LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2025

Wrap Party from page 98

2. For the dressing, whisk vinegar, Dijon, honey and oregano in a small mixing bowl. Stream in olive oil while whisking continuously until emul sified. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add garlic and let stand 15 minutes or cover and refrigerate up to 1 day. 3. Place lettuces in a large salad bowl. Arrange other ingredients on top in piles, including about 1/4 cup (60 mL) drained pickled red onion. Drizzle salad with dressing, toss and serve immediately. WHAT TO SERVE Héritage du Cléray Muscadet Sèvre et Maine LCBO 323816, $16.95 From France’s Loire region, Muscadet has a vibrant acidity and minerality to handle the salad and its dressing, while ageing on the yeasty lees adds body and texture to this delicious wine. Serves 8 as a side dish

1. Peel and slice 1 banana into 1/2-inch- (1-cm-) thick coins. Heat butter in a medium-size sauce pan over medium heat. When melted, add sliced banana. Cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon to ensure nothing sticks, until caramelized and fragrant, about 7 minutes. Add milk and stir until hot—do not let boil. Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. 2. In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk yolks, egg, cornstarch, sugar, vanilla and salt until smooth. Slowly stream 1/2 cup (125 mL) hot milk mixture into the egg mixture while vigorously whisking. Repeat with another 1/2 cup (125 mL) milk mixture, then whisk egg mixture into pot with remaining milk mixture. 3. Return pot to medium heat. Whisk gently but constantly until mixture thickens to a pudding-like consistency, 5 to 6 minutes. Pass through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discard ing any solids. 4. Place a piece of plastic wrap against surface of pudding. Cool 30 minutes then refrigerate until completely cool—about 3 hours, or up to 3 days in advance.

RAINBOW CHOP SALAD Sweet, creamy, salty, briny and crunchy, this contemporary antipasto salad is a riot of textures and flavours. It requires some slicing and dicing, but comes together in no time. The payoff is a colourful, hearty salad that eats like a meal. PICKLED RED ONION 2 cups (500 mL) thinly sliced red onion 1 cup (250 mL) white vinegar 2 tbsp (30 mL) sugar 1 garlic clove, smashed DRESSING 1/4 cup (60 mL) red wine vinegar 2 tbsp (30 mL) Dijon mustard 2 tsp (10 mL) honey 2 tsp (10 mL) dried oregano 6 tbsp (90 mL) olive oil Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1 garlic clove, smashed SALAD 8 cups (2 L) washed hearty lettuces such as radicchio, endive, escarole, chicory and romaine, cut into 2-inch (5-cm) pieces 1/4 cup (60 mL) pickled peperoncini peppers, drained, thinly sliced 10 slices hot Genoa salami, about 50 g, cut into ribbons 1 ball (125 g) fresh mozzarella, torn into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces 3/4 cup (175 mL) thinly sliced red pepper 1 cup (250 mL) cherry tomatoes, halved 1 cup (250 mL) sliced mini cucumbers, in half moons 1/3 cup (80 mL) pitted black olives, torn or sliced

5. When ready to serve, peel and slice remain ing 2 bananas into 1/2-inch- (1-cm-) thick coins.

6. Place heavy cream, sour cream and icing sugar in bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attach ment. Beat on medium-high until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes.

BANANA & BISCOFF PUDDING Popularized by New York City’s Magnolia Bakery, banana pudding traditionally encompasses lay ers of vanilla pudding, fresh bananas, whipped cream and vanilla wafers. In our decadent spin, we’ve made a banana pudding enriched with brown butter, swapped out wafers for Biscoff cookies and subbed in sour cream for whipped cream. If you prepare the pudding element in advance, the rest comes together in a snap. 3 ripe bananas, divided 1/4 cup (60 mL) unsalted butter 2 cups (500 mL) whole milk 3 egg yolks 1 egg 1/4 cup (60 mL) cornstarch 1/2 cup (125 mL) sugar 1 tbsp (15 mL) pure vanilla extract 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt 3/4 cup (175 mL) heavy cream 1/4 cup (60 mL) full-fat sour cream 3 tbsp (45 mL) icing sugar 18 Biscoff cookies

7. Break cookies into 1/2-inch (1-cm) pieces, reserving any crumbs.

8. Place 2 tbsp (30 mL) pudding into six 8-oz parfait glasses, or other glass of choice. Layer bananas, cookie pieces and cream mixture on top, so you have two layers of each and saving six slices of banana to garnish top along with cookie crumbs. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 1 hour in advance. WHAT TO SERVE Bottega Panna Cotta Liqueur LCBO 46525, 500 mL, $27.95 Serving a rich, creamy liqueur with this pudding may seem like gilding the lily, but why not? Velvety and sweet, its low-key vanilla cream flavour lets the banana hog the limelight. Serve chilled. Serves 6

1/4 cup (60 mL) chopped parsley 1/4 cup (60 mL) chopped basil

1. For the pickled onion, place onion in a glass jar or bowl. Heat vinegar, sugar and garlic in a small pot over medium, stirring until sugar is dissolved. When hot, pour over onions. Stir so onions are fully immersed in brine. Cool completely. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate up to 5 days.

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———————— HOLIDAY 2025