful all-natural syrups and cocktail garnishes, sweetened with local honey or maple syrup. Perfect for your home bar (every bottle has a cocktail recipe on the label), they are also great in mocktails or for flavouring coffee, tea, shakes or desserts. kvasfbco.com

Just add Kvas Holiday affogato  Kvas’s Muskoka Cranberry-Rosemary Simple Syrup is made from tart Muskoka cranberries, with fresh local rosemary adding a holiday flavour. For a simple but elegant dessert, top an espresso (made with coffee from Twiggs Coffee Roasters, see below) with a scoop of French vanilla ice cream, a shot of the syrup and a little grated dark chocolate. Festive Negroni  Instead of adding sweet red vermouth to your Negroni, switch in 3/4 oz of Kvas Muskoka Cranberry-Rosemary Simple Syrup. Garnish with a few frozen cranberries, a fresh rosemary sprig and you’re ready to celebrate.

Spice Notes  Sumac adds the fruity, lemony tang to za’atar, so don’t be surprised that it’s also great as a seasoning in its own right. Enjoyed all over the Middle East, it comes from the sumac bush, which produces red berries that are dried and ground into powder. Sprinkle it over meat, fish or vegetable dishes just before serving. Sumac Moments  Sprinkle sumac with olive oil on feta or goat cheese. Its tart flavour makes it a natural condi- ment for fried chicken, fish and chips or vegetable fritters. Add it to melted dark chocolate for a cake or donut glaze. 4 SUMAC

Find the recipe at lcbo.com/fdholiday20

Twiggs Coffee This family-owned

chain has been expertly selecting and roasting fair-trade organic green coffee beans in small batches every single day since 1995 (including my fave—a dazzlingly robust Columbian dark roast). Twiggs also supports One Kids Place, a local chil- dren’s treatment centre. twiggs.ca

Mid-week switcheroo  From Autumn 2004, our Maple- Glazed Turkey Breast calls for turkey breast, but for a simpler mid-week meal, you can substitute bone-in chicken breasts or supremes. You will need to adjust the cooking time based on the size and thickness of the breasts. Recipe hack  Adding 1 tbsp (15 mL) sumac to the ingredients for the glaze will enhance the flavours of this recipe.

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HOLIDAY 2020 FOOD & DRINK