Writer's Memo/ Summative Essay

Learning about your field

In the many aspects of the culinary world there are sole beliefs and ethics that every professional chef must uphold too. In many ways I believe that the beliefs of a professional chef must have a desire and inspiration to develop a higher form of cooking. They must have the inspiration within themselves and the others around them to creative amazing food and healthy alternatives. When interviewing my friend Taylor Neverman’s Father, he gave a full description of the everyday issues and benefits of being a professional chef. He talked about how there are immense amounts of writing that is taken into account with writing “many HR, reports, administrative contracts, recipes, orders, and more. These things need to have certain skill sets, such as a formal order and instructional format for recipes, and an overall general appeal for the general cook that is reading his recipes” (Ciolino). He also talked about how the culinary field is very fun and entertaining. His outlook on the culinary world is one of a professional set. It is hard work, but the benefits outweigh the cons. The beliefs in the culinary world are along the same lines from chef to chef, and they also tie into the code of ethics.

            In the Ethics of the culinary field, the USPCA of a professional chef, they must uphold and promise these certain kinds of ethics:

“1. Provide healthful, nutritious and delicious meals at an affordable price.

 2. Create menus based upon the client’s needs and preferences.

 3. Use only the freshest meat, fish, vegetables and fruits available and quality ingredients.

4. Maintain a professional and positive image of their business and the USPCA. Always act in accordance with all State and Federal laws and regulations, particularly in matters of food preparation and health standards.

5. Respect for the client’s home, property, belongings and privacy, always acting discreetly and as a member of his/her family.

6. Keep confidential any information about the client, which I may know as a result of work in his/her home.

 7. Prompt return of phone messages and e-mail contacts.

 8. Full disclosure of any/all information requested by the client in regards to the preparation of meals.

 9. Leave clear, concise storage and heating directions for meals prepared.

10. Continued education in culinary arts and staying abreast of changes within the industry.” (United).

These codes of ethics are a positive outlook on the culinary field and what each member has to offer and bring into the field. The code of ethics must be followed by every culinary chef within their career, and has to be upheld to the highest of points. They can interpret each code different within their own mindsets, but keep to the codes whenever in the workplace. These ethics I have learned while researching this career have opened my mind and opportunity to a new and interesting field that I might see myself going into at some point in the future.

Learning about your Research/Writing

My blogging experience has prepared me to work in this field, by essentially finding research and applying it to my own interests in the field. From special blog posts about organizations, interviews with personal chefs, nutritional values, psychological aspects, and worldly issues, blogging about this field has prepared me in following into the informative information and deciding if I really can pursue this career.

From the blog posts about the recession impacting the future of hotel and restaurant businesses, it gives a future outlook on the jobs. (John). It shows the forward or downward spiral of the recession impacting the gambling futures of major hotel and food businesses. This information is important to learn about in case of starting a future business and how to take care of it. This also lets me find out my future job outlook with the impacting recession. Along with learning about organizations, some of the more interesting develops I found were about nutritional values and the psychological aspects in restaurant management. In looking into the psychological aspect of music in the restaurant, I learned how different music will affect the people on how much the pay and how long they stay (How Music…). In the nutritional values I learned while blogging about the culinary field, I learned important tips on how to maintain a healthy diet, and cooking alternatives. With looking at different charts I learned the alternatives and ways to uphold a nutritional value while cooking. Learning new and healthy ways to cook gives a alternative background in the culinary field essential to becoming a well rounded professional chef. Also looking at the culinary issues happening around the world, puts perspective into my eyes on what goes on in not only America, but all over the world.

Blogging and learning about this new ideas and issues has helped me understand what it means and takes to because a professional culinary chef. The struggles, education, time, and effort that you have to put into becoming a professional chef are some of the many items that I have learned while researching on this career. There was not a lot of struggle in finding and posting research in my field. From other blog posts to scholarly articles they were easily found and interesting to read. I looked and stretched some of the ideas to fit around the special posts, but all were very educational, interesting, and relevant to the topic. These were very interesting and informative to the culinary field.

