Meet the Enloe Freshman who competed on Food Network's Kids Baking Championship!

Enloe has always been a place for the best and brightest, a place filled to the brim with students of diverse backgrounds and talents. With this is in mind, it is no surprise that there is a culinary genius walking among us. Aditya Pillutla is a 9th grader whose phenomenal baking skills have taken him to the national stage as part of the Kids Baking Championship hosted by Food Network in 2018. Keep reading to learn about Aditya’s journey on the show, his advice for anyone interested in being on reality television, and tips on how to be a good baker.

What inspired you to become a baker and how did you get involved in the Kid’s Baking Championship?

I have always liked cooking since I was young, especially with my mom in the kitchen. I really like the science aspect of cooking, to be honest. Plus it is satisfying when you get to present your dish in a way that looks good and tastes good. I started watching Food Network and the Kid’s Baking Championship. After watching the show, I told myself: “I can totally do this.” With this mentality, I started getting more into the baking competition. Then two years ago, during the summer of seventh grade, I auditioned for Season 4 on the Kid’s Baking Championship. First, I had to apply online and upload several of photos of food that I made. Then, there was a couple of Skype interviews where we had to make food to present to producers. Finally, I got picked to go to New Orleans, where the show is held, for the final round of questioning.

How did you feel about being on a reality television program and what advice would you give to someone who wants to follow in your footsteps?

I was a seventh grader so I was pretty awkward on TV. I never really knew what to say a lot of the times so the interviewer would have to feed stuff to me. To a rising reality television star, I would say just be yourself. Don’t clam up and be super awkward on screen. Cooking shows hold really fun experiences so don’t let anybody or any part of the show put you down for that. Have the confidence and initiative to keep on going.

What was your favorite dish to create on the show?

I think lemon bars are probably my best dish. I don’t really have a secret ingredient but the best thing to do when making lemon bars or any dish is to read the recipe fully. As an amateur baker, make sure that you are doing each step extremely precise and proper; in that way, your dish will turn out exactly like how the recipe says.

Did you have any drama with anybody on set?

I didn’t really have any drama with anybody but there were a couple of kids that were really dramatic. Since

it is a reality television show, the producers prefer kids who are dramatic than kids who are normal and acts normal. Those sort of kids and their parents often stayed to themselves rather than interacting with the other kids. They were super competitive too.

Do you have friends from the show that you are still connected with?

I did make a lot of friends during the show, but we all live in different areas. Several of them live in California, most of the others are in the northeast, and one kid in Florida, so I don’t get to see them that often. After I left and some of the other kids left the show, we did keep in touch for a little while but then after some time, we broke off.

What have you learned from this unique experience?

Well first of all, I have learned a lot of cooking skills that will be useful when I am older. More importantly, this experience has also been helpful to my current hobby of volunteering and my desire to give back to the community. I have been able to put my Kids Baking Championship skills to the test in order to cook and bake for places as a volunteer.