At-home bakers were popping up everywhere during the pandemic, but in one Danville home, a mom’s new hobby turned into a daughter’s obsession.
Neethi Karayil, a physician who needed something to do while stuck at home in 2020, noticed her then-7-year-old daughter, Aria, watching closely at the kitchen counter. Before long it was Aria who was doing the baking, and Neethi doing the dishes, as Aria began churning out cakes, macarons and cream puffs, among other tasty delights.
And when Aria found out about the Food Network show, “Kids Baking Championship,” where children compete for a $25,000 prize, a new dream was born.
Season 13 of Kids Baking Championship will premier on Monday night, and Aria, now 12, is throwing a watch party for family and friends. After all, she’s one of the contestants.
“I knew by the first few episodes I saw, I’m like, ‘I want to be on that show,’” Aria said. “It was a dream for me. I found it to be pretty challenging with all the pressure. It’s a lot different from baking in the kitchen and posting on Instagram.”
Where she finished in the field of 12 contestants is top-secret information, but Aria can share this: She made 11 new friends and keeps in close contact with many of them. Some of them even have been baking together over Zoom.
The experience “was so good for her,” Neethi said. “These are kids just like her. They can walk, talk and breathe baking.”
Aria’s at-home bakes can be found on her Instagram (@aria_sweetsandtreats), where she also posts photos of her new puppy, Nova. She sells many of her bakes to raise money for charities including World Central Kitchen, AIDS Lifecycle, the Contra Costa Food Bank and the Animal Rescue Foundation.
“My mom made a lot of cakes and with all the money she earned from that, she donated to the World Central Kitchen,” Aria said. “I started getting into that.”
Being on the Food Network show gave Aria “the boost in confidence that she needed,” Neethi said. “She’s very artistic.”
But the experience brought a bit of anxiety — to Neethi, at least.
“I was so nervous, because baking at home is very different. You have leisure time,” Neethi said. “They’re looking at baking on a sharp time. You have to think on your feet.”
Today’s social media climate is daunting too. “You see things online, and when you put your kid out there for the world to see, you’re going to get some judgment back,” Neethi said. “We’re bracing ourselves for that.”
This season of “Kids Baking Championship” is animal-themed. New episodes will air each Monday on Food Network and be available to stream the next day on Max.
Back in Danville, Aria’s baking dreams are still growing.
“I really want to become a big pastry chef,” Aria said. “Maybe I can get that far.”