Published March 13, 2022 · Updated September 24, 2026
What can two pieces of Italian bread teach us about being women?
Apparently, quite a lot.
One was bruschetta I discovered during a meal at The Stove (formerly 3 Guys and a Stove) in Huntsville.
The other was capriccio bread at Hothouse in Old Town Toronto.
Different places. Different ingredients. Different experiences.
Yet somehow, comparing the two made me think about women—and all the different versions of ourselves we carry through life.
Because perhaps we were never meant to fit neatly into one type.
Perhaps we can be simple and fancy.
Strong and soft.
Grounded and adventurous.
The woman we’ve always been and the woman we’re still becoming.
A Little Tribute to Women Everywhere
International women’s month is being celebrated every March of each year to honor all the women in the world!
As a woman myself, I would like to pay tribute to all women out there who have been brave in doing life since day 1 of existing in this world!
My salute to each and every grandmother, wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend – you have been rocking this universe since time immemorial!
So for this international women’s month, I would like to give you some thoughts to ponder on.
And strangely enough, those thoughts begin with bread.
Bruschetta or Capriccio?
Have you heard of bruschetta?
How about capriccio?
Mmmm, sounds Italian right?
These really are Italian words for ‘to toast’ and ‘fancy’ respectively.
Bruschetta is toasted Italian bread with toppings while capriccio is actually derived from caprese salad which is also toasted Italian bread with toppings in Hothouse.
As I searched over the internet, there is no food named capriccio so maybe the reason why Hothouse calls it ‘capriccio bread’ in their menu.
Anyway, both bruschetta and capriccio bread are toasted Italian bread with toppings and are served as antipasto, the traditional first course of a formal Italian meal.
No wonder why Raymund, my constant Toronto eating buddy got confused between the two because the only difference is the type of Italian bread used and the toppings.
See below for the exact comparison of The Stove’s bruschetta and Hothouse’s capriccio bread.
Bruschetta at The Stove (formerly 3 Guys and a Stove)
Sundried tomato, roasted garlic, herbs & parmesan cheese on baguette.
Capriccio Bread at Hothouse
Ciabatta loaf, garlic butter, pesto, basil and olive oil marinated Roma tomatoes baked with mozzarella and feta cheeses.
Cooking Procedure
Just toast bread in olive oil and top with the ingredients enumerated above.
Simple enough.
But what caught my attention wasn’t really the cooking procedure.
It was how two dishes that seemed so similar could have such different personalities.
And that got me thinking.
Two Dishes, Two Ontario Memories
These weren’t dishes I tried side by side.
They belong to two different memories.
One took me to Huntsville, surrounded by the lakes, forests and small-town beauty that make Muskoka such a special part of Ontario.
The other brought me back to Hothouse in Old Town Toronto—but even that dinner had a story behind it.
Remember Barksy?
A simple photo Raymund took of me with Barksy at Berczy Park ended up winning an Old Town Toronto holiday giveaway. The prize was a $100 gift card, and when we were asked to choose an Old Town Toronto business where we wanted to use it, Raymund chose Hothouse.
And that is how we ended up there, with capriccio bread on our table.
→ Read: Christmas at Berczy Park: When a Simple Photo Became Something More
Looking back, I love how one ordinary moment led to another.
A Christmas stroll became a photograph.
The photograph became a small win.
The small win became a dinner.
And that dinner eventually became this story.
Raymund was there for both my Hothouse and Huntsville memories. Food became one of the little ways we experienced new places together.
And that’s something I’ve come to appreciate about exploring.
We don’t always remember a place because of its biggest attraction.
Sometimes we remember the table where we sat.
The dish we ordered.
The person sitting across from us.
Or one tiny detail that unexpectedly made us think about something much bigger.
What Two Pieces of Bread Made Me Notice
Now how is this related to international women’s month?
You might notice that capriccio bread is more loaded with ingredients than that of bruschetta.
In our lives, we meet different types of women.
There are the fashionistas, the nerdy, the hot, single and ready to mingle, the mother-hen, the girlfriend, the miss popular, the party animal, the super rich, etc.
When I originally wrote this story, I described women as falling into two categories: the simple ones and the fancy ones.
But the more life I’ve lived, the less I believe any woman can be contained by a category.
Because aren’t we often both?
Sometimes we prefer to be simple and in our caprice, we prefer to be flamboyant.
There are days when we want nothing more than comfort, quiet and simplicity.
And there are days when we want the dress, the lipstick, the adventure, the celebration and everything extra.
