Every time we think we might try to reduce the gluten in our diet, lunch rolls around with its bread-basket of choices.

The answer is Big Star Bake House, the new gluten-free bakery from the owners of Milk Tiger Lounge. Loaves of Italian, cheese, cinnamon raisin and banana breads are baked without a hint of gluten, along with brownies, butter tarts, scones and other daily specials. Grab pizza doughs and hamburger buns from the freezer or a bag of flour and prepare a meal at home.

Now, about those carbs... —Jaelyn Molyneux

Big Star Bake House, 1510 6 St. S.W., Calgary, 403-452-6572, www.gfpatisserie.com

How sweet it is to have the smell of fresh baked pastries wafting from your own oven.

Pascal’s Patisserie’s Take and Bake French Pastries will turn you into a culinary hero. You can take credit for adding the heat that takes cinnamon rolls, pain au chocolat or brioche from frozen package to flaky fabulousness. Pascal Bagioli is the pastry chef who came to Calgary by way of Toulouse in the South of France to develop the winning recipes. Stop by his workshop Fridays between 10 a.m. and noon for Parking Lot Pastries baked fresh from frozen on your way to buying vacuum-sealed packs of six pastries ($15) for your weekend brunch.

You had us at pain au chocolat. —Jaelyn Molyneux

Pascal's Patisserie, 101, 5240 1A St. S.E., Calgary, 403-968-6156, www.pascals.ca

When it’s your birthday, wedding day, or any celebration day for that matter, you can always have your cake and eat it too. 


At the new Itza Bakeshop you can also have almond croissants ($2.75), pain au chocolat ($2.75) and mini éclairs ($4).
The tiny bakery is located in the wedding mecca, a.k.a. 17th Avenue’s Devenish Building, but even if you’re not in the market for a three-tier work of art, go early for the fresh-baked pastries or pop in at lunch for a hearty quiche. 


Although the pastries are a tad more petite than other baked goods we’ve devoured, they make up for it with layer upon layer of flaky goodness.



Itza Bakeshop, 111, 908 17th Ave. SW, Calgary, 403-228-0044, www.itzabakeshop.com

From sourdough to walnut and raisin, Peasant Artisan Bread and Charcuterie by Aviv has us forsaking our carb count and indulging in delicious slices of the good stuff.

Aviv Fried's breads are available around town, but it’s what he does on Mondays that has us charmed. Every week, he delivers loaves of bread ($6 with portion of the proceeds going to charity) by bicycle to any downtown location. Sign up for the mailing list and each Wednesday you’ll receive a selection of breads to choose from for Monday's delivery, along with "recession package" pairing suggestions (from $12) like honey, cheese or soup.

Now let's break bread.

http://peasantfood.tumblr.com

Sometimes, a girl has got to cheat. We can’t all be good at everything, even if we like to pretend.

We’re talking about baking, of course.

If it’s not your forte or, if you just don’t have the time to bake that bundt cake, we’ll let you in on a little secret. That poppy seed strudel loaf we brought over for dinner last week was not homemade—well, not in our home at least. While perusing the newly expanded Community Natural Foods, we came across a variety of Christmas baking. We’re talking fruitcake, butter tarts and cookies galore. Impress your health-nut friends with the wheat-free and gluten-free offerings that you made all on your own (wink, wink).

Now, if only our grandmother could be fooled.

Community Natural Foods, 1304 10th Ave. SW, Calgary, 403-229-2383 and 202 61st Ave. SW, Calgary, 403-541-0606, www.communitynaturalfoods.com