LCBO Food & Drink Autumn 2024

COMFORT ZONES

Alondra Galvez

CHEF AND OWNER

CALDO DE MARISCOS P. 140

EL CACTUS TACO SHOP, STRATFORD

It took Alondra Galvez almost 15 years to successfully recreate the soul-warming seafood soup she grew up eating in Reynosa, Mexico. “It was something we made for special occasions,” she says. “But when my grandma died, I didn’t really have a recipe to go off of.” Through trial-and-error, she’s recaptured the distinctively bright and earthy flavours of her grandmother’s caldo de mariscos. While she frequently changes the seafood elements based on the ingredients available, it’s the tomato chili broth that really defines the soup’s taste. “It’s very aromatic and warming,” she says. Galvez finds pleasure in preparing the soup throughout the year, yet it holds a special significance for her in autumn around Día de Muertos—a time when departed loved ones are celebrated. “It was my grandma’s favourite dish,” says Galvez. “Whenever it was her birthday, we were having caldo de mariscos.”

Leyda Reserva Sauvignon Blanc LCBO 36815, $16.00 A bright, zesty Sauvignon Blanc stands up to the tomato and flatters the seafood. Grassy notes among the wine’s lively fruit echo the herbs in the soup.

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