LCBO Food & Drink Autumn 2018

BY LUCY WAVERMAN  •  PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMES TSE an affair to remember If you’re up for hosting a formal dinner party, our exceptional menu— accompanied by all manner of advice—leaves nothing to guesswork. A MEMORABLE OCCASION calls for a special celebration. Our formal, silver anniversary dinner is a feast of fresh tastes and textures guaranteed to delight all the guests. This dinner is perfect for all of life’s milestone occasions—an important birthday, a wedding anniversary or a retirement party.     We start with caviar. Choose a kind that suits your budget and also offer grilled mushroom summer rolls as a vegan and gluten-free alternative. A quick sauté of scallops with a prepared lime butter is followed by a simple, flavourful make-ahead soup, heightened with a touch of vinegary pickle.     The beef fillet is slow-roasted ahead of time and then finished in a searingly hot oven before serving and the dessert is a deconstructed lemon meringue pie with its elements broken up. Again, the elements are make-ahead, to be put together on the day of the party. It looks stunning and is the perfect ending to this sumptuous dinner.     Our tips will help you fill in the details that need to be considered for this sort of dinner party. We have suggestions to do with inviting your guests, seating them, and dealing (gently) with late­ comers, not to mention priming someone to set the tone for toasts. Candles and flowers have not been forgotten—and if it all sounds a bit too daunting, consider treating yourself to some serving or kitchen help so that you can enjoy the party too.

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