Black Knight
Ingredients
Serves 1
5 blackberries, divided
1 oz (30 ml) Goslings Black Seal Rum
½ oz (15 ml) lime juice
½ oz (15 ml) simple syrup
3 oz (90 ml) Guinness Draught
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker with cubed ice, combine 3 blackberries with rum, lime juice and simple syrup. Shake vigorously, then fine strain into a rocks glass and top with Guinness. Add fresh cubed ice and garnish with remaining blackberries.
Featuring
White Light
Ingredients
Serves 1
medium shredded coconut flakes, for garnish
1 oz (30 ml) Malibu Coconut Rum Liqueur
1 oz (30 ml) Crème de Cacao
1 oz (30 ml) half-and-half cream
Instructions
- Sprinkle a handful of coconut flakes on a small plate. Moisten rim of a coupe glass and dip into coconut. Place glass in freezer to chill. In a cocktail shaker with cubed ice, combine remaining ingredients. Shake vigorously and fine strain into prepared glass.
Drink Pairings
The Optimist
Ingredients
Serves 1
1 egg white
1½ oz (45 ml) Bombay Sapphire Gin
1 oz (30 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice
¾ oz (22 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ oz (15 ml) orgeat
ground cinnamon, for garnish
Instructions
- Place a coupe or stemmed cocktail glass in the freezer. In a cocktail shaker, combine egg white, gin, orange and lemon juices and orgeat. Shake “dry” (without ice) to emulsify ingredients, then add cubed ice and shake vigorously to chill. Fine strain into chilled glass and garnish with a light dusting of ground cinnamon.
Featuring
Old-Fashioned
Ingredients
Serves 1
¼ tsp (1 ml) sugar
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 tsp (5 ml) water
2 oz (60 ml) Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select Bourbon
2 strips orange zest (save 1 for garnish)
1 strip lemon zest
all-natural maraschino cherry, for garnish
Instructions
- Place an old-fashioned glass in the freezer. In a mixing glass, combine sugar, bitters and water, and stir to dissolve. Add bourbon, then express oils of 1 orange zest and 1 lemon zest into the mixing glass. Add cubed ice and stir until well chilled and diluted. Strain over new ice into chilled glass and garnish with orange zest and a cherry.
Featuring
Cosmopolitan
Ingredients
Serves 1
1½ oz (45 ml) Absolut Citron Vodka
1 oz (30 ml) cranberry juice
½ oz (15 ml) Cointreau
¼ oz (7 ml) lime juice
1 strip of orange zest, for garnish
Instructions
- Place a martini glass in the freezer. In a cocktail shaker, combine vodka, cranberry juice, Cointreau and lime juice with cubed ice. Shake vigorously and strain into chilled glass. Garnish with orange zest after expressing its oils over the surface of the drink.
Featuring
Pasta with Chickpeas
Ingredients
Serves 2-3
3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil, divided
½ small yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 x 5.5 oz (156 ml) can tomato paste
1 x 19 oz (540 ml) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cups (500 ml) vegetable stock, plus 1 cup (250 ml) or more, if needed
1 sprig rosemary
1 bay leaf
½ tsp (2.5 ml) chili flakes
1 tsp (5 ml) sugar
salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups (500 ml) dry ditalini pasta
1 cup (250 ml) grated Pecorino cheese, plus extra for garnish
¼ cup (60 ml) chopped flat leaf parsley leaves
Instructions
- Heat 2 tbsp (30 ml) oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté for 5 to 8 minutes, until soft. Add tomato paste and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chickpeas, 2 cups (500 ml) vegetable stock, rosemary, bay leaf, chili flakes and sugar. Stir and season with salt and pepper. Cover with a lid, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, until chickpeas are tender.
- Remove from heat. Remove and discard rosemary sprig and bay leaf. Using an immersion blender, gently pulse mixture until thickened but some texture remains (or, transfer half the mixture to a blender and pulse for 1 minute, then transfer back to pot). This is to thicken stock; don’t blend fully, as you still want some whole chickpeas.
- Return pot to medium-low heat, add pasta and cover with a lid. Stirring occasionally, gently simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until pasta is cooked through. If all liquid has been absorbed and pasta is not fully cooked, add another 1 cup (250 ml) vegetable stock at a time, as needed, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente.
- To serve, stir in 1 cup (250 ml) Pecorino, then remove from heat and garnish with extra Pecorino, parsley and remaining 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil.
Drink Pairings
Parsnip Risotto with Caramelized Shallots
Ingredients
Serves 2-3
½ cup (125 ml) butter
6 sage leaves
4 tbsp (60 ml) olive oil, divided
3 large shallots, thinly sliced
1 small onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium parsnip, peeled and diced (about 1½ cups/375 ml)
1¼ cups (310 ml) Arborio rice
1 cup (250 ml) dry white wine
4 cups (1 L) vegetable stock, plus 1 cup (250 ml) extra if needed
salt and pepper, to taste
1¼ cups (310 ml) grated Pecorino cheese, divided
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Once butter is foaming, add sage and gently fry until crisp, about 3 minutes. Remove sage leaves to a paper towel-lined plate and continue to cook butter until golden brown and nutty in fragrance, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a medium skillet over medium to medium-high heat, heat 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil. Add shallot and sauté for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden brown and caramelized. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat remaining 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil. Add onion and garlic and sauté for 5 to 8 minutes, or until soft. Add parsnip and sauté for another 3 minutes.
