MYP personal project

MYP Personal Project – My Cook Book

Planning

My Learning Goal

When it came to choosing ideas for my Personal Project, I was fortunate in that I knew exactly what I
wanted to accomplish right away. I've been cooking since I was a toddler, and I've continued to improve
my skills through cooking classes and MYP Visual cookery. I spend a lot of time exploring new recipes
and preparing different foods, and it's something I truly enjoy. You may see an example of my cooked
recipe in the photo. It makes me happy to see my dishes move and come to life. At the same time, I've
always been captivated by Chinese dishes and the processes that go into making them. Cooking has
progressed tremendously over the last 250 years, and I grew up watching Chef Master and seeing real-life
cooks on television. I've never attempted to cook any of my own recipes, but I'd like to do so at some
point. I wanted to see if my culinary habit was more than just a passing fancy. As a result, I recognized
that the Personal Project would be an excellent opportunity to learn more about the process, so I set a
learning goal of learning how to cook like a chef.

Product
My objective is that by pursuing my learning goal, I will develop new abilities and be
able to prepare new foods, so my product will be a simple recipe for children. I explored a
few alternatives while deciding on a topic for my culinary book, but ultimately chose the
beauty of spice. Spice's beauty and aesthetics have always intrigued me, and I'd like to
include this in my cuisine. I decided early on that instead of being more excited about my
food, I would try to create a tale about how it came to be so that I could use my imagination
and be as creative as I wanted.

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Product Success Criteria

I began by analyzing the aim of my product when considering the success criteria for my culinary book. I
wanted to demonstrate that I could prepare my dish. After that, I had to make some choices concerning the
parameters. I performed some preliminary studies on this meal to assist me. When I was investigating, I
would look at what professional cooks are capable of and establish realistic criteria for myself based on
that, ensuring that the job I perform is of high quality. When I established more goals for myself, I made
sure they were delicious but tough to achieve, and I took some of the strands from cooking books, judging
my product on things like looks.

Product Success Criteria Details

Function: It is critical that my recipe be inventive. I want to be sure that I

can make a recipe that looks good and tastes excellent.
1. The recipe is clear
and understandable I'll gauge this by administering a brief survey to a test set of
viewers.

Aesthetics: I want to make sure the dish is my best work and that I add all of
the elements that make it look wonderful.
2. All the quality of
ingredients is of Prior to the preparation, I will ask my culinary teacher to evaluate
high quality my food based on my criteria.

3. Decoration of the I want to make sure that my recipe is superior to the standard so
food while that I can prove to myself that I am capable of progressing. Even
making and after though I am a newbie, I want my work to look professional.
made would be
fantastic I'll gauge this by administering a brief survey to a test set of
viewers.

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Plan for Achieving the Product

I developed two separate timelines for the project, one for the full project and all of its due dates, and the
other for the product. The general timeline is more of an hourly planner that will give me a basic idea of
what I should be working on, whereas the product-specific timeline was developed to plan out each step of
my production process up to this point. For each deadline, I created task lists or 'to do lists to guarantee that
I could do what I had planned by the deadline. I was careful to evaluate my product criteria while building
my plan to ensure that I concentrated on the exact objectives I had set for myself.

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Applying Skills

Achieving the Learning Goal - ATL Skill: Research

In order to fulfil my Learning Goal of improving my cooking skills. I needed to plan and conduct
extensive research. My initial step in conducting research was to devise a research strategy:

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Research Question:

What one must know about cooking and about how this recipe came into existence

Complementary Questions:

- What is cooking?

- Most common item to cook

- how does each of them differ?

- How does small stuff impact the dish in a whole?

- What is the important thing to learn for cooking?

- What are the different methods of cooking?

- What are the things to remember when cooking?

- Is It Safe to Cook Chicken in a Slow-Cooker?

- How to Double a Recipe?

Excerpt from Research Plan

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My research plan was quite helpful because it highlighted all of the subjects I needed
to cover during my study as well as the information I needed to find, as well as some starting
links and potential sources. To get back on track, I would refer to the plan whenever I
became stuck or confused. In terms of the research, everything went smoothly. When I was
doing research, I looked at a wide range of sites. I conducted primary research, which
consisted of material acquired directly from me, such as interviews and culinary classes.
Then there were books and textbooks, which were useful for recipes because they were more
factual and hence easier to locate in books. Then there was online research, which included
videos, articles, transcripts of interviews, amateur social media posts, and official
organisation websites. However, because not all sources can be trusted, I had to assess them
to see whether the information was accurate and useful. In order to accomplish so, I used the
CARRDS approach to go through them. The examination assisted me in determining which
sources would be the most beneficial in assisting me in achieving my objective. When
conducting research, I would try to balance professional and amateur sources and look at a
variety of sources, especially when it comes to cooking and recipes. This approach helped
me to achieve my learning goal because it helped me to understand what was possible for me
as an amateur, and the skills and techniques that I could practice for myself. In the end, I
wrote all my research out on a single document which helped me put it together and answer
the questions I had before starting my product. Being able to talk it through with an expert
was very valuable. I did some general research on the topic before the lesson so that I was
able to prepare questions in advance.

