LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2018

a little light lunch from page 136

PI SCO ROSEMARY SODA Pisco is Peruvian grape-based brandy fa- mously associated with the Pisco Sour cocktail. Although delicious, this classic cocktail is made with vigorously shaken egg white and so, while impressive, is not exactly entertaining- friendly. That doesn’t mean you can’t whip up something simple and special using this spirit, tasting delicately of grape and apple. Muddling Pisco with sugar, fresh lime and rosemary creates a zingy-aromatic cocktail base. Then simply top with soda and garnish! ½ lime 1 piece of rosemary, 2 inches (5 cm) 1 tbsp (15 mL) superfine sugar ¾ oz Pisco Ice 4 to 6 oz club soda Rosemary sprig, for garnish 1 Add lime, rosemary and sugar to a tall glass. Muddle until sugar is dissolved. Add Pisco and ice. Stir. Add soda and stir. Garnish with rose- mary. Makes 1 cocktail

4 Bake in centre of preheated oven until grapes begin to soften and caramelize slightly, 25 to 35 minutes. Meanwhile, top each piece of cheese with some arugula leaves. Arrange crackers and apple slices alongside prepared Camembert pieces. 5 When grapes are ready, carefully place a roasted bunch over each portion of arugula- topped Camembert. Makes 8 servings LOBSTER-CRAB CAKES WITH LEMON-GRASS AÏOL I AND CHUNKY CUCUMBER- GRAPEFRUIT SALAD With one rich seafood cake per person, you’ll have all the makings of a decadent yet light midday meal. If making this for dinner, you may want to double the recipe. Get ahead by making the aïoli and cakes a day in advance. When preparing the aïoli, be sure to add the oil at an almost painfully slow and steady pace. The key is incorporating droplets one at a time. It may seem tedious, but the results are truly luscious. When it comes to bread crumbs, choose your preference; regular ones will be- come more golden while panko offers crisper results. LEMON-GRASS AÏOLI 2 lemon-grass stalks ¾ cup (175 mL) vegetable oil ¼ cup (60 mL) olive oil 2 tsp (10 mL) white wine vinegar ½ tsp (2 mL) Maldon or kosher salt, or to taste LOBSTER-CRAB CAKES ½ to ⅔ cup (125 to 150 mL) panko or regular bread crumbs 1 lemon 2 pkgs (180 g each; 360 g total) or cans frozen lobster meat, defrosted, or 2 lbs (905 g) uncooked lobster tails in their shells, yielding about ¾ lb (340 g) lobster meat, shells removed 1 pkg (220 g) refrigerated or frozen container crab meat, defrosted 1 tsp (5 mL) Maldon salt ¼ tsp (1 mL) freshly ground black pepper 1 egg, separated (with yolk reserved for aïoli) 2 tbsp (30 mL) mayonnaise 3 tbsp (45 mL) coarsely chopped parsley, plus more for garnishing 3 tbsp (45 mL) chives, plus more for garnishing 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil

ALMOND-HORCHATA-CHIA PUDDING WITH DARK FRUITS Enjoy the comforting pleasure of this riff on both rice pudding and Mexican horchata without a grain of rice to be found. This pro- tein-boosted dessert is the perfect ending to a pleasantly light meal. Seville marmalade is for fans of sweet-and-sour tingling taste buds. 2 pkgs (100 g each; 200 g total) ground almonds (also known as almond flour) ½ cup (125 mL) granulated sugar 1 cinnamon stick 3 cups (750 mL) boiling water Cheesecloth ½ cup (125 mL) chia seeds 2 cups (500 mL) fresh dark-coloured fruits such as blackberries, blueberries and figs 2 tbsp (30 mL) orange marmalade made with Seville oranges (optional) 1 Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). 2 Spread ground almonds out on a baking sheet. Lightly toast in preheated oven, about 5 minutes. When cool enough to handle, place in a heatproof bowl along with sugar and cinna- mon stick. Top with boiling water. Stir. Loosely cover. Let stand, allowing flavours to infuse for 4 to 5 hours. 3 Line a sieve with several layers of cheese- cloth. Finely strain almond mixture into a me- dium-size bowl. Stir in chia seeds. Let stand until chia seeds soften and pudding becomes thick, about 1 hour. If making ahead, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. 4 When ready to serve, divide between small dessert bowls. Top with fresh fruit and marmalade. Makes 8 servings

CAMEMBERT WITH ROASTED GRAPES

Create a stunning appetizer with this riff on the much-beloved baked brie using roasted grapes and fresh arugula. The key is to let the Camembert (which tends to offer more robust flavours than Brie) come to soft and oozy room temperature before serving. 2 medium-sized Camembert wheels (each 170 to 230 g) 1 lb (500 g) seedless red grapes

1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil ¾ tsp (4 mL) fleur de sel 1 tsp (5 mL) crushed pink peppercorns 1½ cups (375 mL) baby arugula 1 pkg (150 g) rustic crackers such as Raincoast Crisps 1 apple, thinly sliced

1 Cut each wheel into 4 portions and divide between 8 appetizer plates. Bring Camembert

to room temperature, about 1 hour. 2 Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).

3 Cut grapes into 8 small bunches that are fairly equal in size. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with fleur de sel and peppercorns.

SHOP ONLINE AT LCBO.COM

212  FOOD & DRI NK HOLIDAY 2018