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
More Canadians only making minimum payment on credit cards: TransUnion
Some Canadians are seeing their credit card balances grow as the cost-of-living crisis and higher interest rates eat into household budgets, a new report shows.
Tornado touches down west of the Island of Montreal
Emergency services in the town of Rigaud, Que. are investigating after a tornado touched down shortly after 5:30 p.m. on Friday.
Teen was doing homework at family's Mississauga, Ont. restaurant when gunman opened fire: testimony
The 13-year-old sister of a young man killed in the attack on her family’s Mississauga restaurant in 2021 took the stand in a Brampton courthouse on Monday to describe the terrifying moments of coming under fire.
Tanks reach Rafah's centre as Israel presses assault despite global scrutiny
Israeli tanks reached the centre of Rafah for the first time on Tuesday, witnesses said, three weeks into a ground operation in the southern Gaza city that has sparked global condemnation.
What a CBSA strike could look like, according to an expert
Slowed or interrupted travel, the passing of goods and significantly restricted borders should be expected if Canadian border workers take upcoming strike action.
Arm of mummy came off after mishandling by museum staff: Mexican government
Mexico's federal archaeology agency on Monday accused the conservative-governed city of Guanajuato of mistreating one of the country’s famous mummified 19th century bodies.
Five of Ontario's top 10 worst roads are located in the Toronto area
A new pothole-riddled street in Hamilton has taken the top spot for the worst road in Ontario, according to a new list released by the Canadian Automotive Association (CAA) on Tuesday.
DEVELOPING In Trump's hush money trial, prosecutors and defence lawyers are poised to make final pitch to jury
Prosecutors and defence lawyers in Donald Trump's hush money trial are set to deliver closing arguments to the jury Tuesday, each side looking to score final points with the panel before it starts deliberating the fate of the first former American president to be charged with felony crimes.
Red Lobster in Ontario court to discuss U.S. bankruptcy case, Canadian assets: docs
A lawyer for Red Lobster Canada, Inc. says he will ask an Ontario court today to recognize and enforce the chain’s U.S. bankruptcy protection proceedings, a process which documents show could include selling Canadian assets.