LCBO Food & Drink Spring 2022

EDITOR’S NOTES

Signs of Spring

If everything has gone according to plan, by the time you read this Ontario will be safely free of most pandemic restrictions and decidedly in the mood to celebrate! No matter the occasion, big or small, the urge to get together again will not be denied and we’ll take any excuse to entertain. Of course, St. Patrick’s Day and Easter are on the horizon, so you’ll be making plans to celebrate those—­ likely with a larger crowd than last year. In “Luck of the Irish” on page 53, chef and recipe developer Jesse Vallins has curated a selection of products from the Emerald Isle that are perfect for raising a toast, along with a couple of Irish-inspired cocktails and dishes that feature lamb as the main attrac- tion. For Easter, we asked Christopher St. Onge to come up with new recipes that could easily be incorporated into a traditional spring brunch, adding variety when served alongside trusted old standbys. Christopher also hap- pens to be a talented food stylist and these dishes (starting on page 62) look as delicious as they taste. As well as the big occasions, spring brings plenty of reasons to host more impromptu gatherings—opportunities to partake in smaller indulgences for yourself and your friends. Is the sap starting to flow in the sugar bushes? Choose and pour a maple cocktail from the fine assortment beginning on page 76, honouring one of the surest

signs that spring is on the way. Are the first shoots of rhubarb poking up from the ground? Check out “Sweet ‘N’ Sour” on page 70 and bake up something de- licious, either for dessert or to drop off to friends. For International Women’s Day on March 8th consider purchas- ing and sharing products made by a few of the local women making their mark in the Ontario wine, beer and spirit industry—you can read all about them starting on page 45. Speaking of impressive women, we wanted to share that this is the last issue for our current Art Direction team, Karen Lim Design. We could not be more grateful to the core group of Karen Lim, Cathy Cicchini and Pat Turbach—along with a host of remarkable designers who have come and gone over the years—for their amazing creative talents and leader- ship that have shaped every issue and helped endear Food & Drink to you, our readers. On behalf of myself and the entire crew, we thank them and fondly wish them well. As the seasons shift from winter to spring, we hope you enjoy this issue as much as you enjoy getting back together with family and friends after being apart for far too long.

PORTRAIT BY JAMES TSE

Sustainable Spring Earth Day (April 22) is a good reminder to check that we’re all making sustainable choices. Food & Drink is produced on paper with 10% recycled content, and you can help complete the cycle: when you’ve finished enjoying your copy, please ensure that it gets recycled properly.

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SPRING 2022 FOOD & DRINK