ANNA OLSON COMING TO HAMILTON
Anna Olson will dish about holiday meals and treats at Central Library
Chef and cookbook author Anna Olson is coming to Hamilton to talk about the culinary delights of the season.
She’ll be at Central Library, 55 York Blvd., in the Hamilton Room at 7 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 4. Tickets are $10, available through eventbrite.ca, and proceeds from the event will support the Canadian Federation of University Women — Hamilton scholarship fund.
Food Network aficionados will know her as the host of “Bake with Anna Olson,” “Fresh with Anna Olson” and “Sugar.” She can also be seen on the “Oh Yum” YouTube channel, and “Inspired with Anna Olson” on foodnetwork.ca. Her latest book is “The Bake with Anna Olson Cookbook.”
Here’s a taste of her upcoming visit, and holiday baking in general.
1. Which holiday baking recipes are your favourites?
I do love the classics, so a good shortbread and gingerbread cookie recipe are always in my cookie tin. I also like making family favourites. From my Slovak heritage, I make little bagel-bite type creations called bobalky, which my Grandma would make every Christmas Eve, and I also bake vinarterta, an Icelandic prune and cardamom shortbread torte that speaks to my husband, Michael’s, holiday tradition.
2. What will you be focusing on during your Hamilton visit?
I’ll spend a little time talking about my culinary journey, but really I’d like to spend some time talking about holiday baking and cooking tips. Much of this involves how to get ahead so that you have time to actually enjoy the holidays, and not be running around or trapped in the kitchen while your guests are having fun.
3. Are you finding that your broader audience is asking for recipes that are lower in sugar or use substitutes?
I am finding many, varied requests: gluten-free, dairy-free, eggfree, vegan in addition to reduced sugar. I think this is a good thing because A: it means that home baking is more popular than ever, because that way the home cook can control the ingredients and the portions, and B: it means we have a more engaged and educated home cook. Asking questions and looking for knowledge to bake to suit yours and your family’s needs is important.
That said, I try to steer people toward recipes where making substitutions is easy without relying on processed replacements. A lot of classic Eastern European recipes use little flour, so adapting to gluten-free baking is simpler, and recipes with natural purées like pumpkin or sweet potato make baking without sugar easier. (Sugar does far more than sweeten — it adds moisture and structure to baked goods, so you have to find options that achieve all three things, not just the sweetness.)
4. How important is it to be precise when measuring and when is it safe to improvise?
When it comes to baking, precise measuring is the key to success. I find that 90 per cent of baking mistakes are due to mismeasuring. You’ll notice that in most of my baking recipes now, I include weights in addition to volume. Measuring by volume (cups, teaspoons, etc.) leaves too much room for error, but measuring by weighing is easier, more precise and tidier. If you are getting serious about baking, I recommend getting a small kitchen scale (they are usually under $20).
5. What’s your top tip about tackling holiday baking?
In the world of holiday cookie making, I like to take the time NOW to make all of my doughs and freeze them. I prefer not to freeze baked cookies — they never taste as good as freshly made and they take up too much room in my freezer. Since most of the work (including tidying up) goes into making the doughs, I prefer to make them and then label what they are and their baking instructions. Then come December, when I’m busy, I just thaw and slice and bake or roll and bake ... the easy part! I even pre-scoop and freeze my drop cookies, like gingersnaps!
When it comes to baking, precise measuring is the key to success. I find that 90 per cent of baking mistakes are due to mismeasuring. ANNA OLSON