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...)

My mentorship takes place at my mentor’s residence, during this time I am able to shadow and then I get my chance to try out whatever is being taught at the moment. I usually get to do the prep and cooking process just as my mentor does.

2.  How did you find your mentor?  How did you convince this person to help you?  

My mentor is a close friend and almost like family to me, so acquiring him as my mentor was a quick and comfortable process, as he works night shifts there’s a good portion of the day that I can work with him.

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?

The comfort level with my mentor is quite decent, it isn’t difficult to ask him anything. The only issue is that we’re both somewhat quiet people, but it hasn’t been a hindrance. Because of this, time at my mentorship was not pressuring but enjoyable.

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 the interview went well, as the conversation became smooth and thorough, I was also able to follow-up with many questions even if I only prepared a few. Due to the comfortability with my mentor, it wasn’t very difficult to converse with him, so specifically with my mentor, I can’t think of much to improve.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BywLkIe5u8MDODYzaDdjYkpWaU0/view?usp=sharing

Blog 9 - Advisory Prep 3

1. State whether or not you currently have a mentor, and what the status of your interview is with that person (I have completed the interview, I have scheduled the interview, I have not scheduled the interview, etc).

I currently have a mentor but I have not yet scheduled my interview.

2. At this point, your research is probably guiding your studies toward more specific areas within your topic.  Name the area or two you find most promising and explain your reasons.   

Recently I have been looking into the fine dining aspect of culinary arts, which will be very instrumental towards my independent component. I have also been researching into different tips and techniques, whether it be for cooking certain styles of dishes or hosting guests for a dinner party. All of these areas will be very crucial toward my independent component and to reaching a further understanding and knowledge of my topic.

3. What kinds of sources do you think will help you in the next month to gain more research depth?  Where will you go to get them?

I intend to acquire more books to further supplement my research, I feel that such books would contain more concrete and reliable information than what I am getting online. I also believe that I'll be able to look more into specifics and specialties through books. I intend to hunt through the Cal Poly library to find my desired sources.

4. Write down a possible EQ.  Please don't worry about wording other than ensuring that it provides the option for multiple correct answers.  At this point, the senior team is most interested in understanding your thought process.

What element of the dining experience is most crucial to providing a level of satisfaction for the customer?

Blog 8: Independent Component 1 Proposal

Hosting a Fine Dining Dinner Party

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

Initially I plan on scheduling more time for library research, as I want to develop my knowledge on the presentation of the dishes and entertaining a Fine Dining clientele. I also plan on observing my mentor as he goes through the same process of hosting a dinner party. Next I will be spending more time with my mentor to help me hone in my kitchen skills so that I can achieve the greatest efficiency and consistency during the very demanding environment of running a kitchen. Following the sharpening of my skills, I will go over the recipe-making and developing process with my mentor so that I may be able to understand recipes more in the hopes of making my own. With the understanding of recipes, I will then start to pick and develop different recipes to think and visualize what will work best, during this time I will also start to create my theme for the meal. Now we begin the experimental phase, first will be the experimentation of the individual recipes, recording the different results from each so that I can provide a consistent experience. The experimental phase will also include some small scale trials before the final product. Lastly, the time will come for D-Day, which will include final ingredients check, kitchen prep, meal prep, hosting the guests, and lastly short documentation/log/interviews.

   

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

In order to show evidence of completing 30 hours during the Independent Component, I plan on conducting brief interviews of my mentor and any other subjects involved along the way, mainly to establish the educational and experiential value of my specific Independent Component. I would also like to document my work through photo and video content, in the hopes of providing an inside look at my Independent Component, walking the audience through the research, learning, experimentation, and eventually the final product. By documenting and sharing my Independent Component in this fashion, I will be able to satisfy the comprehensive intentions of this project.

3.  Explain how what you will be doing will help you explore your topic in more depth.

To kickoff, I intend to take a trip to the Cal Poly Library, in our first visit I feel that time spent there was to limited; therefore, it is of my strongest intention to schedule time for some thorough research at the library. Specifically, I plan on researching place setting, presentation methods, kitchen/table etiquette, and the demands/inner-workings of a fine dining kitchen in order to provide insight on how to prepare my kitchen and myself for utmost quality and efficiency. I am glad to say that my mentorship has been a very valuable resource to my cause thus far and I plan to spend a lot of time there in preparation for my Independent Component. In that time, I hope to hone in my basic cooking skills, as well as experiment with different recipes and cooking styles. Additionally, as my mentor’s experience led to the fruition of my Independent Component, I intend to work with him in creating the plans and menu for the dinner itself. It will also be important to practice the dishes and conduct trials of the dinner before the actual full-scale product.

4.  Update your Senior Project Hours log.

Blog 7 - Second Interview Preparation

The Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Pasadena, where my mentor attended.  

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

My mentor is Edward  Forte, works at CTI Foods which is a food manufacturing/processing company. My mentor also does work as an independent caterer, catering for private parties/venues or small orders, his most popular items are usually pastries and desserts such as cheesecakes. I should also mention that my mentor worked in the restaurant business for a few years prior to his current employment and is working toward starting his own restaurant.

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

In my first interview, I had already interviewed my mentor, I had asked him some experiential questions and some on his career. However, I feel there is much more to learn and I think this can still be a very fruitful interview.

1. Were there any difficulties or obstacles you faced on your journey as a chef? What were they and how have they prepared you or affected you?
2. What are some goals that you set out through your journey as a chef?
3. Through some of my research, many writers have claimed that going through a Culinary Arts education isn’t the best way to start off a career as a chef. What are your thoughts on that perspective? How worthwhile do you feel your education was toward where you are today?
4. What was the most helpful, insightful, or inspirational lesson you learned while in Culinary Arts school?
5. What was it like to work in the restaurant business? What was the common agenda or procedure that went on through a day at the restaurant?

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