I have no further questions in the culinary field. Most of the questions I have found and answered myself while pursuing this blogging project. It has shed light on me about my field. The struggles, the fundamentals, the issues, the psychological aspects, and the creative views on the culinary field have been show to me while researching this project. It has given me information and the interest in pursuing this field in the future.

Works Cited

1.     Ciolino, Matthew. "Matt Ciolino Blog." : Open Blog (Interview with a

Professional Chef / Corporate Dining Executive). N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. <http://mattciolinoblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/open-blog-interview-with-professional.html>.

2.     "How Music and Noise Affect Restaurant Sales and Customer Experience." How

Music and Noise Affects Restaurant Sales and Customer Experience. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2012. <http://www.mcngmarketing.com/how-music-and-noise-affects-restaurant-sales-and-customer-experience/>.

3.     John, B. Corgel. "Focus on Hospitality Issues: A Different Kind of Pain & Gain

for Hotel Investors during this Cycle." Real Estate Issues 26.2 (2001): 56-8. ABI/INFORM Complete. Web. 9 Oct. 2012.

4.     "United States Personal Chef Association." The Personal Chef Association. N.p.,

n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2012. <http://www.uspca.com/codeofethics/>.

Open Blog Post

Whether trying to become a professional chef, or just a home cook some of the best recipes you can find online. I first drew my inspiration of cooking from my family, but soon i desired to find new and fun recipes and food to make. One of the best websites to find new food is Food Network. Their online selection has almost any kind of recipe you would need to find. From professional chefs, to the  degree of skill needed, the website shows you and instructs you in step by step instruction on how to cook your meal. An easy and fun way to spark the interest of culinary into your head.

http://www.foodnetwork.com

Special blog post

In the special blog post I looked at this one Brochure on Culinary arts programs. Its audience in the everyone, especially new student's looking for a outlet through the culinary world. The purpose of this brochure is to show and influence future student's to apply to this college. It shows how many credits and the food made and what you do in each class. These is divided into sections of classes which gives students time to look over which classes they like the most and would most influence them into going on the culinary field at that college. The rhetoric of the brochure is influencing future students to join and apply into the culinary field. It shows how fun and interesting the college is. through the arrangements and style of the brochure is achieves its purpose to pull the average person into the field and think about applying.

http://www.dacc.edu/cce/CulinaryArts.pdf

Open blog post

While Pumpkin carving is not a culinary specialty, many professional chefs and bakers participate in the Halloween festivities. From pumpkin carving, to cupcake decorating, the "art" in the culinary arts comes out every season. From stylistic views to the edible arrangements, chefs come up with new and interesting ways to show off their skills in the culinary world. From MasterChef, Top Chef, Iron Chef America, And Cupcake Wars, the artistic and stylistic interpretation of food has become one of the most interesting fields to watch and do.

special blog post

In this news article, it talks about the importance of nutrition and eating/drinking after exercise. While, this is not entirely under the culinary field, it does impose on the food and nutrition value of the culinary field. In order to be healthy, you must exercise. However, to maintain healthy before and after exercising, you must have a healthy and balanced diet.
Eating a healthy snack/meal after exercising is the best way to replenish the body from a hard workout.

"From 30 minutes to two hours after exercise, muscles and tissues must rapidly replace nutrients depleted by the workout." 

With all the tolls on your body and the energy being used, eating after a cold down session of exercising, will help balance out your body's energy. This useful information is used all over and can be very useful for anyone.

even in the culinary world, eating healthy and exercising is a fundamental value that should be done. In my job, i will promote healthy food, good dieting, and exercise as a part of my culinary values.

http://www.times.co.zm/?p=17649

open blog post

In my open blog post i will talk about healthy eating and nutrition. In todays economic state and food industry, more and more people are becoming over weight. Food has become a crippling object in peoples lives today. Obesity is one of the main health problems in our country today. Food is an complex object. Eat too much and problems can occur; eat not enough and your body can't sustain itself. To find that right amount nutritionists, doctors, and food experts have come up with multiply ideas, food pyramids, and charts for the person to obtain the right about of nutrients and proteins for the healthy person.
In the culinary world, health and nutrition are very important. When making food, in today's society, i try and stay as healthy as possible.
Here is a chart that I would follow:

