HOW IT ALL STARTED
– I made my first dessert long ago. Even as a little child, I liked to bake with my mom and grandmothers, I must have made my first pastry during the first few grades of elementary school. I could not have imagined that pastry would become my calling at that time. My love for pastry blossomed in high school and ever since then it has been the only thing I can think about. In 2014, I created a profile on Coolinarika. It was also my first encounter with cooking.
– Soon I became more and more interested in cooking, and most importantly, in baking. A couple of years ago, when I saw that others liked what I was doing and writing, I started to think about writing my own blog. One thing led to another, and in the beginning of 2017 I started my own blog, which would be a reflection of me and my creativity, and a way to share what I do with others. All this led to me being nominated for the “Gastro Zvijezda” (eng. Gastro Star) in the pastry category. The whole experience was a lot of fun and definitely something new for me. For the first time in my life, I had the opportunity to prepare food in front of the cameras, but good food and great company made the whole experience not as stressful as it could have been.
KUL IN
– After I had realized that the pastry industry was where I wanted to be, I started looking for the best place to continue my education. In Croatia, Kul IN definitely stood out, and after I had thoroughly studied the programs, instructors, seen all the interesting photos of different dishes and pastries prepared at Kul IN, I was ready to make my decision to enroll. Now, having completed the program, I see a great improvement regarding my knowledge. Through Kul IN, I have made a lot of progress, and all the tips and knowledge I have acquired there still help me. I have learned how to work in the team, acquired time management skills, and I had the opportunity to try out various new methods of preparing different foods.
DECIDING WHERE TO INTERN
– Since I love a challenge and experiencing new things, internship in France was a logical path for me after completing the program. I consider this internship in France as a challenge I decided to accept because it was all new and exciting for me. I wanted to learn more about one of the world’s most famous gastronomy destinations.
AUBERGE DES CHASSEURS
– I’m interning at the Auberge des Chasseurs Hotel. It is a famous hotel and restaurant located near Geneva with a beautiful view of the Jura Mountains and Mount Blanc. The menu consists of traditional French dishes and it changes every month. The pastries are also based on traditional French recipes but we update them to create a more modern version of a traditional dish. My day starts at 9 am when we start preparing pastries for the day. After lunch there is a 3-hour afternoon break, followed by the second shift. During the second shift, we prepare more pastries, if needed, for dinner which lasts roughly until 10 PM.
WORKING IN A PROFESSIONAL KITCHEN
– My colleagues accepted me and we get along very well. They are always ready to have fun but they also help me out if I need it. I’ve made a lot of progress during this short period of time. I experienced full freedom regarding my work in the kitchen almost from the beginning, and after three weeks I started creating pastries by myself. I am very happy to have been given that opportunity. I dare say I have made a lot of progress, the idea of working in a professional kitchen doesn’t seem strange to me anymore.
FRANCE
– I am really impressed by France, and find it captivating. I am fascinated by the wonderful nature, gastronomy and people. It is a great new experience! The whole idea of French gastronomy is very broad, and encompasses a lot of things. I was surprised at how little I knew about it but that made the whole experience of learning about all the new things I have encountered over the past few months in France even more rewarding. All things considered, I would tell my younger self that everything is possible.
