Pattycake.ca is my personal website and blog about healthy baking and other fun/healthy/tasty topics. Years of personal passion, research, and experimentation in the kitchen have led me to want to document and share my findings. This site was developed by my partner and I to provide me with a place to do so. (Btw, we just launched a fun new blog, Baking is Hot, that features a variety of beautiful baked goods from all over the web, as well as great baking gear.)
What's on my blog?
You'll find lots of delicious, healthy recipes (as well as the occasional indulgence), mostly for baked goods and sweets - many of which are perfect for special diets. Most of the recipes have been developed by me, some were submitted by friends, and a few were found on the internet (I've done my best to credit all recipes to their original source) - ditto for the photographs. Sometimes I share info on healthy lifestyles, including health and food news, nutrition, travel notes, product reviews, resources, and related websites.
For the last few years, I've been eating gluten-free. I am not allergic to wheat or gluten, nor do I have celiac disease, but I have noticed (with the help of a health care specialist) that I generally feel better when I'm not eating it. Wheat and spelt, which both contain gluten, are delicious and nutritious high protein grains, and I have many recipes made with wheat and spelt on the site that I encourage you to enjoy if these grains agree with you.
About Patty
I've been baking and experimenting in the kitchen as long as I can remember. The first thing I ever published was my then-favourite cookie recipe in a school cookbook when I was 8. My dream at that time was to be able to invent my own original baked goods recipes, so I baked and experimented...
As a youth, I was health conscious, but still loved a good cookie. When I was in university studying fine arts and design, there were no healthy snacks or treats anywhere on campus. This prompted me to research healthy ingredients, and alter recipes making them healthier and more nutritious. At night, I would bake myself healthy snacks to get me through the hectic days. I also baked because I found it relaxing and meditative: composing, measuring, combining, tasting, baking, watching the goods transform slowly in the oven, feeling the warmth, enjoying the aromas, flavours, textures... the fantastic alchemy that is baking appealed to me profoundly - and still does.
Professionally I'm a designer, creative director and entrepreneur - but the most satisfying place for my creative experimentation and improvisational spirit is the kitchen. I also love cooking, grilling, fermenting, sprouting, growing, and sharing delicious life-giving foods.
I also love a good challenge, and consider baking for special diets (tons of experience in this department) very fun: no gluten, no sugar, no dairy? No problem. I love working with limitations, because it gives me an opportunity to be creative, with the result being something delicious and nurturing to enjoy.
I was born in Spain and grew up in Canada, but after years of dealing with serious health issues (likely due to stress), my partner and I decided to let go of most of our worldly possessions, leave good jobs, and move to a quiet little town in tropical Mexico to have a healthier slower-paced life, learn Spanish, and work on our own projects. Well, it hasn't exactly been easy, but we do love it here, things are really starting to come together in a good way - and we're having an amazing time being creative entrepreneurs. Also, I'm happier than I've been in ages - and that's been great for my health!
Healthy Baking & Special Diets
Baking is both an art and a science. Ingredients, ovens, bake-ware, altitude, humidity, and temperature are all variables that will affect the outcome of a baked good, making it differ each time, and for each baker. When healthy baking, and baking for special diets, recipes often use alternative ingredients (substitutes for refined flour, sugar, dairy, etc.) which sometimes results in goods that taste different from the traditional versions many of us are accustomed to. Approach healthy baking with an open mind and playful spirit. For instance, a sugar-free recipe will not taste as sweet as its full-sugar cousin - not surprisingly. The good news is, you won't suffer from a sugar spike-and-crash after eating a sugar-free good. Instead you'll feel nourished and energized. You may have to alter a recipe on the fly, whether it be substituting an ingredient, covering your bread with foil when you notice too much browning, or keeping your good in the oven longer than the specified time. You may have to try a recipe more than once, so be sensitive to your variables, and keep notes - trust me, it's worth the effort. Most importantly, have fun!
Disclaimer: This is my personal website/blog. It's independently produced and non-commercial, which means I pay for it out of my own pocket. I will not clutter the site with ads because I believe it dilutes/compromises the content and vision. Everything I write is my opinion, or the opinion of the contributing author(s). I am not a nutritionist or a doctor - so please, if you do have serious health concerns, consult with a professional. That's all. Fewf.
If you'd like to contact me, please feel free to drop me a line :-)
Photo by Crispin.
