LCBO Food & Drink Spring 2019

TREND SPOTT ING

TAKING SIDES No longer happy to sit on the sidelines, vegetables are taking their rightful place at centre stage, stealing the spotlight from meaty mains. Some (cauliflower, celeriac) are being roasted whole before being carved and sauced tableside. Others (beets, rutabaga) are baked like whole fish under a salt crust and cracked open in front of guests to inhale the fragrant steam. Even much-maligned broccoli gets the royal meat treatment in our Roasted Broccoli Steaks with Buttermilk Dressing and Crispy Crumbs (recipe p. 99).

OFF THE SHELF Here’s what to look for at the LCBO this year.

SOUR POWER Intentionally soured using wild yeast or introduced bac- teria, sour beer is a complex brew with a bracingly tart finish. Belgium’s Rodenbach is the unofficial king, and its Grand Cru tastes like the Pinot Noir of beers. RODENBACH GRAND CRU LCBO 492207, 330 mL, $3.30 IN THE MIX From vodka sodas to Old Fashioneds, pre-mixed drinks are increasing in quantity and quality. No shaking, stirring or messing up the bar, just pour over ice and enjoy. J.P.WISER’S OLD FASHIONED DRINK PINK Pink gin is all the rage in Europe and it’s set to hop across the pond this year. Tinted with everything from pink grapefruit to straw­ berries, these gins will add new flavour and a maiden’s blush to your next Martini. WHISKY COCKTAIL LCBO 625996, $29.95

MALFY GIN ROSA LCBO 636068, $34.95

When A&W launched the vegetarian Beyond Meat Burger last summer, the response was so overwhelming that it sold out across Canada in weeks. And for good reason: the plant-based patty delivers the same savoury succulence as beef, and it’s as delicious as any carnivorous item on the menu. The Impossible Burger, another new veggie burger, which is currently only available in the U.S., goes one step further and mimics the bloody juices of medium-rare beef. Look for it to come north of the border and be coveted by vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. VEG BURG: The Next Generation

32  FOOD & DRI NK SPRING 2019