I, Lisa Basini, was born in Astoria, Queens, to parents who emigrated from Malta, making me a first- generation American. My early childhood was spent in a lively household filled with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and numerous cousins, offering a wealth of support and companionship. When I turned five, we moved to our own house in Bellerose, Queens. When I started school, I struggled with reading and quickly fell behind my classmates. However, I had a passion for baking, often spending time in the kitchen with my aunt and grandma, enjoying the process of creating delicious treats. As my educational difficulties persisted, I was too embarrassed to ask for help, and my parents were unable to assist me. Determined to improve, I began using baking as a tool to learn how to read. Recipes became my reading material: the ingredients were characters, the methods a storyline, and the end result was always a delightful dessert. Initially, baking under guidance was straightforward, but doing it alone while applying reading and math skills was challenging. Nevertheless, persistence paid off. The more I baked, the better I became at both baking and schoolwork. By the age of seven, I could bake cakes, pies, cupcakes —anything you could name. However, my enthusiasm often left my mother's kitchen in disarray. Frustrated, she finally declared, "If you keep destroying my kitchen, you will never be allowed to bake again!" Realizing I had to be more efficient, I began paying close attention to my process: where I stood, how many bowls I used, and how I could simplify recipes to minimize mess. Unbeknownst to me, I was laying the foundation for a future business. My improved efficiency led to my mom not only allowing me to bake but requesting orders for her friends and family. Then, one day, I surprised her by saying, "Mom, I can't bake today; I have schoolwork. You know, I’m only nine!" Through my love of baking, I hope to provide baking kits for anyone that loves cookies! Regardless of your different ability you can bake with the help of these amazing baking cookie dough baking kits.
Mix in the bag, just add water and butter! They are safe, the dough can be enjoyed as is or you can bake the cookies in the oven. We provide video instruction in addition to written directions plus we are adding sign language and shapes to our packaging to serve the differently abled community as well as the general population. We have a retail store located in Bellport, NY, and a website -- bakingcoach.com -- where you are able to purchase kits. We also offer in-person workshops for all ages and abilities, plus a new service called “Open Bake,” make a reservation and come and bake a kit at our shop. We give you the dairy, eggs and a bakery box to take home your dessert. In addition to running my baking kit business, I founded Recipes 4 Learning, Inc., a non-profit organization, in 2019. Our mission is to provide job skill training for differently-abled adults. We are excited to announce the opening of our first retail store in Bellport. This store will feature a full range of baked goods crafted by our students, available both in-store and on our website. Our store staff will be graduates of our two-year program, supported by their dedicated support teams. We are currently seeking vendors interested in partnering with us to offer self-stable food items, as well as products such as soaps, jewelry, clothing, and more.
HOSPITALITY NEWS AUGUST | Page 35
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