BUFFALO, N.Y. — Over the past year, many of us picked up new hobbies to help get us through the isolation of the pandemic, but 12 year old Karina "Nina" Conta turned her hobby into a passion, and her passion into a job.
"I'm very excited!" And Nina has a lot to be excited about, and to think it all started as an activity, just to pass the time during the pandemic lockdown. "I thought maybe if I was stuck at home and I couldn't really do anything, maybe I try new things. Baking like, came to me."
From cookies, to cupcakes, to elaborate cakes, Nina draws her inspiration from many places. "I'm always watching some sort of baking video on YouTube or something like that and I'll find some things I think are cool."
She isn't merely copying what she sees. She gets her own vision, draws it on a piece of paper, and then makes that drawing come to life in amazing culinary works of art. The world outside of her Grand Island home was introduced to her delicious skills through an Instagram account she started. "And people started messaging me to see if they can have some of my desserts."
One of the people who heard about Nina was the owner of Cereal Spot, a cereal-based restaurant on Hertel Avenue in North Buffalo. Nina was commissioned to make a variety of cupcakes using cereal they sent to her. She went to work, with the help of flavor ideas from her sister. Fruit Loops, Cocoa Puffs, you name it, she created a cupcake for it.
Nina made her first delivery on Friday and quite possibly took the first steps toward a career in the making. "I think for my my actual job when I get older is going to be definitely baking."