Special blog post

In my hands -on experience that involves my field, I was going to cook in one of the open kitchens at Michigan State University. At college it is every hard to find a hands-on experience in cooking. In the open kitchens (which there are several here) we can use our own ingredients and cook whatever meal we choose. Its like a home kitchen at college. I planned on doing this, but got held up. In order to do an hands-on experience, I made food at the Hubbard dining hall. Not exactly as hands-on as it should be, i told the cook what to put in my pasta and how i wanted it made. I used tons of spices, oils, and other ingredients to make mine taste exactly how i wanted it. Now if there was more time, i would make my own pasta at the open kitchens. These kitchens are very nice and easy to use for a student that enjoys cooking. The one closest to me is in the Abbott hall in Red Cedar Neighborhood.

Open blog post

When reading an blog post on in online article, they talked about how music will influence the costumer. This psychological aspect to dining is often overlooked by most costumers but influences how much they spend and how long they stay there.

In the article, they talked about how in the matter of tasting food, people tend to like the food better with music playing in either the background or right near them. this shows how people who are in an airplane with a bunch of white noise tend to think the food is bland (How Music…).

In the aspect of how much more people spend on their food is also determinded by the type of music. In the chart it shows how within different types of music people will spend on average about a difference of around $2.

No music, average spend was $17.12


Easy Listening = $19.67


Classical = $20.20


Pop = $21.01


Jazz = $21.82

(How Music….).

           

In the other aspects of music, depending on slower or fast paced music, people will spend more time in a certain restaurant. The slower and more easy listening of the music, the more time they will spend at a certain restaurant. This is often over looked by many people. If you listen to the music at starbucks and other restaurants they will play slower more easy listening music to make you feel more relaxed and almost at home so you will spend more time, unlike fast-food restaurants and nightclubs, that often play fast paced music and Pop music so people will tend to eat and just leave.

In all these aspects the affect of music will determine many factors in costumers. If a couple dollars doesn’t sound like a difference right now, just account for how many people and how many times they are spending $2 more and add it up at the end of they year and you got yourself a pretty hefty profit.

Works Cited:

"How Music and Noise Affect Restaurant Sales and Customer Experience." How Music and Noise Affects Restaurant Sales and Customer Experience. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2012. <http://www.mcngmarketing.com/how-music-and-noise-affects-restaurant-sales-and-customer-experience/>.

Special Blog Post

Foie Gras is one of the many products in the culinary world that are being banned to the American people. Foie Gras is French for “enlarged liver” which was being used heavily is some culinary dishes from duck liver. The main issue in this was how they were getting the enlarged duck livers. The “Animal Protection and Rescue League” started protesting as soon as they got wind of this “crime”. They marched down the streets of California and protested with signs about how they stuff metal tubes down duck throats to shovel food into their body to get an enlarged liver on the farms. They stated how it’s was animal cruelty and needed to be stopped. This was their main perspective in the story. They twisted and manipulated the evidence to make the companies look evil and show the uneducated American people of this subject. These caused great uproar in the communities and cause a ban in the production of this.

On the other side of the controversy, the producers of the enlarged liver stated how the ducks do not have a gag reflex and it was not cruel punishment for the animals. Even with science to back it up, they did not get many followers. They stated how these are not used on humans, and it’s animals with no gag reflex or problem. They are knocked unconscious before being hacked up. They state how it is nice for the average culinary chef, because it produces a nice and easy product that can be bought cheap for how much there is.

Even with all of these perspectives on the issue, the court system sided with a ban against producing anymore of the Foie Gras.

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/jun/23/foie-gras-long-controversial-road-food-ban/

Open blog post

In this open blog post I am going to talk about the field of Culinary and Hospitality/business. There is a special school that I personally would love to go to. Le Cordon Bleu is a special school that distributed throughout the country. They personalize in everything in the culinary field and also in the hospitality/business field. You must go through at least 2 years minimum and can also get an associates and/or an bachelor degree. They train you and teach you the fundamentals and specials in the culinary arts and with a business degree. They train you for the real world of culinary and out you right into the workforce within the year.

