LCBO Food & Drink Summer 2023

INSIDE SCOOP

Trendspotting A roundup of what we’re into this season.

Glass Act Stylish, durable and eco-friendly? Check, check and check! Vancouver-based Fable (fable.com)— a B Corp-certified company—works with glassmakers in Japan to produce both short and tall drinking glasses that are light and delicate, but have been specially treated to be nearly shatterproof. The coupes, wineglasses and flutes made in Germany. They’re not cheap (from $125/set of 4), but Fable backs all its tableware with a same goes for Fable’s crystal

Slush Fund Turning a cold one into a really cold one is easy: make an icy granita out of beer—pilsner or wheat beer work nicely—and use it to chill a glass of sparkling lemon ade. Called a Beer Slushie (recipe p. 135), it’s bracingly cold, low in alcohol and unbelievably refreshing.

Crunch Time Potato chips never go out of style, but they seem to be especially popular these days with dozens of brands, both local and imported, offering a wide range of offbeat flavours. Here are six bags to upgrade your summer snacking.

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Lay’s Magic Masala (165 g, $2.97, walmart.ca ) Sweet, sour and boldly spiced, India’s iconic chip flavour is gaining a loyal following in Canada. Miss Vickie’s Spicy Dill Pickle (200 g, $5.49, loblaws.ca ) With crunchy kettle cooked chips and a blast of heat, Miss Vickie is the queen of this beloved Canadian flavour.

Brets Jura Cheese (125 g, $5.25, goodcheese.ca ) While it’s hard to go wrong with any of the amazing flavours from France’s Brets, our favourite is this robust mountain cheese. San Carlo Pesto (150 g, $5.50, eataly.ca ) This Italian company really nailed the pesto flavour—it tastes of fragrant basil and nutty Parm, the perfect complement to its delicate chips.

Torres Foie Gras (150 g, $7.49, well.ca ) Made in Spain, these über-thin chips taste more like liverwurst than foie gras, but that’s a good thing. They’re divine. (128 g, $4.49, well.ca ) Fried in avocado oil, these chips won’t set your mouth aflame, but the notorious pepper sneaks up on you and sticks around. Hardbite Sweet Ghost Pepper

What is Mochi? Mochi is a Japanese rice cake, traditionally made by steaming a type of glutinous rice called mochigome then pounding it into a dough with a wooden mallet. Today, it more likely starts as a cooked dough of flour ground from the same rice ( mochiko ), sugar and water. Either way, it has a wonderfully squishy and chewy texture, and is often stuffed with sweet fillings such as adzuki bean paste. In North America, mochi is most popular wrapped around two-bite balls of ice cream. You can find these delightful treats at most Asian supermarkets, including T&T (tntsupermarket.com)—our favourite brand is Mt Fuji, especially the coffee flavour.

30 FOOD & DRINK SUMMER 2023