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CARRDS Evaluation of Sources

CREDIBILITY: This was a one-on-one tutorial with Chef John Doe, a professional chef. He has over 20
years of experience in the kitchen, with over 10 years specialising in Chinese cuisine. He's
given me his contact information in case I have any further questions, and he's happy to
schedule a second or even third class if I need more practise and experience. Cooking is
not a simple task, so there aren't many wrongs and rights, but there are a variety of styles
where the wrongs and rights differ. I can trust my teacher as he has had years worth of
experience in one of the most successful cooking areas of the country.

ACCURACY: Before the session, I did some preliminary reading about cooking so that I wouldn't be
absolutely clueless and so that we wouldn't have to start from scratch. I researched the
usual cooking process, as well as the decorating and cooking processes. Based on my
conversations with him, the concept appears to be nearly comparable to what I
investigated, and the procedure was remarkably similar, with some variances due to the
big market and variety of recipes.

RELIABILITY: During the lesson, the only form of bias present was his and his cooking style and
technique, but he did mention that there are an endless number of ways to do certain
things he was showing me, and that if I kept practising, I would either experience these
styles for myself or see them around me in things like cooking shows or real chefs. As a
result, it's evident that he wasn't being pushy with his prejudice, and that he can be
trusted - he explicitly acknowledged that his way isn't the sole proper way, but rather one
approach.

RELEVANCE: This is a comprehensive primary source that has not only increased my knowledge of the
subject but also my field experience, effectively prepared me for my final product. It's
critical to have firsthand experience with what you're researching if you hope to apply it
to real life in some way, and the cooking styles that Sir taught me were a great
opportunity to try out, as cooking is not only expensive (hundreds to thousands of
dollars), but also difficult to figure out as an amateur with no guidance.

DATE: This knowledge was not created on the day of the class; rather, it was gathered and then
developed, analysed, reflected on, and adjusted to make it as useful as possible. The
teacher has been gaining the experience he shared with me for years, and he did so by
working on his own cooking meals and learning from his mistakes. That is the most useful
information I can obtain, as cooking requires a great deal of expertise, which my teacher
possessed in spades. As a result, the extended data gathering period is excellent for my
topic and research.

SOURCES: He did not cite any sources as this experience was gained directly, and the lesson was
purely verbal.

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Gathering information

Cooking
Home cooking has traditionally been an informal activity carried out in a home or
around a communal fire that can be enjoyed by all members of the family, however in many
cultures women have major role. Cooking is frequently done outside of personal quarters, such
as in restaurants or schools. Bakeries were one of the earliest types of cooking outside the
home, and bakeries in the past frequently provided other services such as boiling pots of
food brought by their customers.
In today's world, factory food preparation is common, with many "ready-to-eat" items created
and cooked in factories, and home cooks combining scratch-made and factory-made foods
to construct a meal. More professionally produced foods have been proven to have lower
nutritional content than home-cooked dishes. Home-cooked meals are often healthier since
they contain fewer calories, less saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium per calorie, and more
fibre, calcium, and iron.
Because the components are sourced directly, the authenticity, flavour, and nutritional value
are all guaranteed. Home-greater cooking's nutritional content may thus have a role in
preventing chronic disease. Even after correcting for confounding variables, cohort studies
of the elderly over ten years demonstrate that adults who cook their own meals have much
lower mortality.
"Home-cooking" is sometimes linked with comfort food, and some commercially made dishes
and restaurant meals are advertised or packaged as "home-cooked," regardless of their
true provenance. This trend began in the 1920s, and it is ascribed to individuals in urban areas
of the United States desiring homestyle food despite their busy schedules and limited kitchens
.

Applying Skills to create a product: Cooking Skills (Critical and Creative)

When I finished my study, I discovered just how difficult this product is. When I
looked at how traditional cooking was done, I realised that as an individual amateur, I would
struggle to perform any of it, and I concluded that I needed to manage my time very
effectively to prevent turning in an incomplete dish. To be successful, I had to think beyond
the box. I would frequently write ideas that I would have to remove because they were
unrealistic during my planning and brainstorming phase, and I would frequently double-
check that I wasn't underestimating the project's difficulty.

