LCBO Food & Drink Spring 2025

Almost Famous from page 80

Barbecue rub or seasoning to taste 2/3 cup (150 mL) barbecue sauce 5 cups (1.25 L) water Salt to taste 1 cup (250 mL) Bob’s Red Mill Corn Grits 12 oz (340 g) fresh okra, stems and 1/4 inch (5 mm) of tips trimmed 2 tbsp (30 mL) unsalted butter, diced 1 cup (250 mL) grated Monterey Jack cheese Freshly ground pepper to taste 1. Arrange one rack in lower third of oven and the other 6 inches (15 cm) from broiler. Preheat to 425°F (218°C). Line a heavy-duty baking sheet with foil and brush lightly with oil. 2. Line another baking sheet with a double layer of paper towel. Cut each block of tofu in half lengthwise through middle to make 4 steaks in total, each roughly 1 × 3 × 5 inches (2.5 × 8 × 12 cm). Place tofu steaks on towel- lined baking sheet. Cover with a double layer of paper towel. Place another baking sheet on top and weigh it down with heavy objects for 10 minutes. 3. Working one at a time, place a tofu steak on a cutting board. Lay two chopsticks against long sides. Using a sharp chef’s knife, make crosswise incisions every 1/4 inch (5 mm), letting the chopsticks block the knife from going all the way through. (Tofu can be transferred to a paper towel–lined container, covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day.) 4. Season both sides of tofu with barbecue rub and transfer to prepared baking sheet, scored sides up. Brush with roughly two thirds of barbecue sauce, working it into some of the cuts. Set aside. 5. Pour water into a 3-quart (3-L) saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Season with salt and reduce heat to medium. Slowly whisk in corn grits. Whisk constantly until mixture is thickened, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to lowest setting, adjusting heat as neces sary to maintain the barest simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally at beginning and more frequently near end, until thick and creamy, about 30 minutes. (Once it gets thicker, switch from a whisk to a wooden spoon.)

1. For the dressing, whisk all ingredients in a mixing bowl until smooth. Transfer to an airtight container. Refrigerate up to 1 week. Stir before using. 2. Bring a medium-size saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add snow peas. Swirl in water for 45 seconds then drain and transfer to a bowl of ice water. Cool, drain and pat dry with paper towel. Set aside. 3. In a large nonstick frying pan, heat oil over medium-high. Carefully add frozen dump lings, flat sides down. Cook until bottoms are well browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and carefully add 3 tbsp (45 mL) water. Cover and steam until water has evapo rated and dumplings are cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes more. 4. While dumplings are cooking, made a bed of pea shoots on a large serving platter. Cut zuc chini lengthwise into quarters. Cut out spongy cores and discard or save for vegetable stock. Using a mandoline, carefully cut zucchini into long ribbons and arrange on platter. Sprinkle with snow peas. Season lightly with salt. 5. When dumplings are ready, transfer to platter. Drizzle generously with sesame dressing, saving rest for another use. Sprinkle with green onions and chili. Serve immediately.

DUMPLING SALAD WITH ZUCCHINI RIBBONS, SNOW PEAS & SPICY SESAME DRESSING Hetty Lui McKinnon quietly published her dump ling salad recipe in her book To Asia, With Love (Prestel, 2021), but it wasn’t until last summer, when she ran an updated version in The New York Times , that it became a viral sensation. Here, we’ve riffed on her clever idea, pairing crispy pan-fried dumplings with spring vegeta bles and a spicy, creamy sesame dressing. SPICY SESAME DRESSING 1 tsp (5 mL) finely grated ginger 1/4 tsp (1 mL) finely grated garlic 1/3 cup (80 mL) tahini 3 tbsp (45 mL) rice vinegar 2 tbsp (30 mL) toasted sesame oil 2 tbsp (30 mL) soy sauce 2 tbsp (30 mL) water 1 tbsp (15 mL) sriracha sauce SALAD Salt to taste 4 oz (115 g) snow peas, trimmed 1 tbsp (15 mL) canola oil 1 lb (455 g) frozen potsticker or gyoza dumplings 3/4 container (100 g) pea shoots 1 medium-size green zucchini, about 6 oz (170 g) 1 green onion, green part only, thinly sliced 1 fresh red finger chili, thinly sliced

Serves 4

WHAT TO SERVE Lake of Bays Dammit Hazy Light IPA LCBO 43049, 473 mL, $3.40

A fresh, juicy Ontario IPA will cut through the vibrant Asian-style dressing and juicy dump lings, while its fruity hop aromatics bring out the underlying flavours of the vegetables.

BBQ HASSELBACK TOFU WITH PEPPER JACK GRITS & ROASTED OKRA The Hasselback treatment, which origi nally started with potatoes, is being used for everything from roasted squash to caprese salad. Popularized by the folks at So Vegan (wearesovegan.com), Hasselback tofu is a genius way of allowing flavours to penetrate the bland protein. In this recipe, we bring some Southern barbecue flavours, pairing it with cheesy grits and roasted okra.

4 tsp (20 mL) canola oil, plus more for brushing 2 blocks (each 455 g) extra-firm tofu, drained

120

———————— SPRING 2025