LCBO Food & Drink Travel 2026

Shawarma Sweets Sweet potatoes are a great foil to the usual suspects found inside a shawarma sandwich. Spiced ground beef stands in for the leaves of sliced beef, and the tricked-out toum is garlic sauce and hot sauce in one. Pretty much any pickles would be great here, looking to punch—think equal parts bread-and-butter pickles or gherkins, pickled hot peppers, and perhaps vinegar-brined giardiniera. Bonus points if you’ve got a Middle Eastern shop nearby and can get your hands on some pickled turnips. RED-HOT TOUM 2 egg whites 6 cloves garlic 1/4 cup (60 mL) Frank’s RedHot Original hot sauce 1 cup (250 mL) canola or vegetable oil 4 small sweet potatoes, each about 8 oz (225 g) 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive or canola oil Diamond Crystal kosher salt 1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced 1 tbsp (15 mL) white vinegar 1 lb (455 mL) lean ground beef 11/2 tsp (7 mL) ground allspice 11/2 tsp (7 mL) granulated garlic but a mix of hot, sweet and vinegary is the ticket you’re

COOKING SHAWARMA AT HOME ISN’T EXACTLY PRACTICAL. UNLESS YOU DISPENSE WITH THE GIANT SPIT, IN WHICH CASE IS IT EVEN SHAWARMA? DON’T SWEAT IT—NO ONE WHO TASTES THESE LOADED SWEET POTATOES WILL CARE.

1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground cumin 1/4 tsp (1 mL) finely ground black pepper 11/2 cups (375 mL) roughly chopped assorted pickles

incorporated and mixture is thick. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. 3. Halve the sweet potatoes and arrange, cut side up, on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive or canola oil and season generously with salt. Turn cut side down and roast 30 to 35 minutes or until tender.

5. Combine ground beef with 1 tsp (5 mL) salt, allspice, granulated garlic, cumin and black pepper. Cook over medium- high heat in a large skillet until no longer pink, breaking up the meat with a spatula as you go. Continue to cook until lightly crisped, another minute or two. 6. Divide potato halves between four plates. Top each half with a generous dollop of toum, then

divide meat mixture, red onions and pickles between potato halves. Serve warm.

Serves 4

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).

WHAT TO SERVE Muskoka Brewery Aviator IPA LCBO 43062, 473 mL, $3.85 Refreshment is at a premium here, but the beer should have character, too! Look for big hops—tropical and resinous flavours to stand up to the spice.

2. To make toum, place egg whites in blender and process on high until frothy and double in volume, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic and hot sauce. Process until smooth. With the motor running, gradually add oil until fully

4. Meanwhile, toss red onion with vinegar and a pinch of salt. Set aside.

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TRAVEL 2026 ————————