Blog 16: Independent Component 2 Approval

Content:

Please review the component contract in the senior project packet.   The Independent Component 2 is an opportunity for you to add a dimension of creativity and/or an additional outlet for research.  The goal of the component is for you to explore your answers in more depth.  On Friday, April 22, 2014, you will be turning in the following to your blog to prove completion of this component:

• Blog post answering specific questions posted by senior team
• Log of hours clearly delineated as Independent Component 2 on the senior project hours spreadsheet (with total number of hours included)
• Evidence of the 30 hours of work (e.g. transcript, essays, tests, art work, photographs) as digital artifacts   

For this blog post and approval, please answer the following questions.

1.  Describe in detail what you plan to do for your 30 hours.

-For this second independent component, I plan to spend half of the 30 hours creating a food blog based off the recipes my family cooks. This blog will contain recipes, how-to's and basic cooking tips. The second half will be a mini pamphlet which will be inspired by the "For Dummies" books to illustrate culinary skills and tricks.

2.  Discuss how or what you will do to meet the expectation of showing 30 hours of evidence.

-For this idea, the project itself shall be the evidence. A link to this blog/waiver as well as progress updates for this should be evidence enough

3.  Explain how this component will help you explore your topic in more depth.

-One of the biggest sources of culinary knowledge other than schools and restaurants are Food Blogs. This blog should help me funnel my knowledge and expertise into a location where anyone would be able to learn about my subject and how to succeed in it.

4.  Post a log in your Senior Project Hours link and label it "Independent

Component 2" log.

-Done

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) :)

Lesson 2 Reflection

Content:

1.What are you most proud of in your Lesson 2 Presentation and why?

I'm most proud of my activity (teaching the class how to make guacamole to the groups) for this 2nd lesson. I feel that my instructions were clear, the process was simple, and that the activity really helped to give students their first push into the world of Culinary Arts. Additionally, I had many compliments from the audience regarding it's originality and creativity.

2. a.What assessment would you give yourself on your Lesson 2 Presentation (self-assessment)?

       AE      

   b.     Explain why you deserve that grade using evidence from the Lesson 2 component contract.

Judging by the requirements for a P, my presentation fits all the criteria. My presentation appeared to be solid, punctual, easy to follow, and transitioned well between slides. I annunciated well giving said presentation as well as making sure to cite numerous sources and present a clear argument for my answer. I believe the positive reception as well as the meaning behind my activity stand above and beyond many other activities in terms of depth and entertainment.

3. What worked for you in your Lesson 2?

For lesson 2,what worked well was starting early on the entire presentation. I started about the second day after being assigned the presentation and I spent a couple minutes each day looking at what material I would want to cover as well as discussing with family and teachers what might work for an activity. I did not procrastinate as much as others and finished my presentation with days to spare, which I used to proofread and revise. 

4. What didn't work? If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your Lesson 2?

To be honest, I felt prepared, organized, and all around ready for this presentation. If I had to change anything, I would simply have gone back in time to buy less ripe avocados for my activity, as I saw many students groan at the sight of them.

5. What do you think your answer #2 is going to be?

My EQ is "what is the best way to teach a beginner to the culinary field how to cook". My first answer was to gain first hand experience in the field by practicing dishes. My second answer might be something regarding learning concepts through online resources or literature.

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 13: 10 Hour Mentorship Check-In

1.   Where are you doing your mentorship?
Im completing my mentorship behind the grill at Cantina Grill Restaurant in Pomona. I've been here since the beginning of the year and plan to stay until the end of the year.

2.   Who is your contact?  What makes this person an expert?
My contact at Cantina Grill is Saab Shaman, the owner/proprietor of the restaurant. Though he does not comes often, he created the menu, the recipes and comes often to help work amongst his employees.

3.   How many hours have you done during the school year? (Summer Mentorship Hours and Mentorship Hours should be reflected separately in your Senior Project Hours log located on the right hand side of your blog).
So, far, I have completed roughly 31 hours, not counting summer hours (as I have not completed any).

4.   Succinctly summarize what you did, how well you and your mentor worked together, and how you plan to complete the remaining hours.
This semester, I began my culinary adventure; learning to cup, chop, measure, fry, bake and to start making smaller dishes on my own. Though he wasn't always there, Saab was patient yet firm with his teaching and taught me many useful lessons in the kitchen. I plan to remain there mentoring under other more specialized employees for the rest of the year.

*You need 50 hours plus the original 10 in the summer by May.   The original 10 from the summer do not count toward the 50.  By the end of the year, you will have 60 hours counting that original 10

Blog 12: Holiday Project Update

1.  It is important to consistently work on your senior project, whether it is break or we are in school.  What did you do over the break with your senior project?

Though this may not apply to everyone, I believe it is very important to work consistently towards your Senior project as to keep practicing key concepts and techniques (for culinary arts; such things as chopping, measuring,portioning,etc) as well as to keep vocabulary fresh in mind. It is especially useful to work even harder during the beak as this gives even more flexible times for one to find mentorship and plan for the first independent component. During Winter Break, I was able to meet with my mentor and his employees to work at Cantina Grill a couple days, earning another 5 hours towards my goal.

2.  What was the most important thing you learned from what you did, and why?  What was the source of what you learned?

From the last time I visited the Cantina for break, I began to see that cooking in general can be a painstakingly slow, difficult and yet rewarding process for any recipe. While making Chile Colorado (spiced red beef) with one of the cooks, dicing onions and marinating meat, I discovered just how much work and time goes into a single dish (nearly an hour to prepare what would be no more than ten or so meals). At first, I considered our efforts to make the dish too slow but as we got further into the preparation, I realized just how much our efforts and work were going to contribute to many customers' enjoyment.

3.  Your third interview will be a 10 question interview related to possible answers for your EQ. Who do you plan to talk to and why?

For this next interview, I plan to interview my mentor Saab Shamans or his daughter, Kathy, the day manager and a secondary mentor of sorts. The reasons behind this decision is because I trust their knowledge of the business and profession to ask them questions to better my EQ. I've begun to form close companionship with the two and they seem to have strong opinions on what makes and breaks in the world of cooking and restaurants.