Chef Anthony Go doesn’t kid around when it comes to desserts. In a video about making creme brulee, the 21-year-old George Brown student while carefully spooning his batter into individual ramekins, reminds his audience gently but firmly to pop the bubbles in the batter, before setting them in a bain-marie and then into the oven.
This is part of his Desserts with Chef Anthony Go series on YouTube which also features New York cheesecake, blueberry muffins (with some great information about how using seasonal fruits are good for the environment) and an assortment of cookies.
“I believe in bringing joy to people through food. That is why I became a chef. Through my cooking I also want to support individuals with a developmental disability by creating an alternative space for them so that they get to be an active member of their community,” Go says via a Zoom interview from his home in Richmond Hill.
Before the pandemic hit, Go had been conducting in-person cooking classes for individuals with a developmental disability as part of a program developed by the non-profit, Big Spoon Lil Spoon. When day programs were shuttered, the young chef, who lives as an adult with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), made the seamless transition to online cooking classes. Peppered with informational nuggets about food nutrition, step-by-step instructions and illustrations about technique and kitchen safety reminders, Go’s videos were a lifesaver for those feeling disconnected with their peers.
“Anthony focuses on four areas: education, socialization, adaptive living skills, as well as employment and volunteer work. These empower Anthony to build capacity and seize the opportunity to succeed and build an independent life. In the process, he has developed a network of supportive communities,” says his mother Poppy Go.
Already an entrepreneur who made it to the Summer Company Best Entrepreneur list put out by the Ministry of Economic Development, Ministry of Research Innovation & Science (Ontario) in 2017 for setting up his own business, Waffles Etc., Go is enrolled in the baking and pastry arts management program at George Brown College. He is also an aspiring chocolatier.
“In 2019, my first job was as a chocolatier with Chocolate Concepts. At George Brown, I am working with specialty chocolate, such as Guayaquil dark chocolate, Zephyr white chocolate, Mi-Amére, Ghana, and other couverture chocolate. Working with chocolate gives me room for creativity and I love it,” he says.
During the lockdown Go has hosted cooking shows for a number of non-profits and other organizations in the community like Creating Alternatives, Hand Over Hand and Special Olympics Ontario. Most recently, Mr. Go led a cooking program that was jointly presented by Autism Ontario and Big Spoon Lil Spoon, a non-profit founded by the students of Queen’s University that organizes cooking classes and other life skill classes for children with exceptionalities.
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The program features “Big Spoons” (university volunteers) who are paired with “Lil Spoons” (participants).
“Our program usually features a one-on-one pairing between our volunteers and participants to allow for a friendship and mentorship bond to form and give our participants the opportunity to socialize and have fun with our trained volunteers. Anthony of course came in with that special personal touch that he has - besides the cooking, he organized fun games and interacted with the participants in a meaningful way,” says Shreya Singh, one of the organizers who not only mentored Go, but also eventually hired him as lead chef for the program.
The five-week class was a huge hit for families looking to practice life skills with their kids.
“Growing up, I met a lot of families that face challenges owing to a disability. I want my business to create real opportunities for these individuals. I want to help them to translate their passions into a life skill so that they can work towards being independent and live with dignity and purpose,” he says.
