LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2021

INSIDE SCOOP

Good catch MATCHMAKER

PRO TIP: “If you forgot about your panettone and it went stale, make bread pudding or French toast. In a bakery, everything has

From the Feast of the Seven Fishes to oysters on New Year’s Eve, seafood plays a big role during the holiday season. Here’s a quick guide to pairing a few favourites with popular drinks.

a second life.” Bianca Mazzi

Salmon Robust, fatty salmon allows you to bend the rules and serve red wine with fish—choose something light and acidic, such as Gamay or Pinot Noir. If you prefer white, go with a barrel-aged Chardonnay from Ontario, B.C. or California. Shrimp It’s hard to think of the holidays without the ubiquitous shrimp ring. The chilled crustaceans pair brilliantly with a wide range of white wines, from South African Chenin Blanc to dry Ontario Riesling to bracingly cold Prosecco. Try pilsner or the most famous oyster pairing, Guinness. well with a number of dry, tart white wines, including Muscadet, Chablis and New Zea- land Sauvignon Blanc. Beer is also terrific: Caviar Champagne is most commonly poured with these luxurious fish eggs, but it should be bone-dry and crisp, such as a “zero-dosage” or Blanc de Blancs. Vod- ka, served straight from the freezer, is another excellent choice. Oysters Raw oysters work

A wall of beautifully boxed panettone is a familiar sight at supermarkets this time of year. Yet they’re all baked in huge quantities meant for a long shelf life. Well, not quite all. There is a movement among local bakers to make Italian Christmas cake the old-fashioned way: by hand, in small batches, using the best ingredients. But it’s not easy. The right ’tone LOCAL

around it to make sure the panettone is just right.” Sometimes that means going in for a midnight baking session. Once they’re baked, the stress isn’t over. “Within not even one minute of coming out, they have to be hung upside down, or they will start sinking,” says Mazzi. “If something goes wrong, like too much fat, they will be beheaded.” She’s referring to when the tops fall off, a deflating moment to cap a three-day process. Between the time, risk and expensive ingredients, artisanal panettone carries a hefty price tag, but it’s more than worth it. You can taste the patience, love and tradition in every bite. Small-batch panettone is also avail- able at Bread by Us (breadbyus.com) in Ottawa and Golden Hearth Bakery (goldenhearth.ca) in Kitchener, Ont. Terroni (labottegaditerroni.com), which makes them at their bakery arm, Sud Forno, in Toronto, will ship anywhere in the province.

Traditional panettone is naturally leavened by a finicky sourdough starter called the “madre,” which needs to be fed regularly with flour and water to keep it alive. “The window at which she works perfect for panettone is so tight,” says Bianca Mazzi, referring to the madre’s ability to leaven the butter-rich dough. Mazzi, along with her life and business partner, Rodney Alléguède, makes acclaimed panettone at Goûter (gouter.ca), their mini chain of patisseries in Toronto. “You have to structure your day

TRADITIONS Simbang Gabi When: December 16 to 24 What:

A nine-day series of dawn masses for Filipino Catholics leading up to Christmas. It’s also known by its Spanish name, Misa de Gallo , or “Mass of the Rooster.” Essential Dish: Puto bumbóng, a steamed purple rice cake served with butter or margarine, coconut and muscovado sugar.

PANETTONE IMAGE BY ROB FIOCCA

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HOLIDAY 2021 FOOD & DRINK