Special Blog post- Argument

In this article, they are talking about the downward or upward turn out of the recession impact on the hotel business. this reflects the hospitality/business aspect of my field. In this argument. In this scholarly article they are stating that there is a downward turn out during a recession, but there is a profit cushion to must hotel management corporations. This will cause the effects of the recession to impact each hotel differently depending on the guests, and the company themselves. The company must reform and be able to change depending on the recession and the environment that they are in. The article implies that the older more unchangeable hotels, will suffer a great lose a recession, but the newer hotels will not. The argument that covers these statements is these statements true or false. When taken into the account of my knowledge in these fields. I would have to assume that the hotel and businesses will be cushioned by their previous profit, but will have to change and adapt to the recession to be able to survive. if they do not, they will not be so happy. The person that wrote this article states along the same lines, and i do agree with him.

Works Cited

John, B. Corgel. "Focus on Hospitality Issues: A Different Kind of Pain & Gain for Hotel Investors during this Cycle." Real Estate Issues 26.2 (2001): 56-8. ABI/INFORM Complete. Web. 9 Oct. 2012.

Special blog post/ Code of Ethics

As a USPCA personal chef and in the interest of maintaining the highest business standards, I promise to:

1.              Provide healthful, nutritious and delicious meals at an affordable price.

2.              Create menus based upon the client’s needs and preferences.

3.              Use only the freshest meat, fish, vegetables and fruits available and quality ingredients.

4.              Maintain a professional and positive image of their business and the USPCA. Always act in accordance with all State and Federal laws and regulations, particularly in matters of food preparation and health standards.

5.              Respect for the client’s home, property, belongings and privacy, always acting discreetly and as a member of his/her family.

6.              Keep confidential any information about the client, which I may know as a result of work in his/her home.

7.              Prompt return of phone messages and e-mail contacts.

8.              Full disclosure of any/all information requested by the client in regards to the preparation of meals.

9.              Leave clear, concise storage and heating directions for meals prepared.

10.           Continued education in culinary arts and staying abreast of changes within the industry.

These codes of ethics represent me and can be interpreted in our school as everyday ethics

The positive image, respect for the clients, and continued education can all be interpreted into our community as a code of ethics. These are the key points that i live by and hope to continue to live by in my work field. 

http://www.uspca.com/codeofethics/

Open Blog (Interview with a professional chef / corporate dining executive)

I interviewed my friend Taylor's dad. I asked him questions and he followed up with very developed and interesting answers. for the following questions i have compiled his answers to fit the questions. 

1. Does your job include any writing skill sets?
1. Yes, his job includes writing many  HR, reports, administrative contracts, recipes, orders, and more. These things need to have certain skill sets, such as a formal order. and instructional format for recipes, and an overall general appeal for the general cook that is reading his recipes. 
2. What kind of writing does your job involve?
1. The writing in his corporate dining job, involves shipping orders, contracts and termination letters. In his culinary career, the writing he does is recipes and formal instructions. 
3. In the process of writing, what is the most important?
1. The most important is the drafting process. For his corporate dining career, he said to be accurate, and pertinent. He says he likes when he letters to business organizations are short and to the point. He looks for accuracy more than fill ins. He said that in the drafting process of writing a recipe. You first need to establish the recipe countless amount of times and become very comfortable with the recipe along with writing and publishing the recipe. You then must configure the amounts of what goes with what and how to make the the food. Also you must make the writing easy to read for either the home cook, or a professional chef. 
4. What would be the most fun aspect at being in the culinary field?
1. He said that the most fun aspect of being in the culinary field, would he food. He said that the social and community aspect of the field is one of his favorite parts of his job. He loves the free food and wine, and how his career is a very lively and social career.
5. How long is your work week?
1. 5-6 days a week. and usually 50-70 hours. He said that this field is very demanding in the hours and with a low pay at first. You have to work your way up with hard work. some of the hours differ between a culinary job in a restaurant/hotel or a corporate job. 
6. What is your writing process?
1. The writing process for corporate dining executive would be along the lines of drafting, multiple times, revision, and publication. 
7. Is there a multi-step process? - Ex. Revision
1. yes, both the drafting and revision process is a multi-step process. You have to go back many times to make sure the point in your writings are short, sweet, and to the point. 
8. How do these processes tie into the work atmosphere?
1. these processes tie into the work atmosphere because many of the letters, drafts and recipes used must be overlooked and written by someone. 
9. Do you like your job?
1. He says he loves he job. Both being a professional chef, and a corporate in dining. He says  he loves the people he interacts with and the business is very rewarding. 
10. How do these tie into our writing processes and yours?
1. All of these processes tie into he work and school environment because they are everyday values. these are very fundamental writing processes that everyone should pick up in order to work environment. 

