Independent Component 1

(Me at mentorship after learning how to slice and dice up tomatoes)

• LITERAL
  (a) “I, Anthony Clark, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 30 hours of work.”
• (b) Cite your source regarding who or what article or book helped you complete the independent component. "How Anyone (Yes, Even You) Can Learn to Cook" Greatist. N.p, March. 2014. Web. 27 Aug. 2015 <http://greatist.com/health/busting-excuses-cooking-at-home>
• (c) Update your hours in your Senior Project Hours link. Make sure it is clearly labeled with hours for individual sessions as well as total hours.
  
  
• (d) Explain what you completed.  
    For my independent component, I went back to my mentorship at Cantina Grill to achieve an extra 30 hours of mentorship experience. While there, I became more familiar with my own role in the restaurant, learned more concepts first-hand, and was finally able to cook at the grill with one of my side-mentors, Carmen (the main cook).
  
  
  (The kitchen and Prep area for Cantina Grill. I usually work in the back for prep, but i've been able to finally work within the kitchen)

INTERPRETIVE 
Defend your work and explain its significance to your project and how it demonstrates 30 hours of work.   Provide evidence (photos, transcript, art work, videos, etc) of the 30 hours of work.  

The significance of my independent component (or independent learning) was the need to get hands-on experience to be successful in the world of cooking. Though I have had plenty of in-school research and plenty of mentorship hours, I felt the need to get out and learn to be more self sufficient and broad with my cooking skills. For this reason, I went back to my mentorship with the idea that I try to take on more roles and learn more about the different dishes I could make. Over these last 30 hours, i've broadened what skill set I have; not just being able to make new foods, but being more sure of my ability in the kitchen as well as going outside my comfort zone and taking risks (even if those risks are bladed and/or on fire).

(Just an example of some condiment slicing. The onions were a lot harder to work with than tomatoes..)

(To be able to abide by the FDA's standards for chilling food, we had to come up with a pretty original solution to chilling our pot of beans every week. Our result: Giant reusable water containers. We drop these in the beans and they will be near 40 degrees in no time flat.)

(The slicer for Jalapenos. In about 15 minutes, I was able to grind about five pounds of these into thin slices. Roast these puppies up, mix with garlic and onions, toss in some boiled carrots and we have the restaurant's own Pickled carrots and peppers.

(Here, I made my own guacamole at my own house alongside my dad. However, we learned just after making this dish that we should have bought the avocados a little sooner to the presentation (which explains the ripe coloring)).

(An example of a meal I helped prepare with the chef, Carmen. While she prepared the main dishes, I would serve side dishes such as beans, rice, side salads, condiments and even helped her fill burritos with vegetables and cheese blends)

APPLIED
How did the component help you understand the foundation of your topic better?  Please include specific examples to illustrate this. 

Cooking, as i've mentioned before, is all about being able to work with your hands to make amazing creations. These 30 hours have helped me look at Culinary arts less as a chore or another project but as an art form. Each dish is in itself a work of art and should be respected as such. Cooking is not tedious nor robotic if you set your mind too it. For example, I was helping the cook Carmen prepare plates during a busy hour dishing out side meals and condiments while she cooked the main dish (whether it be tacos, quesadillas, or burritos). While one outside the field might have seen me preparing salads and view it as a monotonous task, I saw the concept as a way to create distinct and unique plates. Each plate isn't just another couple dollars for the business but another point of experience towards being a skilled chef or home cook.

Grading Criteria 

• Updated log in Senior Project Hours Link (Check)
• Evidence of 30 hours of work (Check)
• LIA submitted to blog (Check) :)