Blog 21 - Interview 4 Reflection

1. What is the most important thing I learned from the interview?  

From this interview, I realized how much of a physical and non-concrete subject cooking really was. Cooking isn't a quantifiable topic such as mathematics or engineering but a more human subject, with lots of impulse and guess-work to become proficient. This came as a tad shocking because I like using my mind more-so compared to my hands but it can be anew and exciting idea to tackle.

2.  How will what I learned affect my final lesson?

For the final lesson, I plan to focus more on the hands-on experience side of cooking compared to the research and writing portion of cooking. Cooking, as stated before, is more hands on than most subjects and can be better expressed, learned and enjoyed by actually cooking than reading a book or searching for recipes online.

Link:

https://soundcloud.com/anclark98/interview-with-juanita-4112016

Fourth Interview Questions

1.  Who do you plan to interview?  What is this person's area of expertise?

• For this fourth interview, I plan on interviewing one of my coworkers and close friends Juanita Guterres. She works as the night/afternoon cook for Cantina Grill and has worked decades in the food preparation business.

2.  Post 20 open-ended questions you want to ask an expert in the field concerning your senior project. Your focus should be finding answers to your EQ.

• What do you believe is the hardest obstacle to becoming a chef or even just stepping foot in the kitchen?
• What is the hardest part about working in this field (culinary arts)?
• What is the hardest obstacle for kids and teenagers to become a chef/join this field?
• What sources of information do you believe would best benefit a beginner chef (physical, literary,etc)?
• How effective do you believe first-hand experience in a restaurant is concerning the art of cooking?
• Mentorship or shadowing is a very large aspect of our Senior Project as well as learning the tools of our trade? How effective is mentorship? 
• What were your own personal struggles when you first began working in restaurants?
• What skills do you consider essential to becoming a professional chef/cook?
• What skills would you consider easy to learn for a beginner?
• Is it easier to learn new cooking skills at home or at a business such as Cantina Grill?
• How effective are cooking mediums such as cooking blogs, shows,websites, etc?
• Have you taken any cooking classes and if so, how effective are they?
• What makes cooking a difficult subject to begin learning?
• What are some simple recipes one can learn that will help them start cooking in the kitchen?
• Is there a specific age that works best for teaching cooking skills or is age a considerable factor?
• Does family and family recipes play a considerable role in shaping a cooking career and if so, how considerable is it?
• How does cooking at home compare to cooking at home/for your family?
• How do they differ effort and creativity wise?
• What styles of cooking are easy to learn and what styles are creative/more personal (ex.BBQ, grilling, broiling, etc.)
• What kind of personality or person learns cooking the best?
• What is the best way to teach a beginner to cook?

The interview itself is not due until Friday, April 15th to turnitin.com. However, we want to give you as much time as possible, so we are asking you to complete the blog now. Remember that in addition to turning in the interview to turnitin.com, you also need to turn in the verification sheet to your House teacher and post an audio excerpt of no less than 5 minutes on your senior project blog

Blog 17: Interview 3 Reflection

1. What is the most important thing I learned from the interview?  

From this interview, I've learned that it doesn't necessarily take extensive schooling or professors/professional to be good at what you want to do. Sometimes, just practice, experience and drive can improve one's own abilities. Case in point is one of my fellow employees/mentor Carmen (who I interviewed) who has become an excellent cook without the need to attend any prestigious facilities.

2.  How has your approach to interviewing changed over the course of your senior project?

My original approach was simply understanding the person themselves as they gave their opinion on my subject. As Interview 3 wraps up, my approach now follows how the interviewee interprets their personal feelings about how others should see the topic or how they could better understand/take their first step into the world of cooking.

Link Here --> https://soundcloud.com/anclark98/chatting-with-carmen-interview-3  

Link doesn't seem to work on Blog posts, but works in the side-bar!
Copy and paste!

Blog #14-Third Interview Preparation: What is the best way to teach a beginner to cook?

As with each blog, you should choose an interesting visual to entice people to read what you have written.

For this interview, you will prepare 10 open-ended questions that focus on your newly approved EQ (in fact, your first question can be your EQ).  Remember, all interviews must be done in person unless they are specifically approved by your house teacher.  Additionally, one person may be interviewed a maximum of two times.

1.  Who do you plan to interview?  What is this person's area of expertise?
For this interview, I plan to interview the Day Manager of Cantina Grill, Cathy Shammas (My older mentor's daughter). Not only has she run the restaurant for 3 years now, but she has lots of knowledge in all aspects of the kitchen and the recipes we make.

