Gluten-Free Events Calendar
If it’s gluten free and happening in Victoria, Vancouver Island or the Gulf Islands, you’ll find it listed here! From tastings to contests, farmer’s markets to food trucks – this is your calendar to Gluten-Free Paradise! Join Victoria’s Gluten-Free Foodies and add a new restaurant – and possibly a new gluten-free friend – to your repertoire!
Find Bake My Day’s fabulous gluten-free tarts, turnovers, pies, sausage rolls and spanakopita at the Vancouver Island Market at North Town Centre in Nanaimo.
Saturday, March 30th – 10am to 6pm. Sunday, March 31st – 11am to 5pm.
Learn more about Vancouver Island Market here.
Enjoy these sumptuous delicacies on the spot and / or purchase ready-to-bake versions to take home and savor, warm from your own oven. Dale’s pie shells and groundbreaking, ready-to-roll puff pastry dough let you become the gluten-free chef you’ve always wanted to be. Ask about their dairy-free options.
- Outlet Store at 3030 Dogwood Road, Duncan (Tuesday to Saturday 7am to 3pm)
- Vancouver Island – Order Online for Delivery or Pickup
- Online Store for BC & Alberta – Open 24 / 7
- Complete Market & Craft Fair Schedule …
- Carrying retailers, restaurants and cafés …
Follow Bake My Day on Facebook • Catch Bake My Day on Twitter • Instagram
VICTORIA & DUNCAN
Bake My Day is now listed with the Cowichan Co-op Marketplace (Cow-op). Order online and pick up your selection at central locations.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
- Order online from Friday 12pm to Tuesday midnight 12am (PST).
- Victoria Customers pick up orders on Thursdays between noon-5pm at Olive the Senses (1701 Douglas St.).
- Duncan customers pick up between 3-6pm at Cowichan Green Community (360 Duncan St).
BC and Alberta! Order Bake My Day Online – Delivered to your Door!
*Visit happyditty! Confections by Melissa to see how well Bake My Day’s All Purpose Flour Mix works!
Puff Pastry Tips from Dale!
- “If you have time, it’s best to thaw puff pastry overnight in the fridge.
- If you don’t have time, thaw it on the counter until it’s pliable enough to unfold without cracking, but still cool to the touch. Keep a close eye on it — if the dough feels very limp, refrigerate it for 30 minutes to help it firm up again.
- One of the biggest mistakes you can make is leaving it on the counter for too long. A room-temperature atmosphere will cause the puff pastry to wilt and become floppy. That, in turn, will make the layers stick, and render it almost impossible to work with. If your puff pastry gets too soft, return it to the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes before moving forward.
- Lightly roll out the puff pastry: Dust the top of the puff with just a little GF flour, then use a rolling pin to lightly roll. Puff pastry should be rolled out to approx. 4-5 mm depth.
- Follow any puff pastry recipe, remembering that ALL pastry (gluten-free or not) bakes off flakiest when chilled for a short time before baking in a hot oven ie 10-15 min in freezer first after making your ‘creation.’
- If you’re making a filled pastry, like a pot pie, for example, cut a few vents in the dough so hot air can escape and circulate as it bakes. If you skip this step, and you’ll have a soggy interior.
- We generally egg wash pastry before baking to give it that yummy golden colour
- A very general rule for baking the puff pastry is the following – bear in mind that oven temperatures vary.
- Set the oven to 200° C (400° F – gas 6) and bake in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes to 25 minutes. Check after 20 minutes as it’s easy to burn the edges from cooking for too long.
- Scraps can be gathered up and be reused. Make sure that scraps are layered on top of each other – not scrunched up into a ball, before re-rolling.”
Ready to Eat!
Ready to Bake!
Find Bake My Day’s fabulous gluten-free tarts, turnovers, pies, sausage rolls and spanakopita at the Vancouver Island Market at North Town Centre in Nanaimo.
Saturday, March 30th – 10am to 6pm. Sunday, March 31st – 11am to 5pm.
Learn more about Vancouver Island Market here.
Enjoy these sumptuous delicacies on the spot and / or purchase ready-to-bake versions to take home and savor, warm from your own oven. Dale’s pie shells and groundbreaking, ready-to-roll puff pastry dough let you become the gluten-free chef you’ve always wanted to be. Ask about their dairy-free options.