There are seasons when we’re confident.
Others when we’re uncertain.
Times when we’re taking care of everyone around us.
And times when we’re finally learning to take care of ourselves.
None of those versions cancels out the others.
You Can Be Both Worlds
This is one of the original lines I still believe:
You may be as simple and humble as bruschetta or as grand and capricious as capriccio, bear in mind that you are you! You are your own goddess and you can be both worlds!
Maybe that’s the real point.
You can be both worlds.
And many more.
One of the strange things about transition is that it can make us question our identity.
Who am I if I no longer have that job?
Who am I in this new country?
Who am I when my children don’t need me in the same way?
Who am I after this relationship?
Who am I at this age?
Who am I becoming?
But perhaps becoming doesn’t always require choosing one version of ourselves and leaving all the others behind.
Sometimes it means making room for more of ourselves.
The woman who was.
The woman who is.
And the woman who is still emerging.
Another Toronto Table, Another Chapter
Hothouse wasn’t the only Toronto restaurant that became part of my early memories in Canada.
Raymund really did become my constant eating buddy.
During my fourth month here, we celebrated his graduation and the end of my first semester at The Old Spaghetti Factory in Old Town Toronto.
At the time, it was simply dinner.
Looking back, I see it as one of those tiny celebrations that reminded me I was slowly building a new life—one unfamiliar experience at a time.
→ Read: The Old Spaghetti Factory Toronto: A Little Celebration in a New Country
That is one of the things I love about revisiting old stories now.
A meal I once wrote about because I enjoyed the food can reveal something completely different years later.
Becoming Doesn’t Mean Leaving Yourself Behind
For anyone navigating a transition, I think this matters.
We often talk about “becoming” as though we have to reinvent ourselves completely.
But maybe we don’t.
Perhaps becoming is partly about discovering which pieces of ourselves we want to carry forward.
You can outgrow something without rejecting the woman who once needed it.
You can become stronger without becoming hard.
You can become independent and still need people.
You can love simplicity and occasionally want something extravagant.
You can be serious about building a meaningful life and still be silly.
You are allowed to contain contradictions.
That’s not failure to figure yourself out.
That’s being human.
Be Your Own Warrior
So no matter what type of a woman you are, surely, we each have our battles to fight.
Some we win, some we lose.
And no matter what comes our way, just be your own warrior!
So here’s to us, empowered women this international women’s month:
Woman, keep your feet grounded
You have the strong foundation
Woman, keep your core centered
You are stable
Woman, keep your heart open
You, yourself are love
Woman, keep your chin up
You have what it takes
Woman, eyes on the prize
You are a born winner
Woman, reach high up to the skies
You are limitless!
– Mary Rosalie Olandesca (March 14, 2021)
I wrote those words years ago.
Today, I might add just one more:
Woman, give yourself permission to change.
You don’t have to know exactly who you’re becoming.
Keep exploring.
Keep noticing.
Keep making room for all the different sides of yourself along the way.
What Side of Yourself Have You Been Missing?
Maybe you’ve been so busy being responsible that you’ve forgotten your playful side.
Maybe you’ve spent years caring for everyone else and are rediscovering what you enjoy.
Maybe you’re starting over and wondering whether the woman you used to be still belongs in the life you’re building now.
She does.
You don’t need to become an entirely different person to create a richer life.
Sometimes you simply need to notice the parts of yourself that have been waiting to be welcomed back.
Want to Practice Noticing More?
Noticing beauty isn’t only about noticing flowers, sunsets or beautiful destinations.
Sometimes it’s about noticing ourselves—what brings us alive, what we’ve outgrown, what we’re carrying and what we might be ready to rediscover.
That’s why I created The Beauty Around You: A 7-Day Journey to Slow Down and Notice More.
It’s a gentle invitation to slow down, pay attention and rediscover the beauty that’s already around you—and perhaps a little of what’s already within you, too.
→ Begin the 7-Day Journey
Continue Your Journey
Explore Somewhere
The two dishes in this story belong to two very different Ontario settings—from the historic streets of Old Town Toronto to the natural beauty surrounding Huntsville.
Notice Something
A plate of bread shouldn’t necessarily inspire an essay about womanhood.
But that’s the beauty of paying attention.
Ordinary things sometimes reveal stories we weren’t looking for.
Become Something
Life’s transitions can change our roles, surroundings and plans. They can also invite us to reconsider who we are—and make room for who we’re becoming.