A New Mentor

Ever since I finalized my project as Cooking, I have been searching for a new mentorship. My summer one was not in a real kitchen, but rather for a fundraiser breakfast that only happened twice a month. Once the year started, I knew this would not be intense or detailed enough for my project. I started emailing, calling, and talking to kitchen and restaurant managers, as well as owners. Most places did not respond at all, or gave me a vary straight forward no. It would be hard to find a kitchen related position as a minor.

In addition to the indoor seating, there is also patio and garden dining areas. It really
gives you the sense of a arm, summary trip to grandma's for lunch.

Then, about two weeks ago, I response from Shelly Biggs, owner of The Avocado House. This restaurant is a quaint breakfast and lunch place (which closes at three pm) on Central Ave. in Chino, Ca. When I finally met with her last week, she said she'd love to help me with my project by employing me as kitchen help. e talked for close to an hour about her The Avocado House, the project, and what I could do at the restaurant. In the end, we came up with this plan:

• I will work Tuesday and Thursday after school for two hours, and a full shift on Saturdays.
• One of her head cooks, Chris, will be my mentor.
• I will do simple prep and assembly work, possibly cleaning and dish washing.
• Shelly prepares two person dinners Tuesday-Friday. Since I will be working close on Tuesday and Thursday with Chris, Shelly will allow us to create the menu for that night's dinner.

A view of the open kitchen from close to the entrance. The kitchen is
about 1/3 of the restaurant, but still cramped and crowded with people,
ingredients, and appliances.

This is a basic plan that may be altered, but is what I will be working with in the beginning. I have not yet started my mentorship here, but my first day is next week. Because Shelly wants to employ me, the process is taking a little longer, as I had to wait until today to get my worker's permit to her. However, I can't wait to start my position there. The atmosphere is very friendly, and the style of the restaurant is homey and warm. I think I will do well at The Avocado House.

Blog 6: Second Interview Preperation

1. My mentor is Ramona Jackson. She works at  the West Covina Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8620.

2. Questions I plan to ask my mentor:

1. When did you first start cooking?
2. Where did you learn to cook?
3. Where was the first place you held a food-related job? What were your duties there?
4. How long has this service been in business?
5. Can you see this service expanding?

Blog 5 - Mentorship and Research Reflection

1. In looking for a mentor, I have had to make a lot of emails, and talked to multiple managers. I quickly realized I'd be unable to obtain an internship or job shadowing at a franchised restaurant so I have been researching independent restaurants in the down town Pomona and Covina areas, along with restaurants in Ontario and West Covina. I've spent time carefully composing emails and researching the websites of restaurants I send them to. I've also been editing my resume so that it is up-to-date and ready to be given out or emailed to the businesses I am applying to. Whenever possible, I look for the email of the head chef of the restaurant I am applying to, as well. Along with trying to find restaurants on my own, I have asked for suggestions from family members and friends to see if they know of any good restaurants. In doing so, I have been unable to find a mentor but have found a professional chef who would be happy to give me an interview.

2. The most important article I have read so far would have to be the introduction to "Alton Brown's Gear for Your Kitchen." This introduction gave insight on how to tell what instruments would be helpful to a person in a kitchen, and how the tools relate to a person. It gives tips on cleaning out your kitchen's toolbox and how to stock it with what you really need. These types of tips are very helpful, because (as I learned from another article, Design Fundamentals by Richard Keyes) kitchens are often cramped and full of people, equipment, and food. This means everything in a kitchen needs a specific purpose, and maybe two or three more besides that. Brown gives great insight in deciding if an instrument is worthy of your kitchen.

Your Perfect Cookie

Everyone likes their cookie different. My dad prefers harder, almost crisp cookies; I like chewy; my best friend likes hers puffy. I never knew how to get such different types of cookies when I only had one recipe I really liked to use. Thanks to this article, however, I now know how to make them all! Check out The Science Behind Baking the Most Delicious Cookie Ever by Anne Miller to find the recipe to making your perfect cookie!

Blog 4: Interview Preparation

1. I plan to interview Ramona Jackson. She is one of the leaders for the VFW West Covina Post 8620 Sunday breakfast fundraisers and Wednesday dinner fundraisers. I am interviewing her because she is one of the main cooks in both of the events and helped create the menu and prices. She also trained me in omelet preparation over the summer for those Sunday breakfasts.

2. Some of the additional questions I plan to ask include:

• Why did you start working with the VFW meal fundraisers?
• What motivates you to continue working on these fundraisers?
• What is your favorite dish to make and why?
• Do you or have you ever worked in a kitchen anywhere else?  If so, what did you do there?
• What is the best way to make sure every guest in an order has their food finished at the same time?
• Do you have any tricks you use to have meals prepared more quickly? If so, elaborate on the them.
• What steps are there in preparing food for the fundraisers? When does preparation start?
• What is the best way a kitchen can run smoothly?

Blog 3: Topic Choice and Working EQ

1. My Topic: Cuisine

2. Question to focus this month's research: What is the most effective way to prepare a meal so that it is delivered to the guest in a timely manner?

3. A link to my WB can be found on the right hand side of my blog under the heading "Links". It can also be found here.

Blog 2: Summer Mentorship Componant

Literal
1. Summer Hours Log

2. Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8620
2328 West Merced Ave.
West Covina, CA, 91790
Phone: (626) 337 2129
Post Commander: George Ogden

3. Questions

• How do we determine how much food to buy before every breakfast?
• How much does the VFW profit from this breakfast?
• How do people hear about the breakfast?
• How were prices determined?
• Who buys all the food? When?
• At What time does preparations for the service start at? How long does it take?
• Where do we buy the food from?

Interpretive
4. The most important thing I gained from this volunteering was multitasking abilities. Whether I was working in guest service as a waitress or in the kitchen preparing food and plates, I constantly had many different things on my mind that I had to keep straight within my head.

5. My senior project is going to be something along the lines of "Cooking in Restaurants." I loved working in the VFW's kitchen, running pancakes, omelets, or the kitchen itself a lot. I've also always had a love of cooking in general, and a fascination with how restaurant staff can cook for so many people on such short notice. Working in VFW's kitchen gave me a glimpse of what this could be like, and I've realized I want to study the topic further.