LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2018

3 Use an immersion blender in the pot to pu- rée about half the soup, leaving some chunks (or transfer about half the soup in batches to a blender and purée until smooth, then return to pot). Return to medium heat. 4 In a small bowl, whisk sour creamwith flour. Gradually dollop into soup, whisking each ad- dition until blended. Stir in the shredded pick- les. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 5 to 10 minutes or until bubbling and until slightly thickened. Stir in half of the dill and season to taste with salt and pepper. 5 Ladle soup into warmed bowls and sprinkle with diced pickles and remaining fresh dill. Serves 4

dissolved. Increase heat to high and boil rap- idly, without stirring, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 tsp (5 mL) salt, baking soda and vanilla (it will bubble up). 5 Quickly pour chocolate mixture over pop- corn mixture in bowl and toss to evenly coat. Spread onto baking sheet as evenly as possi- ble. Bake, stirring twice, for 15 minutes or un- til mixture is evenly glazed. Let cool until just warm enough to handle but still pliable. Break up into small clusters, then let cool completely. 6 Combine cooled, glazed popcorn mixture, remaining popcorn, corn nuts and chocolate candies in a large bowl. Serve immediately or store in a cookie tin at room temperature for up to 5 days. Makes about 12 cups (3 L) DI LL PICKLE POTATO SOUP Inspired by a traditional Polish recipe, this soup, thick with potatoes and tangy with dill pickles, is sure to thaw you after a chilly day out in the wintry weather. The warm Pastrami on a Pretzel Bun sandwiches (recipe p. 235) are a perfect hearty pairing. You canmake the soup through Step 3 a day or two ahead, refrigerate it, then bring it back to a boil before adding the sour cream. Simmer it up, curl up and warm up. 2 tbsp (30 mL) butter 1 onion, chopped 1 large carrot, shredded 3 cups (750 mL) chopped peeled russet potatoes, about 2 2 cloves garlic, minced Salt and freshly ground pepper 4 cups (1 L) unsalted chicken or vegetable broth ½ cup (125 mL) dill pickle liquid ½ cup (125 mL) sour cream, at room temperature 2 tbsp (30 mL) all-purpose flour ½ cup (125 mL) shredded dill pickles 1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh dill, divided ¼ cup (60 mL) finely diced dill pickle 1 Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté onion and carrots for about 5 minutes or until softened. Add potatoes, garlic and ½ tsp (2 mL) each salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until garlic is fragrant. 2 Stir in broth and dill pickle liquid. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and boil gently, covered, for about 30 minutes or until potatoes are very soft.

CHOCOLATE SWEET & SALTY POPCORN MIX

When you can’t decide between a sweet snack and a salty one, make both! This colourful blend of movie-time favourites, with a choco- latey candy corn base, is all the treats mixed into one big bowl of happiness. It does last about 5 days when stored in a cookie tin at room temperature, so you can make it ahead, though you’ll probably need to hide it or use a padlock on the tin to make sure it doesn’t disappear. Popping corn in a pot is worth the effort for freshness (and the smell and sound!) and to help the salt cling, but if you prefer to air-pop or buy popcorn, you’ll need 8 cups (2 L) popped. 2 cups (500 mL) small pretzel twists ¾ cup (175 mL) granulated sugar ¼ cup (60 mL) unsweetened cocoa powder ⅓ cup (80 mL) corn syrup ¼ cup (60 mL) butter ¼ tsp (1 mL) baking soda ½ tsp (2 mL) vanilla 1½ cups (375 mL) corn nuts or chip nuts 1 cup (250 mL) candy-coated chocolate pieces, such as M&M’s or Smarties 1 Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. 2 Heat 2 tbsp (30 mL) of the oil and a few ker- nels of corn in a large, covered pot over high heat. When kernels pop, add remaining corn and cook, shaking pot often, until corn is popped. Remove from heat and let stand until popping stops. Uncover and season popcorn with salt to taste. 3 Coat inside of a large bowl with remaining oil. Add 6 cups (1.5 L) of the popcorn and pret- zels to oiled bowl; set aside. 4 Whisk together sugar, cocoa powder, corn syrup and butter in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar is 2½ tbsp (37 mL) canola oil, divided ⅓ cup (80 mL) popping corn kernels Flaky sea salt or kosher salt

WHAT TO SERVE Babich Sauvignon Blanc LCBO 620054

$17.05 The freshness of this wine which has vibrant acidity will cut through the creaminess of the soup and the lively gooseberry, herbal and grassy notes will match well with the dish overall. Fazi Battaglia Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi LCBO 24422 $12.45 The grape Verdicchio finds its home in central Italy and produces wines with crisp acidity and herbal notes—in this case, subtle fennel, which will pair perfectly with the fragrant dill and sour cream in this dish.

EaSY does it from page 55

CHOCOLATE SAUCE A rich chocolate sauce that can be repurposed as a fondue dipping sauce if any is left. ½ cup (125 mL) cocoa powder

½ cup (125 mL) sugar 1 cup (250 mL) water ½ cup (125 mL) whipping cream 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla ¼ tsp (1 mL) salt

1 Sift cocoa and sugar into a medium pot. Slowly add water to cocoa mixture while whisk- ing. Bring mixture to a boil. Add cream, bring mixture back to a boil then reduce to medium and simmer, whisking often, until reduced to 1 cup (250 mL), about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla and salt. Cool slightly before serving with cheesecake. Makes 1 cup (250 mL) sauce

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236  FOOD & DRI NK HOLIDAY 2018