Montreal baker reinvents her craft after Celiac disease diagnosis
Eight years ago, Lauren McGowan found out she had Celiac disease.
As a baker, the Montrealer says the diagnosis didn't just change her life personally -- but also professionally.
The 32-year-old says after first coming to terms with the parameters of her new life, she realized she would now have to relearn everything she thought she knew about baking.
"The intuition and the knowledge weren't there anymore," she explains. "Everything reacts so differently. I spent a lot of time developing and figuring out recipes."
Celiac disease is caused by an immune reaction to eating gluten, a protein in many foods containing wheat, barley or rye.
With her newfound knowledge, McGowan says she launched her bakery, Violet Bakehouse, in 2020, dedicated to all the "allergy kids" in our lives.
"Just being, like, the kid at the party with the allergies that everybody's like, 'Oh, does the allergy kid have food?' 'Do they have something?'" she said.
The main ingredient: a taste for quality, of course.
"Instead of you just having a little piece of fruit or a small pudding or something set aside for you... you're having a big cake or a big dessert that everyone can share and enjoy," she said. "You still get to be a part of that, which is something that you really miss."
The self-taught baker muses that she felt a weird "non-human connection" when she realized she could no longer eat carefreely with friends and family.
"It's this idea that we eat and feed each other to create trust. It's this very strange, deeply unconscious thing," she said.
The former early childhood educator says she's always had a flair for the arts, having worked in prop and set design, as well as costumes and make-up.
"I built, for my friend's wedding, they had their wedding at an apartment at Habitat [67]," she recalls. "I built an architectural rendition of the Habitat 67 building out of vegan chocolate cake, which was a brave architectural attempt."
Not only are her cakes gluten-free or vegan, McGowan says she takes inspiration from the 1950s to 1970s -- even using techniques reminiscent of that time.
"I make very pretty, feminine cakes. It's fun to have them be complex inside," she said. "I also work a lot with seasonality, as well as nostalgic flavours that you can't normally get when you have a dietary restriction, like Funfetti and cherry chip."
The sweetest moment? When a "grumpy uncle" doesn't realize he's eating a vegan, gluten-free cake.
"I'll sometimes have clients who won't tell anyone that they're gluten-free or vegan or something just to do a 'gotcha' moment afterwards," she laughs. "And then they're shocked, and everybody has fun."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Judge in Trump's hush money trial threatened to throw witness out of court for behavior on stand
Michael Cohen testified Monday that he stole tens of thousands of dollars from his ex-boss Donald Trump’s company, an admission defence lawyers hope to use to undermine Cohen’s credibility.
What is BORG drinking, and why is it a dangerous trend? An expert explains
If you've been to a party lately and haven't seen someone drinking a BORG, you're likely not partying with college students.
The world's best airline is paying staff a bonus of 8 months' salary
Singapore Airlines will reward its employees with a bonus worth nearly eight months of salary, a person familiar with the matter told CNN on Friday.
Oilers win Game 7 over Canucks, advance to Western Conference Final
The Edmonton Oilers weathered a late Vancouver Canucks charge on Monday night, beating the hosts 3-2 to win their seven-game second-round playoff series in the decisive showdown.
McGill says pro-Palestinian protest outside senior administrator's home 'crosses the line'
McGill University has denounced a pro-Palestinian protest held Sunday outside the home of one of its senior administrators.
Red Lobster probes 'endless shrimp' losses after bankruptcy filing
U.S.-based restaurant chain Red Lobster has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a Florida court after securing $100 million in financing commitments from its existing lenders, the company said on Sunday.
Katy Perry sings goodbye to 'American Idol'
Katy Perry said her goodbyes on 'American Idol' after seven seasons. On Sunday night’s live 'idol' season finale, a medley of Perry's hit songs were performed, including 'Teenage Dream,' 'Dark Horse' and 'California Gurls.'
Microsoft's AI chatbot will 'recall' everything you do on a PC
Microsoft wants laptop users to get so comfortable with its artificial intelligence chatbot that it will remember everything you're doing on your computer and help figure out what you want to do next.
Judge cites error, will reopen sentencing hearing for man who attacked Nancy Pelosi's husband
A federal judge will reopen the sentencing hearing for the man who broke into Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco home and bludgeoned her husband with a hammer after the judge failed to allow him to speak during his court appearance last week.