Beyond the Page
Something a bit different from the last couple of weeks and possibly a break from the previous segment of Beyond the Page, where I dug deep into my personal development over the previous few years. I’ll be back on this topic over the next few weeks, but today, I’d like to share another aspect of my journey that may seem like it’s been left behind.
Family Recipes
It starts at eleven and has a phase of utter obsession with crepes. I asked my mom so much for them that she eventually gave me the recipe and told me to make them myself. Over the years, I learned different family recipes and experimented with cookbooks. I started to understand how much I love the feeling of people enjoying my desserts and hearing them say how tasty it is.
The real experience came from a recipe I’ll forever call Angel cake. It was a unique cake created by my late aunt’s for her daughter’s birthday. A very light, summery cake with a coconut cream. I fell in love. She made it for my birthday that year and then the next year, she passed the recipe on and we made it ourselves at home (my mom helped). Anytime after I did make it, I would bring it to her and she would give me her honest thoughts on it.
Couple years later, I made it with my aunt when my cousin requested again. Since then, this has become my cake too, the only cake I make for my birthday. What made it even more special was the fact that my aunt passed away some years later, and this cake recipe was one of the best gifts I ever got from her (“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”) I call it my Angel cake because it’s a nice translation of her name, and it sounds beautiful to call it that.
Somewhere along the way, I considered the possibility of a career. I even went to school to learn the basics of baking even more. I enjoyed this process very much. Being a pastry chef brought me to Ireland. This, of course, isn’t entirely factual. I could have come to Ireland with my journalism degree or worked different jobs (that pay less) until I settled, but being a pastry chef made it more accessible.
The Real Reason
I baked Irish desserts for two years. In that time I’d learned how to make different treats that the people of this Island love (and can’t get enough of). I also baked bread which felt as a bit of challenge originally, but became something I really enjoyed. I’d tried my hand in some of my own choices, but with their own being readily available when I had something else on offer, there was little interest for a Lemon Cheesecake or a Cremeschnitte (cream pie) that is one of Croatian favourite desserts. Eventually, you decide to stick to what the crowd wants and don’t let your imagination run wild…
Eventually, I realized I prefer to make my own. I love the family recipes, making cakes and pastries for birthday parties for my friends and family (not strangers). There is a joy in preparing things you know someone loves and watching their face light up when they take that first bite.
Like the way my mom had asked me for her coffee and chocolate-flavoured cake, she used to make for us when we were younger. Or how my partner’s mother lights up at mentioning chocolate wafers, which have always been a simple party favourite. The joy was in the baking and making; it was not in food service, as it turned out.
Hiding From my Path
Besides, it was never the career of my lifetime, and my personal development journey could argue that I was hiding away from my true path. Hiding away from what I was meant to be doing. If the last couple of years taught me anything, a lot of what I did was hiding away from my path. Being able to write and express myself through art and video. All this here, that is the path, the destiny. It’s about achieving higher, growing and sharing stories that must be shared with the world.
Lessons & Life Experiences
It’s not to say there wasn’t value in my baking. It was an experience of a lifetime; it taught me about people, imprinted me with lessons, introduced me to the love of my life and gave me the life I have now, where I eventually found a way to grow and become this person. In the end, I suppose that’s what it is: the journey of discovery and lessons, understanding where you were and where you have to go, recognizing the experience, but not letting it hold you back.
The biggest lesson is to take the leap and do it. The decision to take that job was a second. There was no thinking or overthinking. There was no “give me time to make a decision”. No, I said yes as soon as it was offered. There aren’t many things I can proudly say about my past.
Let’s Talk About It
Hey you, yeah, you. Thank you for reading this.
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Some questions for you to keep the comment section interesting:
- Tell me about the time you made a leap that drastically changed your life.
- Share your “failed” careers that powerfully impacted your life.
(I don’t think we have failed trades, not really. People change jobs nowadays often, falling in and out of love with their choices. It’s a very different time compared to the lives our parents and grandparents lived.)
3. Tell me about an important lesson learned that brought you to where you are today.
4. What are your thoughts on baking? Any favourite recipes?
Until next time…
“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” — George Bernard Shaw
~Love, L.V.
L.V. Luca 