LCBO Food & Drink Holiday 2025

INSIDE SCOOP

HOLIDAY HACKS Affordable Entertaining Here are three ways to save money while hosting this holiday season. Batch, Natch Eliminate the need for a bartender and save on spirits with a festive batch Pair a hearty winter soup and crusty bread with cava or Prosecco for an elegant, affordable meal. Time It Right Plan a mid-afternoon or post-dinner gathering, when drinks and snacks will suffice. —JESSICA HURAS cocktail or punch. Soup & Sparkling

ENTERTAINING Building a Better Platter To learn about composing a ’gram-worthy holiday snack platter, we asked Food & Drink food stylist and contributor Lindsay Guscott to share her best tips. 1 GLOBAL GLAM “Visit global grocery stores to find something new and exciting. My recent discoveries include Brazilian pão de queijo [cheese bread balls] and Chinese shizimo , little flatbreads baked on pebbles.” 2 FOLLOW THE RAINBOW “The easiest way to make a platter shine is playing with colour. Dried apricots, pickled red onions and vibrant green Castelvetrano olives are all tasty ways to brighten things up.” 3 SLEIGHT OF HAND “While I never make everything from scratch, it’s easy to make it look like I did. One trick is to skip boxed crackers and break oversized thin flatbreads into large, irregular pieces.” 4 IT’S GREAT TO MARINATE “A quick marination in good olive oil, herbs and spices will give a boost of colour and flavour to fresh cheeses such as feta, goat cheese and baby bocconcini.” 5 JAZZ IT UP “Give store‑bought items an upgrade by adding

your own twist. I like to stir Campari into marmalade for a burst of colour or toss kettle chips with fresh thyme and parmigiano.”

LOCAL Butter Up! These Ontario butters add rich ness and flavour to every holiday bite. —JH

ST. BRIGID’S CREAMERY Local chefs swear by this silky, deep-yellow butter made with milk from grass-fed Jersey cows. 250 g, $14.99, mamaearth.ca

LOFTY BUTTER COMPANY, COLBORNE, ONT.

Cultured for five days and churned by hand, this small-batch butter is tangy and so flavourful. 150 g, $10, loftybutter.ca

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———————— HOLIDAY 2025