LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2019

THE NEW SPICE ROUTE

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WHAT TO SERVE

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Star Anise, Pear & Chicken Liver Pâté The soft red fruits in Gamay synergize with the anise and earthy pâté elements. A deft choice for the recipe and for relishing. 13th Street Gamay VQA VINTAGES 177824, $19.95 Cinnamon Chicken Piccata Chardonnay’s melon tones and creamy tex­ ture handle the warm nutty notes and lemony acidity of the piccata with panache. Fielding Estate Chardonnay Unoaked VQA VINTAGES 164491, $15.95 Sweet Potato Ginger Hazelnut Crisp Heady ginger and thyme spices elevate the dish’s nutty sweet-potato richness. Choose an aro- matic deeply fruity wine for maximum effect. Ironstone Obsession LCBO 295931, $14.95 Nutmeg Honey Bundt Cake Ambrosial spice and dense texture beg for a spirit that’s equally aromatic and concentrat- ed. The orange and spice notes of Cognac-based Grand Marnier bring it all! Grand Marnier LCBO 12195, 375 mL, $26.95

Tightly sealed glass jars prevent spice aromas from mingling in your pantry.

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Spice 101

Top-quality spices produce top-quality results. Splurge on the good stuff.

1 Nutmeg A grape-size brown seed from a tropical tree in Indonesia and the West Indies. Whole or ground. Crack to remove shiny hard shell from seed, if necessary. Grate on a rasp or Microplane just before use. Pre-ground seeds can be musty, so check carefully before using.

2 Ginger A fresh rhizome (root) and the dried, pow- dered spice. Dried and fresh can be used in sweet and savoury dishes, though not substituted directly for each other. Ground ginger should be pun­ gent with no sign of mustiness and should have a peppery taste.

3 Cinnamon Dried inner bark of an evergreen tree. There are many species with slightly different nuances. Sticks (called quills), chips and ground. Seek out Ceylon or Vietnamese for true cinnamon, rather than the cheaper Chinese cassia.

4 Star Anise Eight-pointed,

reddish-brown star- shaped pods from trees indigenous to China and Viet- nam. An aromatic floral flavour with a pronounced anise (licorice) taste. Most commonly asso­ ciated with five-spice powder.

Buying & storing spices

Store in tightly closed glass jars, preferably in the dark (or at least out of direct light) in a cool place, well away from the stove, to retain flavour.

Buy spices in small amounts from a store with high turnover to ensure freshness. If shopping from a bulk bin, check with a sniff to ensure the spices hav- en’t picked up aromas from the neighbouring bins.

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HOLIDAY 2019 FOOD & DRINK