LCBO Food & Drink Spring 2021

EDITOR’S NOTES

First issue of a new year!

While 2020 was a year most of us will happily forget, a couple of things it taught us was how to make do with what we had on hand and how to im- provise. Some trends and experiments worked better than others, but a whole new world of kitchen hacks has been born and, with kids being more hands- on, the next generation has started to establish a more solid foundation in the kitchen—and that is a very good thing. We cooked from our pantry like never before, and that too is a trend that will serve all of us well in the long run. But, after a year of cooking at home, maybe it’s time to clear out the old. On page 22, our Food Editor, Eric Vellend, shares his advice for what to keep and what to part with. Compound Butters (page 20) are a great way to use up what may be nearing the end of its shelf life. So easy to make and store, they will add a whack of flavour to whatever you are cooking. And, if you find yourself with more beans than you know what to do with, we’ll help you make good use of those too with recipes from our archives on page 24. It was hard to miss the sourdough trend last year, and since it seems like we’re going to be in our kitchens for a little longer, this year we propose you tackle homemade bagels. Amy Rosen’s step-by-step guide (starting on page 91) shows that it’s easier than you think and, once you’ve mastered the basics, a whole world of flavour experiments

awaits! Keeping with the baking trend, spring is traditionally a time of bake sales. While we won’t be gathering for those, keep the tradition alive and organize a virtual bake sale—and consider donating the profits. In “Bake Swap” on page 72 we share four twists on bake-sale classics to help get you started. When it comes to drinks, last spring’s dalgona coffee trend was a big hit on Instagram. We’ve carried that forward to 2021 and present “Fluffy Cocktails.” Starting on page 35, you’ll find four unique drinks with foamy tops that will bring out your inner bartender. We also spotted professional bartenders building cocktails in a can on our social media feeds. We’ll show you how to do it (page 66) with an assortment of products you can find at the LCBO—yes, including White Claw. On the food front, we know incorporating more plant-based foods into our diet is better for us and some- thing that more and more people are embracing. Try one or all of the dishes in our spring menu on page 58 and you won’t even know what you’re missing. We hope this issue serves as a pleas- ant diversion while we all wait out what we hope is the beginning of the end of the pandemic. We’re looking forward to a brighter 2021 and to discovering and sharing all the trends that it will bring!

PORTRAIT BY JAMES TSE

We’ve moved Earlier this year,

our foodanddrink.ca website migrated to lcbo.com/foodanddrink: now you can browse recipes and shop for products all in one place. Change is never easy, know that we are working on continuous improvements to this experience.

@lcbofoodanddrink

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SPRING 2021 FOOD & DRINK