Student profile: Nadia Tronick blogs about Christmas desserts throughout December

The holiday season once again approaches, bringing with it mixed feelings, ranging from the excitement of holiday traditions in the near future, to the stress of finals, a feeling that is looming closer and closer.

University of South Dakota junior Nadia Tronick has found a way to make the best of both worlds by finding time to cook and bake holiday specialties.

Since she was young, Tronick has always loved to bake with her parents; her dad taught her how to cook, and her mom taught her to bake. When she began high school, she started to branch out by taking cooking classes, which introduced her to the joy of cooking dishes from different cultures.

“Cooking foods from the same culture can get boring, and when cooking Italian, Mexican, Chinese or Indian, I can learn about different spices and different techniques of cooking,” Tronick said.

She also likes testing her limits in the kitchen.

“Doing different cultures when cooking or baking keeps me trying new and unique dishes,” she said. “It makes me challenge myself.”

But it’s not all about being serious. Tronick also enjoys cooking purely for

enjoyment.

“It is a fun, and sort of easy hobby, plus people really love food,” she said.

Although she doesn’t plan to make cooking her profession, it will always be a beloved hobby.

“Something to do after I retire,” she said jokingly.

Tronick likes to do a lot of the cooking at home because she can get the help of her parents if she is learning a new technique.

She rarely tastes her own creations, but gives them as gifts to her family and friends. If they enjoy her confections, she makes them again.

Tronick plans to blog about the “25 Days of Christmas,” where she will be baking a holiday treat each day that is kid-themed.

“I enjoy doing cute and adorable decorations because it’s more enjoyable to me to be creative and use my imagination,” she said. “I don’t want the cookies or cakes I make to look plain or ordinary. I can be more creative when doing kid themes.”

Being a full-time student, it is sometimes hard to find time in her busy schedule, but Tronick doesn’t let that stop her.

“I am very good at time management; I prepare myself that week of what I need so that I can take an hour of my day to bake and cook.”

Tronick plans to blog all of her ideas for this holiday season, and will continue an overall blog that covers all sorts of categories including the various holidays coming up this year.

Some of the recipes Tronick plans to bake for her blog include Butterscotch Cornflake Cookies, mini donuts with candy corn noses and frosting eyes, toffee, Snowflake Cake and truffles.

Her blog can be found at baking25daysofchristmas.weebly.com.

Reach reporter Katie McGuire at [email protected].