Being young as I remember, I always loved walking in my grandmother kitchen and smelling the vanilla or chocolate scent that was spreading all around the room. I have always enjoyed eating pastries as well as baking them. However, it was not until recently that I gained inspiration and decided baking is what I want to do for my career. I have strong ambitions and a clear vision of my future in working as a pastry chef. My passion in the pastry arts, the guidance and support I have received from both my friends and family as well as the exposure I have had to pastry culture by traveling and through self-education have all served as great inspirations in helping me create this long term career plan.
Simply put, I absolutely love the smell of baking pastries. This is a major influence in why I want to become a pastry chef. When I bake time seems to stand still and I seem to be most in the moment and which makes me be more creative. While others may combine paints on a canvas to express themselves creatively, I do so by experimenting with different flavors and textures often altering recipes in an effort to hopefully create something scrumptious. This is what I see as my greatest passion, one, which I believe if followed, will lead to success and satisfaction.
My strong passion for baking has not been the only factor that has shown me that I have what it takes to one day be an accomplished pastry chef. Traveling abroad and living in countries such as, Egypt, Nigeria, India and Switzerland has exposed me to different cultures allowing me to discover a variety of pastry making styles. I have also learned different styles from studying recipes online and watching The Food Network, many of which I have kept and will take with me to my future places of employment and eventually to my own shop. Every place I have traveled to, I have noticed how pastries are in a sense part of the nations culture. From The Kulfi of India, Mille Feuille of France, Anoushabour of Armenia to Tiramisu of Italy, and each pastry plays a part in the culture. My aim is to learn these different pastries and sell to people from different cultures. In my view an accomplished pastry chef will be satisfied not only by successfully bringing people of different cultures together but also through the praise they have earned and their ability to provide a delicious product. These aspects give me great motivation and I strive to one day be this accomplished pastry chef who can unite people through the art of international pastry making.
Since I decided to seriously pursue the pastry arts my family, friends and peers have been very supportive. I regularly bake during the week and bring my pastries to school for people to try. They always give me constructive and honest feedback that I value and try to incorporate into my next creation. It’s important to note that my family has helped me fine-tune my long-term vision by giving me the opportunity to follow my dreams with complete support. The first step in my vision is to become proficient in the basic knowledge of pastry making is through getting a higher education. Upon graduation I plan to work in a bakery for enough time to fully grow my knowledge base and maximize my in-the-kitchen proficiency. This should take years. During this time my intention is to complete my personal recipe list of unique and yummy pastries. Once each recipe has been perfected, I plan to open my own bakery.
Creating a successful career takes time, like when you have to be patient when the pastry is in the oven. I believe I am heading in the right direction as I have passion, international exposure and the support behind me. I am confident that with admittance into Le Cordon Blue I will be well on my way to fulfilling my dream of owning and operating my own distinctive bakery, one of international standing bringing people from all around the world together.