Special Blog post/ Organization

Since I scheduled an interview with the Hospitality/business group thursday afternoon, I will not have enough time to write about it before class starts. Some of the many questions I will ask the representative about their organization are:

1. How does your group/organization benefit the community?
2. What beliefs and values center the organization as a whole?
3. What kind of activities does your organization hold?
4. What kind of activities do you participate in?
5. How are some ways to become interactive within the organization?
6. How does being in this organization benefit a person in this field?
7. Can anyone in this organization help someone down the road in this field?
8. How do you like being in this organization?
9. How long have you been in this organization?
10. Any other kinds of organizations that would benefit someone looking into this field?

Special Blog post (Interview)

 I will interview a culinary chef. He is my friend Taylor Neverman’s father. He is a professional chef and has worked many elegant jobs in his career. Some of the many questions to ask about how he writes and communicates in his job field would be:

1. Does your job include any writing skill sets?
2. What kind of writing does your job involve?
3. In the process of writing, what is the most important?
4. What would be the most fun aspect at being in the culinary field?
5. How long is your work week?
6. What is your writing process?
7. Is there a multi-step process? - Ex. Revision
8. How do these processes tie into the work atmosphere?
9. Do you like your job?
10. How do these tie into our writing processes and yours?

Exploring writing processes

The business world is consumed with many varieties of communications and art of words. One of the many objectives in owning a restaurant is to have a business background. one of the most important parts of having a business background is being able to write. Writing is the communication of the business world and you must keep is concise and straightforward. It is not like a formal paper or novel. You must take a precise statement and keep its clean and simple. You can expand and take over after that. one of the main writing processes of the business communications are:

1. Pre-writing
1. Analyze
2. Anticipate
3. adapt
2. Writing
1. research
2. organize
3. compose
3. Revising
1. revise
2. proofread
3. evaluate

These simple steps will help the writing process of the business communications and help your business. These steps are much like the writing processes we have discussed in class such as RAIDS. RAIDS consists of Revision, Arrangement, Invention, Delivery, and Style. Most of these bullets can be   connected with the RAIDS strategies in our writing everyday.

CITATION

Guffey, Mary Ellen. "Writing in the Disciplines: Business - Getting Started." Writing in the Disciplines: Business - Getting Started. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2012. <http://writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb/business/started.html>

Creating a atmosphere for your bar or restaurant

This article shows how to design the atmosphere for your restaurant. one of the main categories was the  color. Warm colors cause people to have a greater appetite, while cool colors do the opposite. The certain amount of lighting can make any mood different. The music can be classic, trendy, or fast-paced depending on the mood you want on your restaurant. The uniforms and dish ware will also depict the atmosphere that you want for your restaurant. I want to follow these rules to design the perfect atmosphere for a restaurant.
http://www.score.org/system/files/u209922/Spike%20-%20Atmosphere.pdf

      The Delivery and Style of all three of the articles were in some ways similar and in others, different. in the online blog, the delivery was informative, and informal. since it was a blog, it told the information in a laid-back tone and would tell about the ten most start up mistakes one after another. the style was clear-cut and fast paced. the author seemed like he was informative, but wanted to get his point across.
      In the NewYorkTimes newspaper article, this author delivered the story in an online question and answer form. He gave the answers very straightforward, and connected way. He connected with the audience and gave advice that the reader can use. His style was very honest. he tells it how it is and uses numbers and percentages to back up his information.
      In the scholar article the delivery was a online text book. It was structured and had subcategories for every section the professor was talking about. It was very formal and informative. The style was dry and up front. He tells the reader the information and backs it up with cited sources.
      All of these sources gave helpful information on starting and keeping up with a restaurant. The deliveries of each were similar in the way that they talked about the information, but how they presented the information was very different. Their writing style was very different. Some were very straightforward and stimulating, while others were very dry.