- Add Arborio rice and stir to coat in oil. Add wine and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, until completely absorbed.
- In a saucepan over medium-high heat, heat vegetable stock until warm. Remove stock from heat and ladle 2 cups (500 ml) stock over rice, stirring every few minutes, until stock is almost fully absorbed. Add another 1 cup (250 ml) stock and stir into rice until almost fully absorbed. Repeat with remaining 1 cup (250 ml) stock and taste rice: if too al dente, add another 1 cup (250 ml) stock and stir until fully absorbed. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then add 1 cup (250 ml) Pecorino and stir to incorporate.
- To serve, reheat browned butter gently over low heat, if needed. Divide risotto between bowls and top with caramelized shallots, a drizzle of browned butter and fried sage leaves. Garnish with remaining ¼ cup (60 ml) Pecorino cheese.
Drink Pairings
Cauliflower Curry with Pearl Couscous
Ingredients
Serves 2-3
1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp (15 ml) minced fresh ginger
1 medium carrot, chopped
2 medium celery stalks, chopped
½ tsp (2.5 ml) ground ginger
½ tsp (2.5 ml) ground turmeric
1 tsp (5 ml) ground cumin
2 tsp (10 ml) curry powder
1 x 13.5 oz (400 ml) can full-fat coconut milk
1 cup (250 ml) vegetable stock
2 tbsp (30 ml) soy sauce
1 head cauliflower, trimmed, broken into florets
salt and pepper, to taste
½ cup (125 ml) chopped cilantro leaves, divided
3 cups (750 ml) cooked pearl couscous
½ cup (125 ml) dried currants or raisins
1 cup (250 ml) chopped flat leaf parsley leaves
½ lemon, juice only
1 cup (250 ml) plain yogurt
¼ cup (60 ml) minced mint leaves
1 lime, juice and zest, plus lime wedges for garnish
¼ cup (60 ml) toasted slivered almonds, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and fresh ginger and sauté for 5 minutes, or until soft. Add carrot, celery, ground ginger, turmeric, cumin and curry powder. Stir to coat and sauté for another 5 minutes, until fragrant.
- Stir in coconut milk and reduce heat to medium-low. Let simmer to reduce slightly, about 10 minutes. Add vegetable stock, soy sauce and cauliflower and simmer for another 8 minutes, until cauliflower is tender but not mushy. Remove from heat, taste and season as needed with salt and pepper, then add ¼ cup (60 ml) cilantro. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine couscous, currants and parsley. Dress with lemon juice and stir to combine.
- To make yogurt sauce, in a small bowl, combine yogurt, mint and lime juice and zest. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.
- To serve, top couscous with cauliflower curry and a dollop of yogurt sauce. Garnish with remaining ¼ cup (60 ml) cilantro, almonds and lime wedges.
Drink Pairings
Canadian Whisky Maple Pecan Pie
Ingredients
Serves 1 Pie
3 eggs
½ cup (125 ml) corn syrup
½ cup (125 ml) maple syrup
¼ cup (60 ml) Canadian whisky
½ cup (125 ml) lightly packed golden sugar
¼ tsp (1 ml) salt
½ tsp (2.5 ml) vanilla extract
2 cups (500 ml) pecan pieces
1 standard-sized, pre-made bottom pie crust
vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, to serve
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C).
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, corn syrup, maple syrup, whisky, sugar, salt and vanilla until fully combined.
- Place pecans in pie crust, then pour egg mixture over. Let settle, then bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until set; filling will have puffed up and will settle once cool. If crust is browning too quickly, cover with foil.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely before serving. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Drink Pairings
Croissant & Mushroom Stuffing
Ingredients
Serves 8-10
¼ cup (60 ml) butter, divided
2 cups (500 ml) sliced mushrooms
20 croissants, left uncovered for 3 days to become stale
1 cup (250 ml) half-and-half cream
1 cup (250 ml) chicken stock
4 eggs
1 tbsp (15 ml) grainy mustard
3 sprigs thyme, leaves picked and roughly chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
10 oz (283 g) Gruyère cheese, sliced
Instructions
- Butter a 9 x 11-in (23 x 28 cm) casserole dish with 2 tbsp (30 ml) butter.
- In a large frying pan, sauté mushrooms in remaining 2 tbsp (30 ml) butter over medium heat until cooked through and slightly browned, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Slice each croissant into 3 chunks.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together cream, chicken stock, eggs, mustard and thyme. Season with salt and pepper.
- Place croissants in casserole dish. Tuck a slice of cheese and some mushrooms in between each croissant piece. Pour egg mixture over and let sit for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Transfer casserole to oven and bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until liquid has set and a knife comes out clean. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.