Blog #10: Senior Project Update

1. As of now, I am currently working on getting a baking class in Fullerton, and also trying to get an internship at a bakery named Patty Cakes.

2. The most important research that I have gotten recently was my interview two because my mentor told me a lot about where I should be going and what I should be taking up in order to further my education in Pastry Art.

3. To see my interview notes, please refer to either my Turnitin.com submission or my Working bibliography (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AgvBrtYSqMR6dFlZdGNPdWpMVjljWkN2cWwxUGZnRHc) Source # 27

Blog #5b: Science Fair Proposal

1. What is your topic? 

- My senior project topic is Pastry Art.

2. What is the driving problem behind your experiment and the quote by an expert to support that problem?

- The problem I am trying to solve is the fact that when people who use fondant and need to have something dried in order to for them put together a structure or sculpture,or when the fondant becomes to sticky to work with, that they can use a correct amount of tylose, which is a hardening agent, to help relieve those problems and create more beautiful pieces of art for what ever event they desire.

Citation: 

Anderson, Michael. "Possible Problems With Fondant." About.com Cake Decorating. About.com Guide, n.d. Web. 06 Feb. 2013. <http://cakedecorating.about.com/od/caketroubleshooting/a/Possible-Problems-With-Fondant.htm>.


3. What is your hypothesis?

- If I use a certain amount of tylose when working with fondant, then the amount of time needed for the fondant to dry will decrease.

4. Write a paragraph of how you will perform the experiment. Include the tools you plan to use.

- The way I plan to execute this experiment is by portioning out a certain fondant recipe into five sections, and make multiply batches, using different amounts of tylose in each batch, then timing how long it takes for the fondant to harden. What I will need is a timer, a measuring cup for the tylose, toothpicks to test the fondant for hardness, a ruler to see how thick the fondant is, and lastly, I will need a record to keep track of how much tylose I use on each batch of fondant.

5. Select one of the following Project Categories for you experiment:

- Chemistry.

-

-

Blog #9: Working EQ and Possible Answers

Content:

1. During my presentation, my working Equipment was, " What is the best way for a pastry chef tobtell a story though their food?"

2. I did not make any changes to my working EQ.

3. Some possible answers that I have thought of for my working EQ is simplicity because I have read in one of my pieces of research that going over the top with what you are doing on a cake can make the art unnoticed or unattractive. Another answer is creativity, and by this,  I mean that the pastry chef needs to be creative with what ever they make, but not to crazy in design. So far, those are the only answers I have come to and I hope to either edition or change them when I find what I am looking for.

Rough Draft or Presentation #1

10 Minute Presentation

Prepared By:

JD Pabon

House:

East

Working EQ: How can a Pastry Chef tell a story through their food?

Objectives (Specify skills/information that will be learned.): Creativity, precision, patience, and I also want to be able to learn more techniques in baking and pastry art.

	Guide	Time
Introduction	Stage presence is important!  In a few simple sentences, introduce yourself and your presentation objectives.	1 min	Important Source 1: Article 10: “Interview #4: Ron Ben-Israel” Why: He is considered one of the best Pastry chefs and artist in the world and what I read in the article was amazing to me and inspirational.
Verification (Steps to check for student understanding)	●       Beginning of Presentation: What specific question will you ask the students about what they already know regarding the topic you will be teaching? ●       End: Check for understanding by…	2 min	Q: What does a pastry artist make? End: Telling them what some of the things they said is right, and adding on to what else pastry artist make/

Body (Give and/or demonstrate necessary information)

Break down what you plan on talking about into manageable sections. ●      Literal: Facts you have learned ●      Interpretive: Most important source to help you learn the facts and why ●      Applied: Discussion of how what you are presenting on is the foundation of your working EQ/topic

●      Literal: 1 min ●      Interp: 1 min ●      Applied: 2 min

Visuals: EQ and a powerpoint. L: Be as creative and imaginative as you can, or look to an inspiration when you are baking. I: The reason that source above is important is because he is my inspiration. The imaginative thoughts behind his creations and creativity with his baking are amazing.’ A: The very basis of being a pastry artist is inspiration and creativity. Not only for pastry art, but also for baking and otherconfectionaries.

