Indie Food Artisan - Arvinda’s

The number one most intimidating aspect of cooking Indian food is the spicing. Although every Indian family creates their own masalas for certain dishes, these recipes are often closely-guarded secrets, and for folks who didn’t grow up blending and grinding their family’s special recipe for curry or garam masala or chai, getting the proportions just right can be overwhelming enough to make them want to toss the whole thing and head to Gerrard Street instead.

One woman was confident enough to share her masalas with the world, however, and through her cooking school and a family-run business selling her spices, Arvinda Chauhan’s name has become synonomous with Indian food.

Continue reading Cooks of the World - Spice Up Your Life »

A lot of food served up in restaurants is compared to art, both in terms of the craft involved and the final product that appears on the plate. Nowhere is this more true than the end result of the many dedicated hours a pastry chef puts into the follies created out of flour and butter and sugar. Cakes in particular require not only the knowledge of chemistry necessary to make a tasty product, but also expertise in physics, sculpture, design and even botany.

For special events like weddings, the cake may well be the centrepiece of the whole affair, with all eyes focussed on the intricate decorative details and all mouths waiting anxiously for a taste to see if the “inner beauty” matches the pretty outer bits.

Continue reading Indie Food Artisan - Cakes on Cakes »

Ah, the cookie. A simple treat that brings delight to millions. The cookie is the choice companion to cups of tea, the pacifier of boo-boos, the financial means for Girl Guides everywhere, and the choice prize handed out by the snarkily sarcastic. But for people with food allergies, finding tasty cookies and treats that won’t make them swell up and fall down can be a difficult task, as most mainstream brands include eggs, dairy, nuts, definitely wheat, and sometimes even animal fat. What’s an allergic vegan to do?

These days, folks once deprived of the joy of simple baked goods have found new hope in Eden Hertzog’s New Moon Kitchen. This gourmet bakery started in 1997 offers a range of six types of cookies and four loaf-style cakes that are entirely nut, egg, dairy, wheat, cholesterol and preservative free. Whew! They’re also made without the use of trans-fats, and all items are certified Kosher and vegan. And the best part is - they’re all really good!

Continue reading What Do You Want… A Cookie? »

Some of the best food businesses start up small, in a home kitchen and at the urging of friends. Confectionery is the most obvious of these “cook as you go” business plans. All it takes is for one person to share some treats made by a friend or family member and a new business idea is born.

Such was the case for Fionna Hanna of Alice’s Pastryland, who created a chocolate-covered toffee studded with pretzels; a combination of salty crunch, smooth dark melting goodness and the lingering sweetness of English-style toffee. Hanna originally made a batch at home and shared it with friends. Encouraged, she donated some to a craft show last fall and continued to tweak her product until she was satisfied, taking chocolate-making classes at George Brown to perfect her technique and working on a certificate in Bakery Arts.

Continue reading Toronto’s Indie Food Artisans - Alice’s Pastryland »