Undergraduate / Common App Essay: Baking [2]

--Pick a topic of choice.

~So I know there is a lot of work to be done here so I was wondering if I can get some pointers. This is my first/second draft and I need it to be perfect. Any feedback would be great, Thanks!

"If the toothpick comes out clean, it is ready to be taken out." That is the first tip that I received about baking back when I was in fourth grade. I was making a lemon pound cake that day and needed to find a way to make sure it was fully baked. Baking has followed me through my life journey ever since I was a little kid. It is not only a hobby, but it has become my escape from this world into one where I'm able to create anything that comes to mind, learning and having fun along the way.

Baking has taken me on many adventures around the world. Whether I was sitting in the Parisian moonlight eating warm croissants, or exploring the Kremlin in Russia with a babka in my hand, I was learning about the different cultures of the world and how different people ate without ever leaving my kitchen. One of the big changes that occurred because of my passion for baking was my love of exploring. I began to love to explore new recipes and to try new things all the time and I loved a challenge, and I still do. I am able to take on unfamiliar things head on because I know that all it takes is patience, meticulousness, and open-mindedness. I have taken egg whites and sugar and made beautiful flower shaped meringues, or have taken a whole day to make a triple-decker fruit cake. Whether it's big or small, I have grown to love taking on the challenge.

While I have made some very delicious recipes, there are times when what I bake does not come out exactly as I would like it to. When those times come, I have learned to relax, to take it easy, and to just be patient.

"A watched pot never boils." I have learned about this firsthand through experience and it is perhaps one of the most frustrating things when rushing to boil something. But it helps you learn to slow down and wait for things to happen on their own. Sometimes when I am just waiting for that perfect idea to hit me for an essay or grades to come out online, I just stop, breathe, and realize that if I think about all of the other things in life, what I want to happen eventually will.

I went from lemon pound cakes to Madeleines to triple-berry pies and evidently I grew up with my baking. For the past ten years I have surprised my family with new creations or old family recipes and made memories that will last forever. Despite the fact that I don't want to pursue a career in the culinary arts, the skill of baking comes in handy anywhere in life because it teaches you how to be careful, accurate, hard-working, and creative- all qualities that are extremely useful in life.

Katya Fatakhova