CALL it the sweet (and salty) treat that Twitter made.
North Vancouver-raised Erin Ireland was still paying her dues as a broadcaster when she started baking banana bread with her own recipe to give as gifts.
"It's the only recipe I had memorized. I'd always bake it for people; the feedback I got was surprising."
The clamour for her exceptionally moist version of the retro loaf - loaded with Callebaut chocolate and salted macadamia nuts - grew quickly; first from friends and family and then from beyond.
"I apply similar tricks with all my baking - I like things a little bit saltier."
So, apparently, did others who sampled it. Word began to spread, from friend to friend, on Facebook, and especially on Twitter.
Ireland is pretty handy with the social networking service (she has more than 8,600 followers and is closing in on 46,000 Tweets, or updates). With a degree in mass communication from South Carolina's Winthrop University, she knows the importance of proficiency in all kinds of media, and Twitter, Facebook and her own website (itstodiefor.ca) have formed cornerstones as her career has gained ground. After working at CTV for two years she landed a hosting gig with FMA Entertainment Weekly on KVOS TV.
"It was a great way to get my foot in the door," says Ireland. And in doing it, she began to realize that her favourite interviews, stories and segments were about food. Her focus shifted. Soon she was writing a weekly restaurant column for Metro daily newspaper, a monthly column for Vancouver View, and appearing on regular food and restaurant segments on Urban Rush on Shaw.
Through it all, the demand for her banana bread kept growing.
"I never planned to do this. I just kept getting asked about it. I started carrying a loaf in my purse so people could try it." It wasn't long before Ireland landed the bread into a local café, and she started baking it for sale. Her hobby had turned into a business: To Die For Fine Foods.
For a year, she baked the banana bread herself.
"I was on a seven-month hunt for a bakery. It's all about quality and quantity. I needed to be very specific about the ingredients." She did 30 test bakes with one bakery, "but it never tasted right. With the name To Die For, it has to meet my expectations. I was just about at my wit's end."
Three months ago, she finally found a bakery in Deep Cove that makes it just the way she likes it. Now, To Die For Banana Bread is available at 32 cafés and retailers around Metro Vancouver, including the Café for Contemporary Art and Cove Fine Foods in North Vancouver, and Caffe Artigiano in West Vancouver. It comes in three regular flavours: original, "Naked" (minus the chocolate and nuts), and Bacon. A limited edition Strawberry Banana Bread, to be made with local B.C. strawberries, will be on shelves soon.
For now, Ireland is concentrating on growing her business locally, but she hopes to expand.
"My plans are big. I definitely want to do B.C."
She couldn't be happier. "It's my dream job. I didn't even realize this is what I wanted to do, but I love it."
Get more info at itstodiefor.ca.
