Tastes Like More

For those of us in the Toronto Jewish Community, Richmans has been a long time fixture.  But they are now closed.  I often would go there and buy their products as a learning experience to see how pastries should look, or how they should taste and just to keep an eye on the competition. My step daughter is devastated she won’t be getting her dreidle cookies there – yes I make them too, but it’s not the same as the past 20 years of her life.

Richmans did my wedding cake this past year.  I hope no one has any cake orders with them for their Simchas in the upcoming weeks.  That would be terrible.  It’s never good to see a business close.  Many will miss their weekly trek into one of the longest running Jewish bakeries in Toronto. 

I have had a few calls already for challah because nut-free kosher parve is not an easy thing to find.  I have been contemplating Yoshon certification as well because this has been coming up quite frequently.  I have yet to decide but will post it here first to let you know.

Thanks for reading

Susan

This week has been a mix of the two holidays – Christmas and Chanukkah – in my kitchen.  Sufganyot and dreidle cookies along with gingerbread cookies and cupcakes intermingle. I have narrowed down the best recipe for the donuts and the new gingerbread cupcakes are amazing.  Thanks to friends and family for being such great taste testers.  They ask “what is it?”  and I reply, “don’t worry, just eat it.” They never know what they are biting into until I get their input.  So far its all been good. But then of course it would be.  Also, all this baking  has been for the newsletter this month.  I am a bit behind with that because it’s tough sometimes being baker, procurement officer, accountant, janitor, and delivery driver all in the same day.  So here is  sneak peek at a few pics to tie you over till I get out the newsletter. Enjoy and check back soon.

A busy and exciting week ahead. We have three events coming up this weekend and I am looking forward to the creative process and the baking. For me, time in the kitchen is my meditation time, my zen zone. Everyday I still wake up looking forward to my day ahead at the bakery and the sore feet and back are worth it knowing that so many people will be enjoying the sweets of my labour. 

While I focus on the week at hand I am also baking for the holiday newsletter I am working on.  I can’t wait to try a whole bunch of new recipes for goodies for both Hanukah and Christmas. Designer cookies and donuts are planned for this week. Pictures will follow soon.

Speaking of pictures, here is a wedding cake I did for a good friend who got married this weekend. It was a plain but elegant cake of red velvet and cream cheese (like) frosting wrapped in fondant and topped with hot pink star gazer lillies.