LCBO Food & Drink Autumn 2018

DINNER PARTIES THE FIRST-TIME HOST

Plate like a Chef

Artful Drizzles  Fill plastic squeeze bottles with flavoured oil, crème fraîche, dress- ing or sauce to garnish artfully. The Schmear  On oversize platters or plates of appetizers, make a dramatic

swoosh of sauce, dip or purée. Curly Cues  Shave curls of chocolate, Parmesan cheese, vegetables or coconut for texture and flavour. Soup’s On  A drizzle of oil and homemade croutons (for whimsy: Goldfish Crackers) makes soup luxe.

A bucket filled with water and ice

lowers a wine’s tempera- ture by one degree every minute. Big Reds: 1 minute,

Dry Whites and Rosé: 9 minutes, Sparkling and Sweet Wines: 18 minutes.

Clean Cuts  Cake, soft cheese and boxed ice cream all cut cleanly with sturdy, unfla- voured dental floss. Better Spreader  Gently soften butter by inverting a pre-warmed cup or bowl over it.

LET THE games BEGIN

➤ Put a blank card and pencil at each place, so guests can share their dream dinner-party guest lists and guess whose is whose. ➤ Spark conversation with Mindful Moments cards (amazon.ca) at each place for guests to discuss. ➤ Create a party hashtag and a selfie spot, complete with accessories like hats, faux moustaches and party favours.

what to serve

Med i te r ranean Wh i te ( LCBO 332767, $9.95) is a crisp white from the same region. To round out the wine selec- tion, the Codorníu Selec- cion Raventos Rose ( LCBO 370080, $16.30) is a sparkling rosé from Catalonia that would be a fine accompani- ment for the menu from start to finish.

Los Arcos Amontillado Dry Sherry ( LCBO 375097, $16.40) is a perfect choice. It’s extra-dry and nutty, with dried fruit notes that will enhance the rich flavour of the soup. In the description of the roasted salmon dish, we learn that it is a classic dish of Spain’s Catalonia region. The René Barbier

Choosing wines for a menu can seem like a daunting task, but a good strategy is to look to the recipes for in- spiration. In the mushroom soup instructions, the sug- gestion to use sherry to fin- ish the soup is a golden op- portunity to serve the same sherry as the wine pairing for this course. The Lustau

FOOD & DRI NK AUTUMN