LCBO Food and Drink Holiday 2015

DÉCOR Take a nature-inspired approach to holiday décor. Branches and twigs, for instance, can be dressed up with twinkle lights and ornaments such as stars or silver balls and hung over a table or propped in a vase. Leave the branches natural, or spray-paint white, silver or gold and decorate with ornaments of a similar colour for a monochro- matic look; if necessary, use florist’s wire to attach multiple branches together. For a pretty tabletop cen- trepiece, present an odd number of metallic pears on a brass tray together with candles or greenery, such as cedar branches or eucalyp- tus leaves. Either spray-paint the entire fruit, or brush or dip silver or gold paint only on the bottom, until just below the widest part of the pear.

DIY TIERED TRAY Tiered trays look pretty and are an efficient use of space. To craft your own—no gluing or drilling needed—Andrea McCrindle sug- gests stacking plates and cups on top of a cake stand. Start with a cake stand as a base, then place a tea cup or crystal cocktail glass on top, upside down, right in the centre. Layer up, using progres- sively smaller plates, testing for balance and being sure to keep food balanced when the tray is filled. “You can shop at thrift stores,” she says, “or you can use those pieces that you love that don’t match anything.”

154  FOOD & DRI NK HOLIDAY 2015