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TH E GA M E PL A N

Furikake Popcorn

Makes 8 cups

Prep 5 min; total 10 min ¼ cup furikake seasoning 1/2 tsp salt 1/3 cup popcorn kernels ¼ cup ghee (clarified butter), melted, or canola oil

1. Combine furikake seasoning and salt in a resealable bag. Finely crush with a rolling pin. 2. Pop popcorn kernels following package directions. Popcorn should measure 8 cups. 3. Drizzle ghee over popcorn. Sprinkle with furikake mixture. Toss to combine. Kitchen tip We prefer ghee— which has the water and milk solids removed—over regular butter, as it doesn’t make popcorn soggy. Kitchen tip Furikake is a dry Japanese seasoning, typically composed of bonito (dried fish), sesame seeds, nori, sugar and salt, used to season rice or fish. Look for it at your local Asian grocery store.

Grapefruit Sake Cocktail

Serves 1

Prep 5 min; total 5 min ¼ cup grapefruit juice ¼ cup grapefruit sparkling water 2 tbsp sake Grapefruit slices Mint sprigs 1. Combine grapefruit juice and sparkling water in a lowball glass, then add sake. Top with ice and garnish with grapefruit slices and mint sprigs. Mocktail version Substitute a citrus non-alcoholic spirit, such as Seedlip Orange Grove (available at well.ca), for sake.

Parmesan and Parma Ham Kettle Chips

Makes about 8 cups Prep 10 min; total 20 min 1 220-g bag low-sodium kettle chips 3/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese 1/3 cup finely chopped Parma ham or prosciutto 1. Position rack in centre of oven and preheat to 350F. 2. Arrange potato chips in a single layer, but close together, on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle cheese and Parma ham evenly over chips. Season with pepper. 3. Bake until cheese is melted and chips are starting to turn golden, 8 to 10 min. 4. Remove from oven. Let cool slightly, and then transfer to a serving bowl. Kitchen tip If you’re using regular kettle chips instead of low-sodium ones, reduce cheese to ½ cup.

Limoncello Prosecco Cocktail

Serves 1

Prep 5 min; total 5 min 1 tbsp limoncello

Chilled dry prosecco

Lemon slice

1. Pour limoncello into a champagne flute or coupe glass. Top with prosecco. Garnish with lemon slice. Mocktail version Substitute 2 tsp elderflower cordial and ½ tsp lemon juice for limoncello. Substitute non- alcoholic sparkling wine, such as Gruvi (available at well.ca), for prosecco.

Rice Paper Chips and Peanut Dipping Sauce

Serves 4 to 6 Prep 10 min; total 15 min Dipping Sauce ¼ cup coconut milk 4 tsp natural smooth peanut butter 1 tbsp hoisin sauce 1 tbsp Thai yellow or red curry paste 1 tbsp lime juice

Chips 8 round rice paper sheets Canola oil, for shallow- frying 2 tsp lime zest 1/4 tsp cayenne (optional)

1. Dipping sauce: Whisk coconut milk with peanut butter, hoisin, curry paste and lime juice in a small bowl. Whisk in 1 tbsp water if you prefer a looser dipping sauce. 2. Chips: Cut rice paper sheets into 2- to 3-in. pieces. Line a baking sheet with paper towels. 3. Pour oil into a large pot until it reaches ½ in. up side of pot. Heat over medium. When hot, add a few rice paper pieces. Do not crowd pot. Cook until puffed, about 5 sec. Use a slotted spoon to transfer chips to prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining rice paper pieces. 4. Sprinkle lime zest and cayenne over chips. Serve with dipping sauce.

Spiced Rum and Ginger Beer Cocktail

Serves 1

Prep 5 min; total 5 min ¼ cup spiced rum Ginger beer Lime wedge

1. Fill a highball glass with ice, and then add rum. Top with ginger beer. Garnish with lime wedge. Mocktail version Use 3 tbsp Borrago non-alcoholic spirit (available at bradshaws.ca) in place of spiced rum.

Chocolate-Covered Pretzels

Makes 4 cups Prep 20 min; total 1 hr 20 min

1 100-g bar dark chocolate, coarsely chopped 80 mini pretzel twists (about 4 cups) or 30 large pretzels

1. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Place pistachios in a small bowl. 2. Place chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on medium, stirring every 30 sec, until almost melted, 1 to 2 min. Remove and stir until smooth. 3. Dip each pretzel halfway into chocolate, and then dip into pistachios. Place on prepared sheets. Let stand until chocolate is firm, about 1 hr. Kitchen tip If you prefer milk chocolate instead of dark, tempering is necessary to ensure the chocolate will firm up on the pretzels: Microwave three-quarters of milk chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl on medium at 15-sec intervals. Remove, stir well and check the temperature after each interval. (Chocolate temperature should not exceed 105F.) When chocolate is almost completely melted, remove bowl from microwave and stir until smooth. Stir in remaining chocolate. Let chocolate cool to 85F to 87F. Chocolate should be glossy and smooth. Use immediately.

