LCBO Food & Drink Spring 2022

BLACK-EYED PEA, MUSHROOM & BABY KALE SOUP This vegan soup is packed with flavour. It gets its savoury meatiness from the umami-rich miso paste and chewy oyster mushrooms. 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil 1 cup (250 mL) onion, finely chopped 1 cup (250 mL) celery, finely chopped 3 tbsp (45 mL) garlic, finely chopped 1/2 lb (225 g) brown cremini mushrooms, quartered 1/4 lb (115 g) oyster mushrooms, sliced into thin strips 4 cups (1 L) mushroom or vegetable stock 1 tbsp (15 mL) red miso paste 1 can (540 mL) black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed 1 bay leaf, fresh or dry 2 cups (500 mL) baby kale Salt and freshly ground pepper 1 In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and celery, and cook for 10 minutes until golden. 2 Reduce heat, add garlic and both mush- rooms, and cook for 15 minutes. 3 Slowly add stock, miso paste, black-eyed peas and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes. 4 Stir in kale and allow to wilt, about 2 minutes. 5 Season to taste with salt and black pepper, and serve. Serves 4 This cocktail mash-up is an unconventional match that’s surprisingly delightful. Look for citric acid (for the Coffee Cordial) at your local bulk or gourmet grocery store. 1 1/2 oz London dry gin 1 1/2 tsp Amaro Nonino ( VINTAGES 933796, 700 mL, $47.30) 1 1/2 tsp Amontillado sherry 2 tbsp Coffee Cordial (recipe follows) Edible flower for garnish 1 Pour gin, amaro, sherry and cordial into a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir until chilled, about 10 seconds. Strain into a coupette or rocks glass over a large ice cube. Garnish with flower, if desired. Makes 1 cocktail Bending the rules from page 87 GIMLET ESPRESSO MARTINI

COFFEE CORDIAL Pour 2 cups (500 mL) water, 200 g (approxi- mately 1 cup or 250 mL) granulated sugar, and 8.5 g (approximately 2 tsp or 10 mL) citric acid into a blender. Pulse until dissolved. Pour into a resealable plastic bag. Add 25 g (approxi- mately 1/4 cup or 60 mL) good-quality coffee beans. Seal and refrigerate for 24 hours, allowing flavours to infuse. Fine-strain into a resealable jar. Cordial will keep well, sealed and refrigerated for up to 1 month. Makes 2 cups for approximately 16 cocktails PINA COLADA SOUR With a combination of gin, Chartreuse and maraschino, the intense flavour profile of The Last Word Gin Sour is softened by a slushy, creamy coconut and zesty lime colada base. 5 frozen pineapple chunks 1 oz London dry gin 1 oz green Chartreuse 3/4 oz maraschino liqueur 3/4 oz coconut milk such as Grace 1/2 oz cream of coconut such as Coco López 1/4 oz lime juice Brandied cherry or Luxardo Maraschino cherry for garnish Lime wheel and freshly grated nutmeg for garnish 1 Add pineapple chunks, gin, Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur, coconut milk, cream of co- conut, lime juice and 5 ice cubes to a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into a Collins or Pearl Diver glass. Garnish with cherry, lime wheel and nutmeg. MOJITO-RITA Two iconic hot-weather sippers—one hailing from Cuba and the other Mexico—blend seamlessly to create a fizzy and zingy drink. Made from the agave plant, agave nectar is a sweet syrup that’s excellent for cocktails. Look for it in the baking or natural foods section of your local grocery store. 1 oz lime juice 1/4 oz agave nectar 4 fresh Thai basil leaves, plus more for garnishing 1 1/2 oz Patrón Silver Tequila ( LCBO 34595, $81.95) Makes 1 cocktail

1/2 oz pineapple juice Soda water Pineapple leaf for garnish

1 Pour lime juice and agave into a highball glass. Add basil leaves and gently muddle the leaves. 2 Add tequila and pineapple juice. Fill glass with ice. Top with soda and gently stir with a bar spoon. Garnish with pineapple leaf and additional Thai basil leaves.

Makes 1 cocktail

Sweet ’n’ sour from page 70

ROASTED RHUBARB Roasted rhubarb is a wondrous thing. The colour becomes even more intense, and the taste is both tart and sweet. You can adjust the amount of sugar to your liking, using less if you prefer things on the sour side and more if you want to sweeten things up a little more. Feel free to add, as I often do, a scraped vanilla bean, pod and all, or perhaps some orange rind for a nuanced citrus note. Be sure to keep the rhubarb-infused syrup from the pan—the best by-product of the roasting. It’s a delicious addition to a glass of soda water along with a splash of lime juice. Note: Some of the rec- ipes in this collection call for 1 recipe’s worth of roasted rhubarb. You may not use it all, but anything left over is delightful over yogurt or ice cream. Hothouse rhubarb (sometimes called “forced rhubarb”) is grown indoors over winter and available in early spring. The stalks are tender and pink, unlike rhubarb grown outdoors which can be stringy and red-green in colour. 1 lb (455 g) trimmed Ontario hothouse rhubarb, cut into 1 1/2-inch (4-cm) pieces 1/2 cup (125 mL) sugar 1 Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). 2 Place rhubarb in a single layer in 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33-cm) baking dish. Add the sugar and toss to combine. 3 Bake the rhubarb for 15 minutes, stir gently and continue baking for another 5 minutes or until tender but not falling apart. Cool com- pletely, then refrigerate, along with the syrup. The rhubarb can be roasted and stored in the refrigerator up to 5 days. Makes about 2 cups (500 mL)

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FOOD & DRINK SPRING 2022