- Outlet Store at 3030 Dogwood Road, Duncan (Tuesday to Saturday 7am to 3pm)
- Vancouver Island – Order Online for Delivery or Pickup
- Online Store for BC & Alberta – Open 24 / 7
- Complete Market & Craft Fair Schedule …
- Carrying retailers, restaurants and cafés …
Follow Bake My Day on Facebook • Catch Bake My Day on Twitter • Instagram
VICTORIA & DUNCAN
Bake My Day is now listed with the Cowichan Co-op Marketplace (Cow-op). Order online and pick up your selection at central locations.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
- Order online from Friday 12pm to Tuesday midnight 12am (PST).
- Victoria Customers pick up orders on Thursdays between noon-5pm at Olive the Senses (1701 Douglas St.).
- Duncan customers pick up between 3-6pm at Cowichan Green Community (360 Duncan St).
BC and Alberta! Order Bake My Day Online – Delivered to your Door!
*Visit happyditty! Confections by Melissa to see how well Bake My Day’s All Purpose Flour Mix works!
Puff Pastry Tips from Dale!
- “If you have time, it’s best to thaw puff pastry overnight in the fridge.
- If you don’t have time, thaw it on the counter until it’s pliable enough to unfold without cracking, but still cool to the touch. Keep a close eye on it — if the dough feels very limp, refrigerate it for 30 minutes to help it firm up again.
- One of the biggest mistakes you can make is leaving it on the counter for too long. A room-temperature atmosphere will cause the puff pastry to wilt and become floppy. That, in turn, will make the layers stick, and render it almost impossible to work with. If your puff pastry gets too soft, return it to the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes before moving forward.
- Lightly roll out the puff pastry: Dust the top of the puff with just a little GF flour, then use a rolling pin to lightly roll. Puff pastry should be rolled out to approx. 4-5 mm depth.
- Follow any puff pastry recipe, remembering that ALL pastry (gluten-free or not) bakes off flakiest when chilled for a short time before baking in a hot oven ie 10-15 min in freezer first after making your ‘creation.’
- If you’re making a filled pastry, like a pot pie, for example, cut a few vents in the dough so hot air can escape and circulate as it bakes. If you skip this step, and you’ll have a soggy interior.
- We generally egg wash pastry before baking to give it that yummy golden colour
- A very general rule for baking the puff pastry is the following – bear in mind that oven temperatures vary.
- Set the oven to 200° C (400° F – gas 6) and bake in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes to 25 minutes. Check after 20 minutes as it’s easy to burn the edges from cooking for too long.
- Scraps can be gathered up and be reused. Make sure that scraps are layered on top of each other – not scrunched up into a ball, before re-rolling.”
Ready to Eat!
Ready to Bake!
Come do your Christmas baking under the guidance Kate Cram & Team while sipping local wines and eating appetizers!
You will take home 4 dozen pieces of Christmas baking to enjoy over the holidays.
• Sunday, December 14 7-9:30 pm
• $85
• Ages 19+
• Learn more here.
_____
Wild Poppy Bakery & Bistro
A must-visit destination for anyone who loves fabulous baking – full stop!
(Closed Sundays, Mondays & Stat Holidays)
Wild Poppy serves savoury breakfasts and light lunches with soup, baguettes and everything you could ask for in a deli – all from documented to be gluten-free, peanut-free ingredients. Nut-free and vegan options available.
Daily Specials – with delicious photos – are posted on their Facebook page!
Find Wild Poppy just one quick block off the Trans Canada Highway 1 in Ladysmith – turn left at the Buller Street lights. 541 1st Ave. Click here for map.
Hours: Tues-Fri 8-5 Sat 8-4 Closed Sundays, Mondays & Stat Holidays • 250-924-8696
- wildpoppybistro.ca
- About Wild Poppy
- Wild Poppy Menus
- Facebook • Instagram
- info@wildpoppybistro.ca
- Sign up for Wild Poppy’s Email Newsletter at wildpoppybistro.ca & receive a treat on your birthday!
Testimonial: “We had Madeline’s cousin visiting from Halifax for a couple weeks. When we toured them up to Chemainus/Ladysmith all eight of us (one celiac) enjoyed a delicious meal at Wild Poppy. We had to have take out as the restaurant was full. Wonderful to see.”
“After every bite, Sophie said, “Yum! Best eggs I’ve ever had.”
