LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2018

TREND SPOTT ING

An air fryer is not a fryer, per se; it’s a mini-convection oven that rapidly circulates hot air around food yielding crisp, golden results without as much oil as deep-frying or the hazards that come with it. Whether you’re making wings, french fries or coconut shrimp, it makes healthier pub fare at home. Philips (from $249.99, canadiantire.ca) makes a few compact models, and if you want to upgrade your toaster oven, Cuisinart AirFryer Convection Oven ($299.99, thebay.com) has an uncommonly large capacity. Frying High

FOR: Parents with school-age children or university students.

FOR: The coffee geek who has almost everything.

Looking like something out of a mad scien- tist’s lab, a siphon coffee maker heats water in a lower chamber, which sends it into an upper chamber by vapour pressure. There it mixes with coffee grounds and gets sucked back through a filter by vacuum pressure. In addition to making a superior cup, the process will bring a bit of theatre to your next brunch. Hario from Japan makes a number of old- school siphons (from $109, amazon.ca) or for a more user-friendly process, try the KitchenAid Siphon Coffee Brewer ($299.99, cookstore.ca). STRANGE BREW

COOK LIKE A PRO How does a fancy restaurant cook meat so perfectly? There is a good chance it was done with an immersion circulator (a.k.a. sous vide). Invented in the early ’70s, sous vide is a method for cooking sealed food slowly and gently in a hot water bath yield- ing consistently moist, even and tender results. Most immersion circulators—from brands like Anova Culinary (from $169.99, anovaculinary.com) and Sansaire ($269.99, thebay.com)—now clip onto a large pot, and are small enough to stow away in a utensil drawer. While sous vide takes time and often requires searing before serving, you’ll never overcook a steak or chicken breast again.

FOR: Foodies who like to play chef on weekends.

30  FOOD & DRI NK HOLIDAY 2018