Activity (Describe the independent activity to reinforce this lesson)

No Activity for this Presentation

x min

Materials (for activity) No Activity

Conclusion

Exiting the stage is just as important as entering it!  How will you depart the stage?

2 min

Independent Component #1 Plan Approval

Content: 

1. Write a description of what you plan on doing for your independent study component.

• My plan to complete the independent component is to either take a local baking/ cake decorating class near my house. What they teach is like I had previously said, they will teach the students how to bake simple things, like bread, to more the more complicated, like cheesecake. They will also teach the basics to cake decorating. My other plan is to actually work at a bakery so I may get hands-on training in the field.

2. Describe in detail how you think your plan will meet the 30 hours work requirement.

• The way I will meet the 30 hour requirement is by constantly going to the class/ going to the bakery as much as I possible can. for example, if I were taking classes, then I would ask the teacher for when the classes are held, and go to those classes ever chance I get. If I were to work at the bakery, then I would plan ahead my working hours to also work with my schedule so I may go and collect those hours.

3. How does your independent study component relate to your working EQ?

• The reason this actually relates to my working EQ is because my EQ had to do with how a pastry chef can tell a story through their food, so by taking classes/ working at a bakery, I am actually making a foundation to my senior project. Before I can even start telling a story through my food, I have to know the basics to baking and to cake decorating for me to be successful.

Blog #6: Second Interview Questions

Content:

1. When did you start you business and why did you decide to start in the business of cake decorating??

2. How did you start baking?

3. Where did you get your inspiration for all your cake orders?

4. Give me an example of one of your hardest orders up to now.

5. Is there anyone in your family you look up to for inspiration?

Blog #4: Project Reflection and Working EQ

A: What positive thing happened as a result of what you have completed so far?

• A positive thing that has definitely helped me for the end is the contact that Mrs. La Russa gave me to a pastry chef she knows of. That contact is something I will surely use to improve what I already know and to learn more about my topic.

B: Pick a piece of research or your interview. How has it helped you improve you understanding of your topic?

• I think that my first interview was really helpful because she gave me 2 contacts; one to a professional pastry chef and another to a bakery worker. Both of them would also expand what I already know about the pastry chef world. Also, I learned about different classes I should consider taking, so I definitely learned more about my topic.

C: What has worked for you so far in the senior project?

• What has worked for me in my senior project is looking up specific pastry chefs in my research and seeing how their creativity made them so famous in the industry. I get really inspired by their story and seeing the images of their works amazes me so much, that it makes me more excited for my senior project to come together.

D: Finding Value: Based on your experience so far,
   - What possible question or questions come to mind regarding what you would like to study this year?
   - What is your end goal this year with your senior project?
   - Who would you like to talk to next? Why?

• One question on what I want to study this year is if I should consider taking a business major so that actually know how to own a business when I am ready to open my own bakery.
• The end goal for my senior project is knowing what being a pastry chef takes, and also concluding if I should take a business major.
• The person I would like to talk to next is the contact Mrs. La Russa gave me, Deb Swartz, because I do know that she owns a bakery and I would love to talk to her about what is like to own the business and about how she came up with the concepts behind her recipes.

Blog #5a: Science Fair Problem Statement

Topic: Pastry Art

Problem #1: How can I make the best tasting, and moist cake?

- After I solve this problem, I plan to be able to use this recipe for selling to the public and for parties that will cater for in the future. I would also like to put this recipe on allrecipes.com, which is a website that has recipes for almost any dish you could think of.

Problem #2: Does using egg substitute (ex. Tofu) change the texture or taste of a cake?

- I want to show people that we do not only have to use animal products to creating amazingly good, healthy food. I want to be able to show people this and share the recipe with the world.

Blog #3: Interview Preparation

Content:

A: 
-Who do you plan to interview?  Why?

• The person I plan to interview is my mentor, Kim Cruz. The reason I chose to interview her was because she is the one who is teaching me everything I need to know for my senior project, and the fact that I can contact her on Facebook, by phone, or by simply walking to her house, she is an easy interviewee to locate or contact at almost anytime.

