Patty de Guia is a home-taught baker who calls Toronto her home. Recently, she was announced as one of the 10 best amateur bakers in Canada and will appear in the returning 8th season of The Great Canadian Baking Show launching on October 6 on CBC and CBC Gem.
Patty de Guia brings a wicked sense of humour to the Tent, returning the possibility that baking has given her. Her obsession with baking began during her recovery from her lower leg amputation. She began delving into cookbooks and now has an impressive collection of over 500 volumes. She also loves traditional baking with a touch of quirkiness and is often known to incorporate Filipino flavours that she grew up on.
Patty bakes for her family, so it’s no surprise her young-adult kids have inherited her foodie gene. She is also a former full-time portrait photographer. Today, Patty is a self-proclaimed crazy cat lady. She even shares commonality with one of her cats, Lumpia, who has only three legs. Patty’s challenges have propelled her to pursue things that scare her including taking the mic and trying stand up comedy to audition for the Baking Show.
We had a chance to chat with Patty de Guia to learn more about her journey that led her to the popular Baking Show…
Who is your inspiration in the kitchen and why?
Patty de Guia: My mother and Grandmother always made traditional Filipino food but whenever we visited my Uncle Dan in Sarasota, he always made these elaborate seafood feasts that were French inspired. His daughter (my cousin) went to pastry school before becoming a doctor, always baked these amazing frangipane fruit tartes. It blew my mind. They were flavours I never experienced before and I wanted to find a way to explore that more.
What was it like growing up? Filipinos are known for their big family and friends gatherings and lots of food!
Patty: We very rarely ate out. The immigrant way was home cooking ALL THE TIME. If we did it was just McDonald’s. That was as exotic as it got. Our family gatherings were a plethora of food. ALWAYS pot luck. ALWAYS enough to feed a whole army because taking home leftovers was part of the fun. Occasionally someone would bring Chinese food but it was a deep fried, noodle and pork laden fiesta of popular Filipino dishes. It ain’t a REAL party without LUMPIA!!
If you had to bake for someone famous…who would that be? What would you bake and why? And what would you ask them?
Patty: Right now I am completely obsessed with Matty Matheson. I loved him before he was on The Bear. I ate at his restaurant, Parts and Labour when it was still open. I even had my friend bring me a cold Matty’s Patty Burger after I came home from brain surgery because I was craving it and I lived in Burlington at the time.
I would bake Matty my Apple Pie Focaccia. Imagine if an apple fritter, cinnamon bun and Tuscan Schiacciata had a baby…APPLE PIE FOCACCIA! Kinda chaotic just like him and me! I would ask Matty Matheson if he likes making lunches for his kids because for me that was the bane of my existence!
From past seasons, what kind of helpful tips did you make a note of from other bakers?
Patty: To he honest, it wasn’t tips that I made note of it was more how to pivot when things didn’t go as planned and just how to keep a cool head. After experiencing the tent, I think aside from practicing your bakes that is the most important tip I took note of.
Did any previous bakers on the show give you any advice?
Patty: I had the pleasure of meeting Andrew Evers from Season 7. I remember him telling me to take advantage of the Culinary Team on the show. They really are the unsung heroes of the show. They source the absolute BEST ingredients possible.
What’s on your music playlist when baking?
Patty: I’m a single mother of three and I have ALWAYS been a BELIEBER!! His Justice album was a masterpiece!! Old school R&B is also in high rotation. You can never have too much Bell Biv Devoe and TLC.
Agreed! Never enough BBD & TLC! You’re also a portrait photographer – but do you have any tips for us when shooting food, especially with our phones?
Patty: My biggest tip when shooting anything or anyone is that you should always try and have your subject be lit by natural light. Preferably indirect diffused light. Also get down to the food’s level for a different perspective.
Favourite bakeries in Toronto?
My absolute favourite bakery in Toronto is Roselle. I have followed them since they opened in 2015. Their Banana Cream Pie Eclair is what dreams are made of!! Barber Shoppe Patisserie is killer for their Lemon Bichon and Chocolate Cake Slice. I adore Lucallus Bakery for traditional Asian baked goods. Finally, if you ever venture out of Toronto, I used to live in Burlington and my favourite bakery was Saving Thyme. Their Butter Tart Eclair could start a war with Roselle’s Eclair.
THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW premieres on Sunday, October 6. This season, 10 enthusiastic bakers from across the country will challenge themselves and put their skills to the test in the iconic tent for the chance to claim the title of Canada’s best amateur baker.
Based on the beloved British format, each episode features the bakers competing in three challenges – the Signature Bake, the Technical Bake, and the Show Stopper – during which they will rely on their homegrown knowledge and personal backgrounds to ensure that their delectable dishes stand out. Once their dishes have been tasted and critiqued, the judges will decide who will be the week’s Star Baker and who will be sent home. In the final episode, the remaining three bakers will face off for the coveted cake plate and the title of Canada’s best amateur baker.
Season 8 of the Canadian edition will consist of eight episodes and include several exciting new themed weeks. Comedians, actors, writers and Second City alumni, Alan Shane Lewis and Ann Pornel return as hosts, alongside esteemed pastry chefs and expert judges Bruno Feldeisen and Kyla Kennaley.
New episodes will be available to stream weekly on Sundays on CBC Gem starting at 9 a.m. ET, followed by broadcast on CBC TV at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT) local time.
