The Seated View

Nut free. Vegan. Gluten free. Soy free. Oh, and preservative-free. You’d think it would be impossible to make things that didn’t taste like sawdust if you have to accommodate multiple exclusions. And you’d be wrong, at least when it comes to Sorelle and Co in Toronto. I’d never heard of them until The Boy came home one day and told me they’d opened up a branch in the Saks Food Hall near the Eaton Centre. I promptly checked out the menu. Then wiped drool off my keyboard. Not only are there delicious cakes and treats, but also some very yummy-sounding breads (Black Olive and Rosemary, Italian Garlic and I have to stop now before the keyboard short-circuits). Secondly, having a bakery and restaurant so close to home that is both vegan and nutfree means that a vegan friend and I can actually eat in the same place without a) one of us dying or B) one of us compromising her ethics. The day before Christmas, David and I went for our first visit. Unfortunately, ...

“Bread is bread.” The Boy claimed. And I shook my head and told him he was completely and utterly wrong. I have not had good bread — proper bread — for at least 15 years. That’s when I became allergic to nuts and had to stop eating baked goods from bakeries. Most bakeries make things with nuts and the risk of cross-contamination is just too great. Ever since, I have obsessively read labels and been stuck eating the kind of bread that comes in plastic bags. Not bad for sandwiches or toast, but does it really qualify as bread? I have longed for proper bread ever since. Good, crusty bread. Bread that bites back. Bread with flavour. Also croissants. Growing up in Denmark gave me free access to amazing bakeries that provided freshly baked bread and heavenly pastries every day. Once, coming home from a party held in celebration of graduation, a friend and I dropped by a bakery at 8 AM to bring home fresh bread and danishes still hot from the oven. Is there anyth...

I have a variety of food allergies, some of which require me carrying an EpiPen in case I have an anaphylactic reaction. And it’s had a profound impact on my socializing. I don’t eat out much anymore. There are no ironclad guarantees in a restaurant. They’ll try their best, but until someone opens a nut free restaurant, it’s a bit like playing Russian roulette. The chances that my dish will have been exposed to cross contamination on a surface that has previously had nuts on it are slim, but they are there. When you add my list of food intolerances — Biologics have done a number on my stomach — eating out just isn’t worth it. If I make my own dinner, I know exactly what goes into it and where it’s been. It’s easier and much less stressful. My family and friends know my allergies and at family events and potlucks, they make sure the dish they bring doesn’t contain the things to which I’m super allergic. Still, they aren’t allergic, which means their kitchens, utensils, cont...