As co-owners of the Old Town (Wheat) Bakery at 510 1st Avenue in Ladysmith, Vancouver Island, Kate Cram and husband Geoff could easily be considered local celebrities! As an ‘Associate with the Culinary Institute of America‘ who also undertook to certify as a Red Seal Baker in Canada, Kate is truly baker’s baker!
Two children later, Kate and Geoff’s young sons began to experience persistent health issues that had them resorting to a gluten-free diet in search of relief. The improvement was nothing short of remarkable and a heads up to Kate that gluten may be taking a toll on her own health. The couple found themselves at a professional and personal cross roads with Kate contemplating the end of a career she loved, and their children unable to set foot within the family business.
That’s how Wild Poppy Bakery and Bistro was born!
Thursday, March 19th at 6pm. 735 Yates Street – tucked inside St. Andrew’s Square Building – across from Cineplex Odeon.
RSVP to ellen@theceliacscene.com
DOSA – a cooked flat thin layered rice batter, somewhat similar to a crepe.
PARAGON – a person or thing regarded as a perfect example of a particular quality.
• dosaparagon.ca • Facebook • Instagram • Contact • 778.440.2206
• Hours: Tues-Wed-Thurs 11-8:30 • Fri-Sat 11-9 • Sun11-8 • Closed Mondays.
• About Dosa Paragon
• Dosa Paragon Menu
• Order Online
• Take Out Menu
• Skip the Dishes
Thursday Special – Vegetable Biriyani
- A bold and flavorful Indian rice dish with bell peppers, peas, carrots and potatoes in a spiced rice dish made with turmeric, garam masala and other warm spices.
Friday-Saturday-Sunday Special – Chicken Biriyani
- a delicious savory rice dish that is loaded with spicy marinated chicken, caramelized onions, and flavorful saffron rice.
About South Indian Cuisine
- DOSA – a crispy savoury rice crepe cooked flat thin layered, made from fermented rice and lentil batter, then filled.
- UTHAPPAM – thick pancake made from rice and lentil batter, with different toppings.
- PAPADUM – a thin crisp disk shaped lentil wafers, made from seasoned black gram flour, either fried or grilled with dry heat.
- VADA – a savoury fried snack from India. It is made from lentils.
- IDLY – a savoury, steamed rice cake very popular in Southern India and Sri Lanka , from Indian subcontinent. IDLY are made by Steaming a batter consisting of fermented black lentils and rice. Learn more about this super food here.
- SAMBAR – lentils and Vegetables cooked with tamarind and blend of spices.
- INDIAN PICKLE- known as Achar, made from a variety of vegetables & fruits, preserved in brine, vinegar, edible oils and a blend of various Indian spices.
- Click here to view the complete menu.
Victoria Buzz Review by Brishti Basu 1
- On July 8th, Prashant “Bob” Unnikrishnan and his wife Lathika quietly opened the doors to Dosa Paragon, a south Indian restaurant that is one of its kind in Victoria, and perhaps all of Vancouver Island. Unlike other East Indian eateries in town, this restaurant specializes in cuisine local to the south Indian state of Kerala and everything on the menu is made from scratch by the husband-and-wife duo. Bob, who has lived in Victoria for the past 6 years, brings his dishes straight from India after having worked in major cities like Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore. Before opening Dosa Paragon, he worked as a chef at several restaurants around town including Irish Times Pub, John’s Place, and Varsha Indian Kitchen.
- Some of their highlights include the Masala Dosa (a rice crepe stuffed with spiced potato), their Onion and Cilantro Uthappam (a savoury pancake topped with onion and cilantro), and for meat eaters, an aromatic and flavourful Chicken Biryani (a spiced rice and chicken dish). Of course, no Indian meal is complete without a drink to go with it.
- Those who prefer a cooler beverage may choose the thick, sweet concoction that is their mango smoothie. For those partial to hot drinks, the restaurant offers an authentic ‘masala chai’ or tea flavoured with a mix of spices and herbs.
- While Bob and his wife have done practically nothing to advertise their new restaurant, the small eatery always has a steady stream of customers to keep them busy – a testament to the nearly addictive flavours and aromas emanating from Dosa Paragon. They have been so busy, in fact, that the owners have had to extend their business hours up to 9 p.m. to keep up with the demand.
- “That’s our motivation,” said Bob when asked about how customers have been responding to his restaurant. “We just want to maintain that momentum as our main goal is customer satisfaction.”