2.  Verify that you have called your interviewee to schedule an interview.  What is the date and time of the interview? 
The interview is scheduled for next wednesday, January 20th, at 3p.m.

3.  Phrase an open-ended question that will help you find research resources that would help to answer the EQ.
"What techniques, recipes and cook-styles do you think a beginner would have an easy time grasping and replicating?

4.  Phrase an open-ended question that will help you think about other useful activities you might do to help you answer the EQ (IC2, possible experts to talk to, etc).
"When someone begins delving into the world of culinary arts, what kind of personality or characteristics does someone need to have to be a good or productive food-worker?

5.  Phrase two open-ended questions that help you to understand your interviewee's perspective on an aspect of your EQ. 
"Being the day manager of a restaurant and seeing your employees work in the kitchen,what kind of techniques or ways of learning aren't compatible in the field of cooking (what doesn't work?)?
"What does it mean to cook to you, what is your definition of cooking?

The interview transcript  is due to turnitin.com with the 5-minute audio excerpt and entry to the blog on Friday, February 19th. In addition, you need to turn in the verification sheet to your house teacher.

Blog 10 - Interview 2 Reflection

1. Please explain how you are spending your mentorship time (Is it at a workplace or somewhere else?  Are you shadowing?  Are you able to do tasks that are meaningfully related to the topic?  If so, what?  Are there other people who are experts in the location?  Etc...)

At my place of mentorship, Cantina Grill, I spend my time being taught by the Manager Saab Shamans and his daughter Kathy how to clean, prepare, cook and sanitize the workspace and the dishes served at the restaurant. I have prepared appetizers, sanitized dishes, helped clean fresh produce and help doing small tasks around the kitchen. Indeed, I also shadow underneath Saab to learn ever more complex recipes and instructions. These small tasks help me to see how precise and carful you have to be working behind the counter as your decisions impact the satisfaction and health of others. Unfortunately, I have yet to learn of any new experts in the Pomona-Diamond Bar area.

2.  How did you find your mentor?  How did you convince this person to help you?  
As I have mentioned in previous assignments, my friend Dawson Khoury recommended I give Mr. Shamans a call after the school year had begun and I still had not found a mentor of then. Dawson had put in a good word for me thanks to his father's connection with Mr. Shamans and I finally worked up the courage one day to call him, explain that I needed help finding a mentor in the field of Culinary Arts and the rest is history.

3. How would you rate your comfort level with your mentor at this point in your relationship?  How does this relate to the time you've spent so far at mentorship/with this person
At this point in time, I feel very comfortable with Mr. Shamans and the staff of his restaurant. Having sat down, interviewed him, engaged in many friendly conversations and sharing laughs together, I consider Mr. Shamans not only a mentor but a good friend. This relationship has allowed me to decide what days and hours I choose to mentor and has attributed so far to nearly 20% of my mentorship hours being completed. 

4. What went well in this interview?  Why do you think so?  What do you still need to improve?  How do you know?  How will you go about it?

I think that I was able to gain a clear foothold in what it takes to be successful not just at business but in the kitchen as well. Mr. Shamans made it clear what kind of individual it takes to be a successful cook; being dedicated, aware and willing to go the distance for your culinary career. I still think however that I need to be more clear on what information I am specifically looking for when I talk to Mr. Shamans. Although his information was very useful to my project, he seemed to stray from what I had intended to get, a fault I discovered only after the interview. I believe that the longer I stay at the restaurant mentoring, the more my intentions will start becoming more realized and we as a team can talk more about cooking rather than business. 

Interview Sound Clip

https://soundcloud.com/anclark98/interview-2-part-1

https://soundcloud.com/anclark98/interview-2-part-2

Blog 7-Second Interview Preparation

1.  Who is your mentor and where do they work?  If their workplace does not reflect their expertise, what makes them an expert?

Right at this moment, I do not have a mentor but are actively searching for one in my field, Cooking/Culinary Arts. I am currently seeking mentorship at the restaurant Cantina Grill in Pomona with the current chef. Until then, I have no mentorship.

2.  What five questions will you ask them about their background?

1.  How long have you been employed at this establishment and how many years in total have you been cooking for? 
2. Do you come from a line of individuals in the culinary/restaurant business? Have you had education in the field or did you simply take up work at eateries?
3. Did your parents or guardians ever do home-style/homemade meals growing up?
4. Why do you like to cook at your place of employment?
5. What moment in your life or person inspired you the most to follow a path into the culinary field?