D

span class="caption" style="width: 467px;">Donita: (JP/Indah Setiawati)Actress Noni Annisa Ramadhani, popularly known as Donita, 23, became a familiar face on television after a starring role on soap opera Cinta Fitri (Fitri’s Love).

For the next couple of years Donita says she will be focusing on her studies at Pembangunan Jaya University where she studies communications, while exploring her talent as a home baker.

“I’ll be focusing on my studies for the next couple of years. So, I’m not going to accept a role on a daily soap opera any time soon.

I love going out of town when I have a few days off. My favorite destination is Bandung, which is actually my hometown.

I don’t have a specific favorite spot there; I just adore the cool ambiance and breeze during my stay there. If I’m in the mood for a culinary adventure, I definitely go for it — not just by eating at popular restaurants, but also at street vendors.

If I only a Sunday off, I usually just stay at home and watch DVDs or cook for my friends.

I love being in the kitchen. I have a passion for making pastries. I usually make tiramisu and panna cotta, but my friends said that my panna cotta is the greatest. I usually make panna cotta in small cups, but I do have a friend who deliberately brings a bigger cup for herself haha...

It makes me excited to know that my friends enjoy my cooking and support the idea of opening a bakery one day.

I think I got my baking skills from my mother. She was a culinary major at a vocational school. When she used to work, many of her co-workers would order pastries from her for Idul Fitri.

I used to help her, but she wasn’t a very detailed tutor. I remember an incident when she got an order, but didn’t have time to fulfill it on her own. So, after buying the ingredients in the morning, she just dropped-off the ingredients at home and told me that the order would be picked up by noon.

The situation forced me to take initiative and if it ever became chaotic, I had to call my mother for instructions. It was one of the greatest lessons she ever taught me.”

— Niken Prathivi