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It was for very practical reasons that Elora Khanom developed her baking skills.
In 2009, her three-year-old son was diagnosed with diabetes. Like most other kids, he enjoyed his treats, so Khanom began trying to find ways to bake things with less sugar and carbohydrates in them, using donuts as her first experiment.
“I was using almond flour, which has less carbs,” says Khanom, whose ignited passion for baking has led her to a slot as a contestant on this year’s edition of the Great Canadian Baking Show. “So I would use that and less sugar, and honestly he really enjoyed what I came up with. I just fell in love with baking from there.”
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Khanom, who works as an e-commerce process assistant in Edmonton, has actually been dabbling in the art of baking for a number of years, even before she moved to Canada from Bangladesh. She credits time at the library with helping to develop her skills and points to a love of baking shows as a trigger as well. In fact, she bemoaned the lack of Canadian baking shows and was excited when the Great Canadian Baking Show started up in 2017.
“I didn’t want to participate at the time,” says Khanom, who has developed her own style of South Asian and French fusion desserts. “I just wanted to watch. There was no chance I could supply that time. But then my family encouraged me and I thought ‘maybe I should practise more.’ This last time I applied and I was accepted.”
Khanom isn’t the only Albertan competing in the show. She’ll be joined by Calgarians Erica Schell and Rita Vathje for season eight of the competition, which brings together ten amateur chefs from across the nation to compete over eight episodes. Each week has a star baker and a contestant sent home; the final episode sees the remaining three facing off for the title of Canada’s best amateur baker.
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Second City alumni Alan Shane Lewis and Ann Pornel are back hosting, along with noted pastry chefs Bruno Feldeisen and Kyla Kennaley.
Now that Khanom has been on the other side of the television screen, she has a better appreciation for the stress endured by contestants.
“You have to learn to be calm,” she notes. “When we watch the show we might think we know why she or he couldn’t make it, but it’s not so easy. The time limit is very hard. When you make a mistake, you can’t hide it.”
The Great Canadian Baking Show kicks off its eighth season on Oct. 6 on CBC and CBC Gem.
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