Citations

1. Kimes, Sheryl E. "Implementing Restaurant Revenue Management." Proquest. N.p., 16 June.1999.   Web. 11 Sept. 2012. <http://search.proquest.com.proxy1.cl.msu.edu/docview/209703265/1391D2AD30F8416F99/9accountid=12598>
2. "10 Restaurant Startup Mistakes." The Restaurant Blogger. N.p., 16 May 2008. Web. 11 Sept. 2012. <http://www.therestaurantblogger.com/10-restaurant-startup-mistakes/>.
3. Bryant, Adam. "CORNER OFFICE | BEN LERER; Ben Lerer of Thrillist, on Encouraging Employees." The New York Times. The New York Times, 09 Sept. 2012. Web. 11 Sept. 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/09/business/ben-lerer-of-thrillist-on-encouraging-employees.html?_r=1>.

10 QUESTIONS

10 Questions

1.     What are the five things you should do in the nine months before you start up your restaurant?

a.     Determine your restaurant concept

b.     Determine what makes you different

c.      Start writing your business plan

d.     Define your target markets

e.     Seek the best location

2.     What kind of research do I need to start a business

a.     “Information sources come in two varieties: ‘Hot’ and ‘cool’. You will need both kinds. Hot information sources are interpersonal and the information is interactive and provides immediate feedback. Cool information sources are less interactive and for many entrepreneurs less fun.”

3.     How to determine how much cash you need to start a business

a.     How much cash do I need to start my restaurant

b.     Is this going to be a good investment

c.      Can I make payroll every week

d.     Will I make money

e.     How much is it worth

f.      How much must I sell to break even

4.     How to determine the amount of cost/revenue/profit of the company

a.     Make a table/chart and map out the outline of all three using a marginal Revenue/cost/profit equation

5.     How to get a loan

a.     “Bankers are in business to make money by lending out their depositors’ money. If you plan to use a bank’s credit services, offer them your deposit business while negotiating your loan or credit card.”

6.     How to make a marketing plan

a.     “Basic marketing plans include benefits to the customer, target marketing, and watchful concern for the competition. Reviewing the nonfinancial objectives and sales forecasts helps ensure that your latest thinking governs your projections. “

7.     Should I get insurance coverage

a.     You are legally required to provide certain coverages (for example, workers’ compensation, unemployment). Your creditors will require coverages. And prudent management calls for basic liability coverages.

8.     What are some of the questions for contacting food vendors

a.     What days of the week will you deliver to me?

b.     Is there a minimum order size

c.      How much lead-time do you need for orders

d.     What are the payment terms

e.     How do I set up an account.

f.      What are your policy on returned items

9.     How to hire workers

a.     Use job descriptions

b.     Choose from more than three applicants per job

c.      Schedule interviews

10. How to prepare an grand opening

a.     “You need to get local press coverage for free; you gain an immediate presence in the community; and you get an invaluable chance to control the first impression your business makes.”

Citation

Rainsford, Peter, and David H. Bangs, Jr. The Restaurant Start-up Guide. 2nd ed.

Chicago, IL: Dearborn Trade, a Kaplan Professional, 1997, 2001.

About Me

Writing is a way to express my views and feelings on a particular subject. I believe that visual writing is my strong suit. When writing, I try to show someone what I am thinking by painting a picture with words in their mind. This blog will hopefully ignite the flame of inspiration that I have for my job and show everyone what the qualifications and dedication it takes to have that job.

The perfect job for me is to own a business. I want to make a bunch of money by becoming a professional cook, and then opening my own restaurant and coffee/bakery lounge. In order for that to happen, I need a business degree, and go to culinary school. Through all that hard work and time, I hope to accomplish my dreams and have the job that I wished for.

Cooking for me is a personal interest that has been in my mind for a long time. Since I was a child I was interested in culinary. Only recently have I decided to take an interest in pursuing it as a career rather than a hobby. My parents always said that to take a career in culinary I would have to take a major in business as well. This struck me as a great idea, not only to cook for a job, but to own a business too. This was the spark to my flame of passion for culinary and business. This persistent flame has led me to where I am today.