Market Report: Cheesecakes and Peruvian Food

My Cheesecake Addiction

Having worked in the oil and gas industry for nearly a decade, Toni Espiritu never imagined herself running a cheesecake business. But a nagging craving led her to bake a single cheesecake, which turned out to be such a hit that she started baking cheesecakes for family and friends. When she started getting calls from strangers requesting her cheesecake, Toni and her husband decided it was time to turn her hobby into a business.

My Cheesecake Addiction was born in 2015, and offers a wide variety of Toni’s signature smooth, creamy cheesecakes. One bestseller is the white chocolate blueberry cheesecake, a decadent combination of Toni’s original cheesecake swirled with blueberries, a layer of white chocolate cream, and fresh whipped cream. Equally popular is the Skor cheesecake which features a unique brown sugar cookie crust, cheesecake with Skor pieces, chocolate ganache, and a topping of crunchy toffee.

At Toni’s stall, customers will find a selection of traditional cheesecake flavours and Asian-inspired flavours like ube (purple yam) and matcha. One of Toni’s proudest moments is winning the platinum award in the dessert category of CommunityVotes Calgary 2020. And her favourite part of running My Cheesecake Addiction? “Watching customers celebrating with my cheesecakes!”

Visit Cheesecake Addiction at Prairie Horizon Fresh Market, Find a selection of mini cheesecakes at The Mercantile at Fresh and Local Market & Kitchens, and Symons Valley Ranch Market Store.

Sabor a Perú

At Sabor a Perú, chefs Arturo Benites, Cesar Aquino, and Erika Costa and their partners serve up authentic Peruvian cooking. The trio got their start catering community events and took a chance on opening a permanent stall last year. Popular dishes like lomo saltado, a flaming stir-fry of beef tenderloin, tomatoes, and onions served over rice and French fries, keep customers coming back for more.

Another hit dish is their Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken called pollo a la brasa. To achieve the perfect bite, the chicken is first marinated in beer, then covered in a mix of Peruvian red chili peppers, and finally finished off with a rosemary-and-pepper seasoning before being slow-roasted in a rotisserie oven. Pollo a la brasa is accompanied with traditional sauces, both of which are made in house; one is a light mayonnaise with a delicious salty tang, and the other is aji pollero, a creamy sauce made of yellow peppers and Peruvian black mint, which provides the perfect amount of spice.

The chefs’ goal at Sabor a Perú is to share their passion for Peruvian cuisine, and to that end have introduced Calgarians to a bevy of authentic dishes including Peruvian ceviche, anticucho (seasoned grilled beef heart skewers, which have been an unlikely hit!), and crema volteada, a creamy, smooth flan dessert. Make sure you don’t miss trying a bottle of sweet chicha morada juice, made from Peruvian purple corn!