B:

- You have to ask 5 questions.  What additional questions do you plan to ask?  Ask open-ended questions.  What are open-ended questions?

• Some additional questions I would ask is "Tell me how you got started in your business." and "How do you create the concepts behind your artwork?" The reason I would ask the open-ended questions are because I feel like the answer I am given from these questions will somehow help me later on in the projects to come. Also, the definition for "open-ended questions" is that of a question that can be asked in order to make the interviewee tell you more details that can help in creating anything from an essay to an article. It also adds more feeling in to what you are writing or describing.

Blog #2: Topic Choice

Content: 

A: 
- What is your topic and why?

•  The topic I choose to do was Pastry Art, meaning that I am going to look at the creative side of being a pastry chef and how they are able to create a story through cake or other confectioneries based on a certain event or party. The reason I decided to do Pastry Art was because I always enjoyed seeing cake and other types of pastries and seeing how beautiful it looked on a plate or cake. Most of the time, I could tell that a pastry chef's creation was trying to tell a story through the food they made, and I instantly got the idea that I wanted to introduce that aspect of a pastry chef in my senior project.

B:
-And what do you hope to accomplish this year with this topic?

• iPoly Citizen: I plan to create many cakes and other  confectioneries for other people, and this relates to me improving as an iPoly citizen because every time I bake something and I give that creation to someone, I always see a smile on their face, that is what I enjoy to see. I want to be able to make people smile when they seem down or sad.
• Effective Communicator: I plan to be able to listen to my mentor and anyone else I work with in this field. This will make me more effective as a learner because from those people that I work with, I will learn more and more about how to bake, work in the kitchen, and also more techniques in this form of art. I will be able to take this to school because I will need to listen not only in class, but also to others.
• Effective Learner: I plan to learn as much as I can during my mentorship. By doing this, I will become more effective as a learner because I will have to learn as much as I can for my senior project, and I also have to learn many things in my classes. I cannot just pretend to pay attention to anything, and then end up doing the wrong thing, this goes for being in both the classroom and in the kitchen.
• Effective User of Technology: I plan to help learn more about basic equipment other necessities in the kitchen, but also use technology to help my mentor's business take off. By doing these things, I will become a more effective user of technology because I need to be able to understand how the equipment works and what it is used for, but since I will also help in advertising my mentors business, I will need to use different mediums of technology for her business to rise.

Blog #1: Senior Mentorship Component

Assignment:


- Literal ( Know )

•  Name of Mentor: Kim Cruz Business: Kimmee Cakes (Online bakery business)
  Contact Number: (626)589-0162
  
• 10 Hour Mentorship Log

- Literal ( Need To Know )

• How does my mentor come up with her concepts for her cakes when she receives an     order for a party of another similar occasion with a specific theme?

• How can I make a cake tell a story through how it looks or at least get what the point of the cake across?

• How can I start myself off in the baking business? 

• What is the common cost of ingredients that a pastry chef or baker spends?

• What are the needed tools for a pastry artist?

• How much can a pastry artist actually make?

• Should I start with taking a business management major like I had planned in order to make sure that I understand how to work my own business?

- Interpretive:

• From what I have done and learned from my experience with my mentor, I have learned to be open minded about everything and imaginative. Imagination and open minds allow pastry chefs and artist to unleash their inner creativity onto a dessert or whatever they maybe catering for. I mean, when we go to a weeding or a debut, they always have a theme to what the event is, so a pastry artist has to be very open minded and imaginative so that they can create a work of art that represents the event and is aesthetically pleasing for the customer. This experience and the many more to come have and will definitely help me in the future.

- Applied: 

• From everything that I have experienced during the 10 hours with my mentor, I have made up my mind to stick to Pastry Art as my senior project. From seeing what I am capable of doing in the kitchen and seeing what I can produce and come up with conceptually, I came to realize that I love to bake and work on confections for the joy of other people. The fact that I can do pastry chefs was an idea, but I felt that being able to show people another part of the pastry world would interest not only the people I will be teaching in the end, but also myself because Pastry Art is not only being able to create something beautiful, but also be able to create a story through your food and art.