Cranberry-Orange Vodka Soda

Serves 1

Prep 5 min; total 5 min 2 tbsp vodka 1 tbsp orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier or Cointreau

Club soda 1 tbsp cranberry sauce or jam 1 lime wedge 1 orange wedge

1. Fill a lowball glass with ice, and then add vodka and orange liqueur. Top with club soda. Dollop with cranberry sauce. Garnish with lime and orange wedges. Mocktail version Substitute Seedlip Orange Grove non- alcoholic spirit for vodka and orange liqueur.

Cheddar Cheese Crackers

Makes 4 cups

Prep 20 min; total 1 hr 15 min 1 cup all-purpose flour (120 g) 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp cayenne (optional) 1/4 cup cold butter, cut in small cubes 1 1/4 cups grated orange or white aged cheddar cheese (113 g) 2 tbsp cold water

1. Position rack in centre of oven and preheat to 350F. 2. Whirl flour with salt and cayenne in a food processor. While pulsing, gradually add butter and cheese until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add cold water. Pulse just until mixture forms coarse crumbs. Form dough into 2 balls, and then flatten each into a square. 3. Cut 4 pieces of parchment to fit a baking sheet. Place 1 piece of dough between 2 parchment sheets. Roll to 1-mm thickness. Repeat with remaining dough and parchment sheets. Refrigerate dough sheets on a flat surface until firm, about 15 min. (If you don’t have room in your fridge, place both dough sheets, lined with parchment, on top of each other on a baking sheet and place in the freezer.) 4. Working with 1 pastry sheet at a time, place on counter. Peel off top parchment. Using a pastry cutter or paring knife, cut dough into 1-in. squares, using a ruler for straighter lines, if desired. (It’s okay if there is no space between crackers.) Transfer parchment with crackers to baking sheet. 5. Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until crackers are puffed and golden-brown, 13 to 16 min. Transfer parchment and crackers to a wire rack and let cool completely. Repeat with remaining pastry sheet. Store crackers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Kitchen tip Because the crackers are so thin, rotating the sheets halfway through will allow them to bake more evenly if there are hot spots in your oven.

Mulled White Wine

Makes 8 cups

Prep 5 min; total 35 min 1 1-L carton 100% apple juice 3 clementines, sliced into ¼-in.-thick rounds or half moons 6 cinnamon sticks 4 star anise 1 tbsp whole cloves 1 750-mL bottle pinot grigio 1 cup clementine juice (optional)

1. Heat apple juice with clementines, cinnamon sticks, star anise and cloves in a pot over medium-low for 30 min. Stir in wine and clementine juice. Divide among mugs. Kitchen tip Add the optional clementine juice if you prefer your mulled wine sweeter. Mocktail version Substitute pinot grigio and apple juice with 7 cups apple cider to make a mulled apple cider.

Warm Sweet-andSavoury Nuts

Makes 2 cups

Prep 5 min; total 15 min 1 ½ tsp finely chopped rosemary 1/2 tsp garlic salt 2 cups mixed unsalted nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, cashews, almonds, hazelnuts and peanuts ¼ cup pepitas 1 tbsp olive oil 4 tsp packed brown sugar 1 tsp flaked sea salt

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Combine rosemary and garlic salt in a small bowl. Set aside. 2. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium. Add nuts and pepitas. Cook, stirring often, until the light- coloured nuts start turning golden, 5 to 8 min. Stir in oil. (Nuts will start to be fragrant.) 3. Remove pan from heat. Sprinkle sugar overtop. Stir constantly until sugar melts, about 10 sec. Sprinkle with rosemary mixture and stir just until coated. Transfer mixture to prepared sheet. Spread out in an even layer. Sprinkle with flaked salt. Let cool slightly. Serve warm.

Forager Whisky and Tonic

Serves 1

Prep 5 min; total 5 min 2 tbsp botanical whisky, such as The Forager

Tonic water

Lemon slice

1. Fill a highball glass with ice and then add whisky. Top with tonic. Garnish with lemon.