LCBO Food and Drink Spring 2016

a splash of Moscato from page 15 BLUEBERRY & SPARKL ING RED MOSCATO JELLY Making jam is easy, but you do need a few pieces of essential equipment: heatproof jars, a wide-mouth funnel, a large pot and patience. For the novice, an all-in-one kit is a great start- ing point; however, with or without a canning kit, you can make delicious preserves like this one at home. If you skip the sterilizing (hot wa- ter bath) step, it just means the jam won’t be shelf-stable, and you’ll need to store the sealed jars in the fridge or freezer. 4 cups (1 L) blueberries, fresh or frozen (see TIP) 1 cup (250 mL) sparkling red Moscato wine 6 cups (1.5 L) sugar Juice of 1 large lemon, about ⅓ cup (80 mL) 1 pouch (85 mL) liquid pectin 1 Before you start cooking, pop a plate into the freezer; you’ll use that in a little bit to test the readiness of the jam. 2 Into a large, heavy-bottom saucepan over medium-high heat, add the blueberries, wine, sugar and lemon juice. Bring up to a good boil, stirring constantly and watching closely, in case it starts to foam and boil over. 3 When it comes to a boil, add the whole pouch of liquid pectin—try to squeeze out every drop; you need it!—stir in and bring back up to the boil. Boil for about 1 minute stirring constantly. 4 Spoon a drop of hot jam onto that chilled plate and pop it back into the freezer; if it be- gins to gel or set within 30 seconds or so, it’s time to bottle. If not, boil for another minute, then retest. 5 Tobottle,transferthestill-hotjamintowarm, sterilized jars. Don’t overfill; about ¼ inch (5 mm) from the top is perfect. 6 Pop on the lids, tighten, and finish canning by submerging the filled, tightly sealed jars into a very large pot of boiling water for about 20 minutes. Remove from the water bath and allow to cool on the counter. You should hear a chorus of metallic clinks and clunks coming from the kitchen, as the seals set tight! Makes about 6½ cups (1.625 L) TIP  We tested this recipe with both fresh and frozen blueberries, and while both work well, it’s easier to find wild blueberries frozen. Wild berries are smaller and, we think, tastier!

mixing it up from page 76

GRAND ENTRANCE 1 Fill a tall glass with ice. Add 1 oz amber rum, ½ oz Grand Marnier, the juice of ⅛ fresh lime, dash of Angostura bitters and 4 to 5 oz ginger beer. Stir to mix and garnish with a candied ginger slice. GINGER’S I SLAND 1 In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add 1½ oz bourbon, 1 oz lemon juice and ½ oz Ginger Honey Syrup (recipe follows). Shake sharply and strain into a coupette glass. Garnish with a lemon twist. GINGER HONEY SYRUP 1 Combine 1 cup (250 mL) sugar and 1 cup (250 mL) boiling water, stir to dissolve, then add 1 cup (250 mL) honey and 1 to 2 oz ginger juice and stir to thin.

LONDON CRUSH 1 In a cocktail shaker, add ¼ cup (60 mL) fresh kiwi, peeled and chopped, and muddle. Fill the shaker with ice and add 1½ oz gin, 5 mint leaves, torn, 1 oz lime juice and 1 oz Almond Syrup (recipe follows). Shake and strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Gar- nish with a mint sprig. ALMOND SYRUP 1 Add 1 cup (250 mL) blanched almonds to a food processer and blend to a fine grind. Trans- fer to a bowl and add 2 cups (500 mL) boiling water. Allow to stand for several hours. Strain and squeeze out the liquid into a pan and dis- card the solids. Add 1 cup (250mL) sugar to the pan and warm, stirring until dissolved. Cool and store, covered, for up to 2 weeks. LATE-NIGHT LATTE 1 To a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add 1 oz Kahlua, ½ oz brandy, 2 oz chilled coffee and 2 oz almond milk. Shake and strain into a tall glass with ice. Top with whipped cream and dust with cinnamon. BEACH BONFIRE 1 Crush ½ cup (125 mL) roasted almonds and put onto a plate. Rim a glass with Simple Syrup (recipe follows) and dip into the almonds to coat the rim. 2 In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add 1 oz rum, ½ oz Alize liqueur, 2 oz pineapple juice and 2 oz passion-fruit juice. Shake until frothy and strain into the rimmed glass filled with ice. Garnish with a lime wheel. S IMPLE SYRUP 1 Combine equal parts sugar and boiling wa- ter. Stir until sugar has dissolved. Store in the fridge until chilled.

THE MIKADO COCKTAI L 1 In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add 1½ oz vodka, 1 oz aloe juice, ½ oz yuzu juice, ½ oz Simple Syrup (recipe this page) and 1 sprig ci- lantro. Shake sharply. Place a skewer of pickled ginger into a Martini glass. Strain the liquid into the glass. COOL BREEZE NEGRONI 1 To a rocks glass filled with ice, add 1 oz gin, 1 oz Campari, 1 oz sweet vermouth and 5 drops Saline Solution (recipe follows). Stir to mix. Add a lemon slice and an orange slice to garnish. SAL INE SOLUTION 1 Mix 1 tsp (0.5 mL) salt into 1 tbsp (15 mL) warm water, then use an eye dropper to ex- periment with the amount of saline in your Negroni.

110  FOOD & DRI NK SPRING 2016