FIVE O’CLOCK
Ingredients
Serves 1
1½ oz (45 ml) The Famous Grouse Smoky Black Scotch Whisky
1 oz (30 ml) Five Spice Syrup*
1 oz (30 ml) strained lemon juice
1 sprig Thai basil (save 1 leaf for garnish)
Instructions
- * In a pot, combine ½ cup (125 ml) each sugar and water and 2 tsp (10 ml) Five Spice. Simmer until sugar dissolves. Steep covered for 10 minutes then fine strain through a coffee filter. Can be refrigerated in a sealable container, for up to 1 week.
- In a cocktail shaker with cubed ice, combine Scotch, five spice syrup, lemon juice and roughly 6 to 8 Thai basil leaves. Shake vigorously until very cold, then fine strain into a rock glass over cubed ice. Garnish with Thai basil leaf.
Featuring
TOM & JERRY
Ingredients
Serves 1
1½ oz (45 ml) Havana Club 7-Year-Old Rum
2 oz (60 ml) Tom & Jerry Batter*
4½ oz (140 ml) boiling water
star anise, for garnish
Instructions
- * Separate 12 egg yolks and whites and set aside. In a bowl, whip egg whites with 1 tsp (5 ml) cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer, beat yolks with 1 lb (500 g) sugar, 1 tsp (5 ml) each ground cloves and allspice, ½ tsp (2.5 ml) cinnamon and 2 oz (60 ml) rum, until sugar has dissolved. When yolk mixture is completely liquid, fold it into whites. Will keep refrigerated, for up to 2 weeks.
- In a preheated mug or hot cocktail glass, combine rum and Tom & Jerry batter. While stirring, slowly pour in boiling water. Garnish with star anise
Featuring
CHAMOMILE TODDY
Ingredients
Serves 1
1½ oz (45 ml) D’Eaubonne VSOP Brandy
4 oz (125 ml) Chamomile/Ginger Herbal Tea*
¾ oz (22 ml) lemon juice
1½ tbsp (22 ml) liquid honey, or to taste
lemon zest or wheel, for garnish
Instructions
- * In a tea pot, combine 5 oz (150 ml) boiling water with 1 chamomile tea sachet and ½-in (1.25 cm) piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced. Steep for 4 to 6 minutes, strain for use in cocktail preparation.
- In a preheated mug or hot cocktail glass, combine brandy, chamomile/ ginger tea, lemon juice and honey. Stir to combine. Garnish with lemon zest.
Featuring
YULE PUNCH
Ingredients
Serves 1.5 L
6 cups (1.5 L) lemon tea, recipe follows
2 tsp (10 ml) citric acid
3/4 cup (175 ml) sugar
1 bottle (750 ml) Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla Gin
3 cans (1419 ml) Lonetree Rosé Apple Cider
2 cups (500 ml) cranberry juice
fresh cranberries and green apple cubes, for garnish
Instructions
- Pour 6 cups (1.5 L) of boiling water over 12 lemon/hibiscus herbal tea sachets and steep for 5 to 6 minutes. After steeping, while liquid is still hot, add citric acid and sugar. Chill until ready to assemble punch. To assemble, in a punch bowl, combine tea mix with gin, rosé cider and cranberry juice. Garnish with fresh cranberries and cubes of green apple. Serve in a rocks or punch glass.
Featuring
SERRANO-TOPPED SCALLOPS WITH GREMOLATA BREAD CRUMBS
Ingredients
Serves 24
3 tbsp (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
¼ cup (60 ml) panko crumbs
3 tbsp (45 ml) finely chopped Italian parsley
½ cup (125 ml) aioli (garlic mayonnaise)
2 tbsp (30 ml) canned or jarred puréed roasted tomatoes
24 large scallops, thoroughly patted dry
3 tbsp (45 ml) vegetable oil
salt and pepper, to taste
1 package sliced serrano ham, or 24 thin slices from deli
Instructions
- In a frying pan over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add garlic and let cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add panko and mix thoroughly. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until panko is golden brown and evenly toasted. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and let cool. Once cool, add parsley and mix until combined.
- Mix aioli and puréed tomatoes, and season lightly with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Toss scallops with 1 tsp (5 ml) vegetable oil and season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat and add half the remaining vegetable oil. Add half the scallops and sear for 2 minutes on each side, or just until they are cooked through. Wipe out pan and cook remaining scallops in remaining oil.
- To assemble, place 1 tsp (5 ml) tomato aioli on each scallop. Top with a piece of serrano ham and sprinkle with panko mixture.
Drink Pairings
CRANBERRY AND BRIE SNOWFLAKE
Ingredients
Serves 10 to12
1 cup (250 ml) white sugar, divided
¼ cup (60 ml) water
½ cup (125 ml) fresh cranberries, thoroughly dried
1 package frozen puff pastry sheets, about 1 lb (500 g), defrosted in refrigerator overnight
1 x 8 oz (226 g) wheel of brie
1 tsp (5 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup (250 ml) whole cranberry sauce
1 egg
1 tbsp (15 ml) whipping cream
1 tsp (5 ml) sea salt
1 bunch fresh rosemary
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, add ½ cup (125 ml) sugar and the water. Let sugar dissolve, then stir. Bring to a boil then turn off heat.
- Toss cranberries in sugar syrup, then transfer to a wire cooling rack placed over a sheet pan. Let cranberries dry for 1 hour, then toss cranberries in remaining sugar.
- Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C).
