Some people work to live, some live to work. The best people love their work and couldn’t live without it. I’ve become a Cake Boss Junkie. It’s an awesome show that comes on Discovery Channel. The show chronicles a baker in Hoboken New Jersey who makes amazing cakes. He made a roulette wheel… that turns. And it was a cake. d the set of Sesame Street. Now for those who know me, you likely know 2 things about me. 1. I’m not gifted in the kitchen (I hate to cook) and 2. I make really spanking cool cakes… It’s funny, the day to day grind of cooking, can’t stand it. Making crazy cool creations, love it.
I started making cakes here because what was available was dull and disgusting tasting. Literally. Kinzi once said of cakes in Jordan that they resembled styrofoam covered in Vaseline. And they did. In the 5 years we’ve been here, new AMerican style bakeries making cake creations have opened. But, by now, I’ve discovered this enjoyment of making cake creations and it’s a way to do something special for the Beans, so I look but I save my money for awesomely fun toppings for our cakes. For those who haven’t been around so long, let me give you some examples. These are a few of my favorite cupcakes, cake pops, and cakes.
So, as you can see, I like 3D cakes with visual interest. The Cake Boss takes that to the next level (actually he goes more like 4 or 5 levels).
At any rate, this man has a passion for baking. Specifically, he has a passion for cakes. On the show, he goes for a vacation to Italy to see one of his cousins get married. While there, he can’t help himself. He ends up making several awesome cakes. He just gets so excited that he has to make cakes. He also stops into several different bakeries and gets them to teach him to make local specialties. He bakes bread for his mom and makes a special cake for his wife (as well he should, given that he’s spent half the vacation making cakes instead of sightseeing with her).
But, it is clear from the show that cakes are his passion. He can’t help himself. And it’s clear that when he’s making a cake (or even planning a cake), he’s having fun. That’s what we all should be striving for. Loving what we do so much that when we’re on vacation, we can’t help trying to learn more ;). Although too much of that and our spouses will toss us out a window, so minimize the learning time…
Happy Passion!
A Tale of Three Beans 
First, I love the Cake Boss too! I also enjoy the Food Network Challenges when they create those ginormous cake creations.
And yes, styrofoam covered in Vaseline is the most accurate description I’ve heard of cakes here! Ugh, I never liked them. As you said, better shops are opening now, American style, and that’s a great improvement. But ironically, I remember hearing from folks of Middle Eastern descent in the U.S. that cakes in the U.S. were terrible, much too sweet, really not so good as in the Middle East – that I really MUST taste the cakes in the Middle East to even understand what Americans are missing.
Um, yeah… tasted now. They were right – I never could have possible understood what I was missing without tasting styrofoam with Vaseline icing! :-p
Emi, you and me. I’ll never get it. Haven’t seen the food network challenges. I figure someone as pitiful and uninterested in the kitchen would probably get teased too much about watching the food network ;).
Joe, haven’t seen that one yet. Personally for me, we use mixes. Scratch ones never come out as good. The best mixes are the butter recipe chocolate. Not just chocolate, but the ones that actually say Butter Recipe. Any brand works, it’s the butter that’s the key. In the US, I was digging Cupcake Wars. It was cute and interesting to see the guys make their vision come to life.
Not familiar with Cake Boss but I don’t get Discovery since I refuse to pay for watching any TV. Only free-to-air channels over here so it’s the Ace of Cakes on Food Network/Fatafeat. Which is better, making a cake from scratch or using the Betty Crocker/Duncan Hines ready mixes?
God I love the Barbie cake and Mister Potato Head – I wish I could make cakes like that 🙂 I’m still looking for my big passion in life – I’m glad you found yours 🙂
Naddoush… welcome. The cake pops are fun to make and the barbie cake is really, really easy. It’s a fun little sideline, but I’m not sure I’d call it my passion.