Interview with Anna Olson

Canadian celebrity chef Anna Olson didn’t immediately discover her love of baking.

After graduating from Queen’s University in Kingston, ON with a degree in political studies, Olson began working at a bank in Toronto. But she quickly began to dislike the work, preferring to browse the stalls at St. Lawrence Market for culinary inspiration.

Olson says that when she was supposed to be reading The Economist, she was reading recipe books. Perhaps not surprisingly, it didn’t take long for her to switch careers and head to Johnson & Wales University in Denver, Colorado to enroll in culinary school.

Inn on the Twenty

After graduation and culinary gigs in Texas and New Orleans, Olson returned to Canada to begin her career at On the Twenty restaurant at the Inn on the Twenty, a winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake (and one of Wine Access’ 20 best winery restaurants in the world).

At the time, Inn on the Twenty was only a year and a half old, and the established food scene in Niagara did not exist yet.

“It was great to be at the beginning of something exciting,” says Olson of her time at the Inn.

A Love of Baking

Olson first entered into the world of professional baking when she was promoted to pastry chef at On the Twenty.  She says she enjoys baking because it’s a “left brain, right brain thing.” She appreciates the precision and control of baking, but she also enjoys the “alchemy and magic.”

“Once it goes in the oven, it’s out of your hands,” says Olson.

Her favourite ingredients to achieve this alchemy and magic are unsalted butter, good quality vanilla extract and good-quality chocolate. (She is a fan of Bernard Callebaut.)

Back to Baking

Olson has just released her seventh cookbook, Back to Baking (Whitecap, $40), which includes recipes for gluten-free, dairy-free and low-fat treats. Her favourites are the Salted Toffee Orange Slices and the Raisin Butter Tart.

Back to Baking was selected as Canada’s Best Desserts Book at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in December 2011.

Bake with Anna Olson

Olson has a new show forthcoming in 2012 titled “Bake with Anna Olson” on the Food Network. It will be an instructional cooking show that is structured like a baking apprenticeship, and Olson says there will be something for everyone to learn.

Olson Recipe Maker

Finally, she has also released an app, “Olson Recipe Maker,” with her husband, chef Michael Olson. It allows users to select and, if necessary, modify recipes based on the ingredients that they have in their fridge or pantry.