- Lay out 2 sheets of puff pastry. Using a dinner plate as a guide, cut pastry into a circle. Now cut a smaller circle out of middle of each pastry circle, using the wheel of brie as a guide. Discard inner circle of pastry. You should now have a thick ring of pastry.
- Lay 1 pastry ring on a parchmentlined baking tray and place brie in hole in middle. Score brie and brush with olive oil. Spread cranberry sauce on pastry.
- Lay remaining pastry ring on top of cranberry sauce. Using a paring knife, cut a line in pastry from brie to edge of ring. Repeat around entire pastry ring, spacing about 1-in (2.5 cm) apart.
- Take 2 pieces of cut pastry and twist them towards each other, then secure them together at end. Repeat with remaining cuts on ring; it will now look like a snowflake!
- In a small bowl, mix together egg, whipping cream and salt to make an egg wash. Brush egg wash on pastry. Bake snowflake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and cooked through.
- Garnish with sugared cranberries and rosemary. Serve warm.
Drink Pairings
JAMMY SOY EGGS
Ingredients
Serves 24
12 medium organic eggs, divided
1 cup (250 ml) soy sauce
1 cup (250 ml) water
½ cup (125 ml) sugar
1 package dashi powder
½ cup (125 ml) Sriracha mayonnaise [Mix ½ cup (125 ml) mayonnaise with 1 to 2 tbsp (15 to 30 ml) Sriracha.]
¼ cup (60 ml) crispy shallots or onions (Available at Asian grocery stores)
6 green onions, green parts only, julienned and placed in ice water
¼ cup (60 ml) jarred pickled chili peppers, thinly sliced, or to taste
Instructions
- Bring a medium-sized pot of water to a rolling boil.
- Carefully place 6 eggs in water and cook at a gentle boil for 6½ minutes. Remove eggs and immediately place in a bowl of ice water. Let chill until cold, then crack and shell them. Repeat with remaining eggs.
- In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, water, sugar and dashi powder. Place eggs in soy mixture overnight, for no longer than 12 hours.
- Slice each egg in half. Drizzle eggs with Sriracha mayonnaise and top with shallots, green onion and chilies.
Drink Pairings
BEET-CURED SALMON PLATTER
Ingredients
Serves 10 to 12
1 cup (250 ml) kosher or sea salt
1 cup (250 ml) sugar
1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon zest
2 tsp (10 ml) ground coriander
2 tbsp (30 ml) black pepper
2 lbs (1 kg) wild sockeye salmon
1 beet, peeled and grated
1 bunch fresh dill, roughly chopped
4 baby cucumbers, sliced, to serve
2 carrots, sliced thinly on a mandolin, to serve
6 radishes, cut into wedges, to serve
1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve
1 handful caper berries, to serve
½ bunch fresh dill, to serve
1 shallot, sliced, to serve
1 cup (250 ml) crème fraîche, to serve
1 package crostini, to serve
Instructions
- Mix together salt, sugar, lemon zest, ground coriander and pepper and set aside.
- Lay 2 sheets of plastic wrap on a rimmed baking sheet, making sure they overlap. Place half of salt mixture on plastic wrap and spread it to size of salmon. Lay salmon, skin-side down, on salt mixture, then cover with remaining salt. Mix beet and dill together, then pack it on top of salt mixture on salmon. Wrap with plastic wrap and weigh it down with another baking sheet and a couple of cans. Let salmon cure in refrigerator for 48 hours.
- After 48 hours, remove salmon from refrigerator and unwrap it. Thoroughly wipe off salt and beets with a paper towel. Thinly slice salmon and arrange on platter with remaining ingredients, to serve. You can use what we’ve suggested here, or come up with your own accompaniments.
Drink Pairings
SAVOURY SHORTBREAD
Ingredients
Serves 8 to 10
2½ cups (625 ml) flour
2½ cups (625 ml) grated white cheddar
1 tbsp (15 ml) finely chopped fresh rosemary
4 tbsp (60 ml) fresh thyme leaves, de-stemmed
¾ tsp (4 ml) black pepper
½ tsp (2.5 ml) salt
1 tsp (5 ml) red pepper flakes
1 cup (250 ml) salted butter, softened
whole herbs, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C).
- In a food processor, add all ingredients except for butter and garnish. Mix on low just to combine. Add butter in pieces and pulse until all flour is absorbed and mixture sticks together when pinched. If still a bit dry, add ½ tsp (2.5 ml) water at a time until texture is achieved.
- Empty dough onto plastic wrap. Press together to form a disc and wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Remove from refrigerator and unwrap. Place disc between 2 sheets of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, gently roll dough to about ½-in (1.25 cm) thickness. Cut desired shapes (smaller work better) and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until edges are slightly golden.
Drink Pairings
CHOCOLATE MARBLE FUDGE
Ingredients
Serves 10 to 12
2 cups (500 g) semi-sweet dark chocolate chips
1 cup (250 g) white chocolate chips
¾ cup (175 ml) condensed milk
½ cup (125 ml) evaporated milk
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
Instructions
- Using 2 microwave-safe bowls, place dark chocolate chips in 1 bowl and white chocolate chips in other. Pour condensed milk over dark chocolate chips and microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring occasionally. Repeat with evaporated milk for white chocolate.
- Once both mixtures have melted and are silky smooth, add vanilla to dark chocolate and stir.
- Pour each mixture, one at a time, into a lined 9-in (23 cm) square pan. Using a toothpick, swirl mixture around to create patterns with different colours of fudge.
- Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Can be stored in refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 1 month.