LCBO Food and Drink Spring 2016

TREND SPOTT ING

AFTERNOON TEA IN ONTARIO [ WHERE TO FIND ]

Cold or hot, Indian chai tea brings depth of flavour to cocktails. Recipes on page 118. Chai Cocktails

Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or simply in the mood to be spoiled, you can’t beat a fancy afternoon tea complete with a pretty tiered tray filled with scones, dainty savouries and bite-sized baked goods. Afternoon tea at Langdon Hall (shown at left) in Cambridge is a white- tablecloth affair, where the menu might in- clude heritage egg salad on a mini croissant or seasonal cheesecake and macarons.    Try to book a table by the fireplace at the trendy Lobby Lounge in Toronto’s Shangri-La Hotel , where you can choose from 68 teas to enjoy with your finger sandwiches, scones and pastries.    The highlight of afternoon tea at the Fairmont Château Laurier in Ottawa is the tea sommelier, who wheels around a wooden cart and helps guests select the blend that best suits their mood.    Touting its experience as Victorian ele­ gance reborn, the Prince of Wales Hotel in Niagara-on-the-Lake serves organic teas alongside scones, tea and pastries with opt­ ional cheese selection or sparkling wine.

WARM

Brandy, Cointreau and amaretto combine for a fruity flavour reminiscent of berries in the classic hot blueberry tea cocktail, here updated with fresh orange juice and chai tea in a BLUEBERRY MASALA CHAI .

COLD

Pleasingly bitter matcha lends its vivid colour to modern desserts. Make It With Matcha

“I like the earthiness and grassy notes it gives off,” says Red House sommelier Rebecca Pettigrew about matcha, the powdered green tea that hails from Japan. Traditionally whisked with hot water before drinking, it’s now frequently used as a fla- vouring, too, in everything from macarons to Kit-Kat bars. A little matcha goes a long way, so ease into flavour experiments, says Christinn Hua of Toronto’s Millie Creperie, whose offerings include matcha gelato, tarts and crepe cakes. To avoid lumps, she adds, sift well and ideally use a traditional bamboo whisk to incorporate into recipes such as these Matcha Mint Profiteroles, adapted by Jennifer MacKenzie from our archives.

For the more refreshing big- batch INDIAN ICED CHAI , sweetened, spice-infused milky tea is chilled in a pitcher over­ night then mixed with white rum and ice, and garnished with a cinnamon stick.

Matcha Mint Profiteroles recipe on page 118

28  FOOD & DRI NK SPRING 2016

LANGDON HALL IMAGE PROVIDED BY LANGDON HALL COUNTRY HOUSE HOTEL & SPA