Want to learn more about the woman who bakes over 72 fresh muffins every day for the guests of Conversations Café? The Conversations kitchen is a family and we want you to get to know our "Kitchen Grandmother" who puts love and skill into every baked good at our counter...and she does it just for you!
When Conversations Café opened almost five years ago, 62-year old Connie applied to be a baker in the kitchen. She was backed with years of kitchen experience, but was unsure whether she would land the job because of her age. She did indeed get the job, and this humble worker quickly became a treasured member of the Conversations kitchen team. Over her time here, Connie has proved to herself and others that aging should never hold you back from doing what you love…and being exceptionally great at it!
She’s a kitchen celebrity at Conversations–her baking skills are praised by staff and customers, and behind all these amazing creations, there is a story of a woman who is living life to the fullest; she is using her skills to make sure all of us get to experience the joy of fresh baked goods any day of the week!
Connie has been baking since early on– she grew up in an Italian family and her baking was mostly Italian desserts and baked goods around the special holidays. These days, she has embraced learning new recipes at Conversations Café, and now bakes many trays of cookies and muffins fresh every day!
No stranger to the kitchen, Connie gave us the background on her work experience, which began at Kresgy’s at Yorkdale, and then moved to the Yorkdale University Kitchen. Following that, she spent 25 years cooking in the Kitchen at McDonnell Douglas Aerospace company. There’s no doubt she has a passion for bringing people together with her cooking– she tells us that, “I’d rather cook for ten people than two at home.”
This is good, because her creations have a tendency of attracting a crowd! The rest of our team always loves when she brings in some of her Italian home cooking with them to take home–especially her lasagna!
Fun Fact: Did you know that Connie was also the winner of the Miss Centennial North York in 1967?
A beautiful person inside and out, Connie is a beloved member of the Café team. Deb Dueck, owner of Conversations Café adds with a smile that, “Connie is everyone’s Grandma around here.” As the kitchen matriarch, Connie fulfills her role with great humility and dedication. She was quick to answer that her favourite part of working at Conversations Café “is the people.” She explains that, “I get to meet different people. I love seeing the people who come in regularly…like just this morning I saw a couple who comes in every morning, and orders toast and coffee. So I loved chatting with them. And the staff is so good to work with too!”
Life Lessons with Connie:
In all of her experiences, Connie wants to encourage young people who love to cook and bake with the advice to “follow the recipe…but put a pinch of this in, and a pinch of that in.” Just as she encourages youth to be authentic in whatever their talents are, she also passes on to our readers her most important life lesson: “Just be yourself. Don’t try to be someone else that you’re not.” And with that fantastic grin, she adds, “…And then maybe when you’re 62, you’ll get hired!”
So next time you see those beautiful cookies behind the glass counter, or maybe take a bite into Connie's personal favourite, the Blueberry muffin, know that it has been made with love, skill and grin from Connie!