Helping 2013

I interviewed JD Pabon on Tuesday (05/22/12) at 12:45pm. He is interested in culinary and specifically wants something relating to pastries.


1) What ideas do you have for your senior project and why?

• I'm definitely doing something in the field of culinary, like pastry, because that is specifically what I want to major in college.
• Since I have the same topic as his, I told him about my the hours he could get if he goes to the same ROP class I go to. I told him that it is fun to study pastries. I also told him to be careful coming up with his EQ. 

2) What do you plan to do to complete the 10 hours of service learning (working with an expert) which is due prior to senior year starting?

• I'm looking if I can get hours from my uncle who owns a restaurant in the Philippines. He already agreed that he will let me cook in the restaurant.
• I've been talking to JD even before this interview so had knowledge about the ROP class I take in Fullerton. About the hours he gets in the Philippines, I advised him to ask Purther about it. I also told him to not forget to take pictures for evidence.

3) What do you hope to see or expect to see when watching the class of 2012 present their two hour presentations?

• I just expect that I learn something new, learn a lot, and see them have fun.
• I heard about other juniors expecting a lot from senior presentations but not from JD. I asked him not to expect that much because not all of 2012 can still speak smoothly in front of a crowd. Of course, there will always be the nervousness. I also told him to just have fun and respect the presenters.

4) What questions do they have about senior project?  What additional recommendations would you give the 2013 student about senior project?

• How much did you pay for the classes and you're taking a pastry class, right? When do they start? How can I get ahead in a way?
• I told him it's all free- books, uniform, and the class. They start the same or a week later school starts. To get ahead, I told him that since he's taking a class at my ROP, he is good to go for his two Independent Components, and Service Learning. For research, he can start with the foundation since his mind was already set on pastries. 

Independent Component 2

Log of Hours

A Doc uploaded on Google Docs

click here
Evidence

Pictures of what we did in class

click here

Literal:

• I, Donna Mae Ratonel, affirm that I completed my independent component, which represents 90 hours of work.
• I enrolled in advanced baking that goes over a much more cumbersome desserts.This class had better techniques, teams, and time management.  There were also a couple of one-on-one teaching because the instructor had less students to focus on. We were also taught more about making our own garnishes and different type of techniques.
  
  

Interpretive:

The class taught me better time management which is important to becoming a pastry chef. Communication was a lot easier but also because there were less people to communicate with. My creativity was challenge because everyone was stepping up on their plate. My instructor was almost always impressed with my work (plating and taste) which was really nice.

Applied:

Advanced Baking definitely helped me solidify 3 of my answers for my EQ. Chemistry was cleared up with making desserts that was made up different components that was fairly hard to do. Food Presentation was big in this class. I feel that I excelled a lot in that part. Finally, communication was easier and speaking up in a team went better for me, especially when I was chef of the day.

Independent Component 2 Plan Approval

1) Write a description of what you plan on doing for your independent study component.
I'm going to take the Advanced Baking class from the same school. Hopefully, they teach me more about the value of communication and organization in the kitchen.


2)Describe in detail how you think your plan will meet the 30 hours work requirement.
Since it's a class that covers a whole semester, it has a total of more than 100 hours. I'll have to attend class for at least a month to meet 30 hours.


3)How does your independent study component relate to your EQ?
This class will help me further develop and understand skills that is important for a pastry chef. 

Independent Component I

Log of Hours

A Pdf uploaded on Google Docs

click here

Evidence

Pictures of what we did in class

click here

Literal:

• I, Donna Mae Ratonel, affirm that I completed my independent component, which represents 30 hours of work.
• I joined a Culinary ROP class in Fullerton with a total of 190 hours (a part of my hours here is also my service learning.) I attended with only one or two missing classes throughout first semester. I learned how to do numerous types of bread and desserts. I learned different skills like plating, making the bread, the roles of each ingredients, and learning what we did wrong if we messed up. The class also taught me how to practice safety and etiquettes in the kitchen as well as working in different teams.

Interpretive:

Being in the class with good instructors and teammates, taught me how to communicate well in the kitchen as well as using kitchen terms. Our book, Professional Baking, which we had to read and take notes on, helped me understand the importance of chemistry in baking. Our instructor also helped a lot with explaining how to decorate our plate with playing with the fundamentals of plating.

Applied:

The hours I spent in Culinary Arts Institute were great. My EQ, “What is the most important skill of a successful pastry chef?” was answered in a first-hand way. I learned that communication skills is important and that artistic skills is nothing if you don’t understand the chemistry that goes on when you’re making a dish.

Answer 3

"What is the most important skill of a successful pastry chef?"

1) A pastry chef must practice good communication skills in order to work well in the kitchen.

2) Evidence and Sources.

• Learning culinary terms. Service Learning in Culinary Arts Institute under Chef Samantha Weisenberg.

• Messing up the recipe. Boyle, Tish, and Timothy Moriarty. A Neoclassical View of Plated Desserts. New York: John Wiley, 2000. Print.

• Communication between shifts. Fourth Interview- Chef Jennifer Villaruz