Hobbies are a beautiful thing to pursue in life, they help you commit to a ritual of self-betterment. As is the usual case with having a hobby, one begins to develop a sense of determination, and for some people, it could be life-changing.
That is exactly what happened with Nour Almejadi. The R&D (Research and Development) pastry chef received her diploma in pastry about a year and a half ago, and now her daily cake creations, mixed with different flavors and looking absolutely flawless, mark a voyage to admire and take inspiration from.
While Nour essentially studied Psychology at Kuwait University, her culinary journey began to take shape since she was a kid.
As she says, “Since middle school I started baking cookies and cakes, but I never thought it would be my profession. I actually did the bake sales but as a hobby. I always wanted to be a psychologist, but yeah, here we are now!”
Today, she is a full-time pastry chef who works at Prepline and, occasionally, dabbles with pottery (this is an understatement, keep on reading to learn why). Nour also takes inspiration from Pinterest and cookbooks, which she describes as a cliché, but let’s be real we’re all, at some point, extremely addicted to Pinterest. “I don’t really follow these recipes, I take the idea and then change it into something I’d like or to the theme I’m baking for, and to our flavors,” she says.
Baking is both a science and craft, it requires skill, precision, researching and planning ahead, which is Nour’s usual process before going into the kitchen and settling in by playing some music and baking! The hashtag #cakesbynour alone showcases her progress throughout the years, plus the transformation of her culinary style. There’s no doubt in stating that she is truly a perfectionist, as each cake is impeccably beautiful, detailed and must be delightfully delicious.
Nour says it herself, “I’d remember how many hours I’ve spent on those cakes. Now I would whip up a cake in two hours, and it’s not perfect but it’s much better than the one I’ve spent three days on.”
Not only is Nour an absolute perfectionist, she also takes photos to document every cake she’s done herself as they are seen on these pages, and on her Instagram profile.
As Nour continues to master her profession, she realized she needed another hobby, one that she would completely immerse herself into, and that hobby turned out to be pottery. After being introduced to Nada Alkhalaf’s pottery studio, Nour started taking classes, that was two years ago.
“It’s just so mesmerizing working with pottery,” she says, “I started going two days a week, and two days weren’t enough. Now I have a pass, I go whenever I need. It’s becoming more like a club, we all just sit there and talk, like a community.”
From baking cakes and sweets to taking over the wheel at pottery, Nour continues to grow her passions with ease, care, and absolute determination, she is not a person who gives up in front of a challenge, she rather strives for growth. She is now planning on opening her very own shop, which is a bigger challenge in and of itself.
As she explains, “I’m afraid of failure, everyone is. At this point, everybody is expecting a real, huge thing out of me, and I don’t want to meet these expectations, I want to exceed them.” And we simply cannot wait to see it all!
Up Close & Personal Questionnaire
What do you most value about your friends?
Honesty, reliability and understanding, knowing that we can be our true selves around each other with no judgment.
Which living person do you most admire?
I make sure that I always surround myself with people who inspire me.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Simply doing what you love, a good cup of coffee and peace of mind.
What is your greatest extravagance?
I’m a huge shopaholic from shoes, perfumes to kitchenware and music records.
What is your most treasured possession?
Having my own kitchen.
What is your greatest fear?
I fear staying in place and not growing.
What is your most marked characteristic?
People around me often mention that I have a clear vision of what I like and dislike. This also contributes to my decisiveness and strong will.
Which talent would you most like to have?
Be better at pottery.
What is one trait you have that you are most grateful for?
Again, my strong will because it helped me follow my dreams.
What is the human trait you most dislike about others?
Greed and dishonesty.
What is it that you most dislike?
Child abuse or maltreatment.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
I need coffee.
What are your favorite words to live by?
“فلا تقنع بما دون النجوم ” - المتنبي
[Don’t accept less than the stars]
Where would you most like to live?
As much as I love traveling, I would never be able to live anywhere other than Kuwait.
If you could have any job, what would it be?
Children psychologist.
What would you consider your greatest achievement?
I consider where I am now my greatest achievement.
What do you hope for the future?
To have my own successful restaurant/café.
For more information, follow @nouralmejadi on Instagram to check out her yummy cakes and sweets. Many thanks to Nada Alkhalaf on opening up the studio for us, If you’re interested in pottery, check out @dewdrop79 on Instagram.
