INDIANAPOLIS — Here’s an example of a Hoosier who took the negatives of coronavirus restrictions and turned it into a big time positive.
Hattie McDaniel was a successful professional pastry chef in central Indiana, but then the pandemic hit, and she was let go from her cooking job.
McDaniel then started teaching cooking classes online to kids and adults. She loves these Zoom conference calls so much, she’s now getting into teaching cooking on a more full-time basis at the Culinary Center at Ivy Tech Community College in the fall.
“I've been very proud of all of my students,” McDaniel said. “Whatever they made is still really beautiful and just having their confidence level be much higher is really inspiring. They're all so proud of whatever they made, even if it doesn't look exactly like mine, it's OK because you still put so much work into something, and then it comes out a lot better than you expected.”
Some of her most heartwarming experiences occur when she’s teaching her online cooking classes with children.
“With kids, it's just making sure that you're engaging them and that they are listening and paying attention,” McDaniel said. “I'm able to watch their screen, so I can see who's paying attention, and who's just playing around.”
McDaniel also has an extremely interesting hobby on the side: She’s a professional powerlifter!
“That's my side-hobby, powerlifting,” McDaniel said. “We actually competed in Nationals last year. My mother-in-law also competes, so it's something we kind of do together, and then my fiancé is our strength coach.”
So McDaniel can give you cooking advice, and she can humble-brag about being able to deadlift 370 pounds!
“I can squat about 360 pounds, bench press 180 and deadlift about 360 or 370,” Hattie said with a chuckle.
Click here if you'd like to take part in her next online cooking class.