LCBO Food & Drink Spring 2026

RECIPES

Big Time from page 89

Coming Attractions from page 68

1. For the crepes, place flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs and slowly add milk, whisking until you have a smooth batter. Stir in herbs, then cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 2. While batter is resting, start béchamel. In a small pot, heat butter over medium heat. When melted, add flour and whisk until smooth. Cook until colour is lightly golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk. Cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until very thick, about 5 minutes—sauce is thicker than traditional béchamel so it will stay on top of cake. Remove from heat and stir in nutmeg, salt and pepper. heat. When hot, lightly oil pan, if needed, and ladle 1/4 cup (60 mL) crepe batter into it. Spread it thinly and evenly with back of ladle, or tilt and swirl pan. Cook until golden, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Flip onto a baking sheet and repeat until batter is gone, adjusting heat as necessary and placing parchment between crepe layers. You should have at least 20 crepes. 3. To continue crepes, heat a 10-inch (25-cm) crepe pan or flat nonstick frying pan over medium 5. To assemble, place a crepe on a round broiler-proof dish or pan. Place 3 pieces of ham on top and layer with another crepe. Set aside 1/2 cup (125 mL) Gruyère for top of cake, then sprinkle layer with a little less than 1/4 cup (60 mL) cheese. Continue to build cake, layering crepes with alternating layers of ham and cheese. 6. Top cake with 20th crepe. Spread béchamel overtop and sprinkle with reserved 1/2 cup (125 mL) cheese. Bake on middle rack for 30 to 35 minutes. Turn broiler on low. Broil, watching carefully, until golden brown on top, 2 to 4 minutes. 7. Remove from oven and decorate with fresh herbs. Cut into slices and serve with maple syrup, if desired. 4. Place rack in centre of oven. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).

CLARIFIED MARGARITA This simple method requires plenty of time and patience but produces cocktails with a round, soft texture. Avoid using a cone-shaped mesh strainer, which will quickly get clogged up with solids; a shallow, round one works better. Inevitably some of the mixture is lost to the curdling and filtration processes, so this yields two drinks. 31/2 oz fresh-squeezed lime juice, strained 13/4 oz clear orange liqueur, such as triple sec or Cointreau 13/4 oz simple syrup Lime wedge or simple syrup for rimming (optional) White or black salt for rimming (optional) 1. At least 2 days before serving, pour milk into a clean jar, 24-oz or larger. Mix the next five ingredients in a measuring cup until combined. Slowly pour into the milk (mixture will curdle). Cover and rest in fridge undisturbed overnight, until liquid layer on top appears clear. 2. Through a cheesecloth-lined fine-mesh strainer, filter the curdled mixture into a measuring cup or bowl for at least 2 hours. Do not squeeze, stir or disturb the curdled solids while filtering, which would make the cocktail cloudy. Discard solids and cheesecloth. 3. Rinse a flat-bottom paper coffee filter with water and place it in the bottom of a fine-mesh strainer to filter the liquid again. Do not stir, disturb or squeeze the paper filter. Discard filter and any solids. 4. Store clear, filtered cocktail in a clean glass jar or bottle in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. To serve, for optional salt rim, rim edges of two serving glasses with lime wedge (or, for coarser salt rims, dip in simple syrup), then dip in salt. Pour half of cocktail (approximately 2 oz) into each glass over ice. 4 oz whole milk (at least 3.25% fat) 5 oz blanco tequila 2 oz water

HAM & CHEESE CREPE CAKE BY MEGAN POWELL

Croque Monsieur, the French grilled ham and cheese sandwich, is the inspiration for this unique savoury cake. It features layer upon layer of herbed crepes, smoky ham and robust Gruyère cheese. It’s then topped with a creamy béchamel sauce and broiled to bubbly perfec tion. A generous drizzle of maple syrup brings a Canadian accent to this Gallic gâteau. CREPES 3 cups (750 mL) all-purpose flour 1 tsp (5 mL) salt 6 eggs 32/3 cups (900 mL) whole milk 1/4 cup (60 mL) finely chopped soft herbs such as parsley, chives and dill Canola oil as needed BÉCHAMEL 3 tbsp (45 mL) unsalted butter 3 tbsp (45 mL) all-purpose flour 1 cup (250 mL) whole milk Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste ASSEMBLY 30 slices deli ham, about 6-inch (15-cm) diameter 21/2 cups (625 mL) grated Gruyère cheese, divided Fresh herbs to garnish Pure maple syrup for drizzling (optional)

Serves 8 to 10

WHAT TO SERVE Mezzacorona Pinot Grigio LCBO 589010, 1.5 L, $26.95

Look for a fresh, tangy Pinot Grigio from Northern Italy that cuts through the richness while offering personality of its own.

Makes 2 drinks

103

SPRING 2026 ————————