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When I discovered I was behind deadline with my cooking, I explored various other options
for finishing the job, such as cooking the brownie in the cooker for a simpler version or
baking in the microwave for a more complex version. I briefly struggled with the tools I was
using once I started cooking, as the only culinary utensil I was familiar with came from a
private class I received from my teacher. However, because cooking and traditional cooking
are somewhat different, figuring out the traditional manner wasn't easy. To overcome this
difficulty, I carved out some time in my schedule to learn about the cooking process,
experiment, and discover what worked. I realized that because I had allotted more time, I
didn't feel rushed and could take my time learning the program. Following my exploration of
the application, I began to notice similar terms in the menus and began navigating my way
around, finally becoming acquainted with the recipe. This strategy ultimately aided me in
completing my product since it provided me with the time I needed to guarantee I have the
appropriate skills. The evidence of the utensils I used, as well as some of the processes I took
to make my product, may be seen in the image.

Reflecting

Reflection:The impact of my project on my learning

When I first started the project, I assumed that traditional research would provide me with all of
the information I needed to create my product. For me, the most important takeaway was that I was
astonished to discover that I actually learnt more via the process

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Cooking is such an involved topic that it is easier to learn by doing rather than reading about
it, thus I prefer to teach via the making of the meal and my instruction rather than through
books and online. After experimenting with numerous approaches and styles, I found a
happy medium that suited my ability level and worked easily with it, learning about cooking
utensils I had never heard of before. Those items I discovered are actually quite handy, and
I've already started using them for my own personal cooking outside of school. I also learned
about cooking and traditional cookery, as well as how they are prepared. Cooking and
creating new dishes taught me about the wonderful things humans can produce to express
themselves and communicate with others via flavour and decoration. I combined the two to
comprehend that, despite the fact that Earth is technically insignificant in the universe, we
can build meaningful things like cooking to taste food and express emotion in order to share
them with one another, making our insignificant planet significant to us. Overall, as a result
of this, I am now more comfortable taking risks and learning while doing things that I would
not have done before. I recognise that research may be both useful and iterative.

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Product Evaluation

My Product
If you've never baked with zucchini before, stop what you're doing and try it immediately! These Zucchini
Brownies are so moist and decadent. A chocolate lover's dream come true! Make my Zucchini Cake and
Chocolate Zucchini Cake a must-try!
I swore in 2012 that I would never need another brownie recipe after making these Zucchini Brownies.
They are, without a doubt, the best brownie I have ever tasted. However, because zucchini is a seasonal
product, having a terrific brownie recipe that does not use zucchini is essential. Every summer, I'm
reminded of how wonderful zucchini is in baked items, and these are once again my favourite!
It's all about the size. The zucchini will be drier if it is huge. The moisture content of a little zucchini will
be higher. Different sizes work best for different recipes. For example, I prefer a medium to small zucchini
for this recipe because I want the moisture it provides, but I prefer a large zucchini for my Double
Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes.
Some recipes call for pressing the zucchini with a clean cloth to absorb extra moisture or keep anything
you're baking from becoming too soggy. Pay special attention to the zucchini dish you're cooking because
the amount of moisture they give is crucial.
The batter is COMPLETELY DRY. Extremely dehydrated. That is, until you add the zucchini! Allow the
batter to rest for 5 minutes after assembling it according to the recipe's directions. When you stir it again,
you'll notice how much moisture the zucchini has added!
To make this recipe double chocolate, I added semi-sweet chocolate bits. You can use milk chocolate,
peanut butter, white chocolate, or no chips at all! They're so tasty and filling that further taste isn't
required.

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Product success criteria: One point rubric

Areas of strength Product success criteria Areas for development

(Glows) (Grows)

All of the responses from my survey Function:

said that they had understood the The recipe is clear and
recipe. I was pleased that the cooking understandable to all by the end of
process had contributed effectively to the dish made.
this criterion.

Aesthetics: My art teacher observed (and I already

knew) that there were sometimes
All the quality of ingredients is inconsistencies in my cooking. I need to
of high quality. focus more on details and make sure I am
consistent.

My final food was 37 minutes and 40 Cooking:

seconds long, and I felt that the pacing
was good. I was able to match my I will create Zucchini Brownie
food to the mood and tone of the
recipe.

Overall Evaluation: I believe I produced a successful product, but not to the maximum potential standard. I
believe I performed admirably for someone of my skill level, but nothing is flawless, and there is always space
for development, especially in the kitchen. My primary flaws were keeping a steady batter and generating
fluid in it, as well as not accurately representing my cooking knowledge. Because I redid a number of my
recipes more than once because I couldn't get them to appear accurate, I feel like I could have done more
practise recipe cooking before starting the actual cooking to become more familiar with the cooking
procedures. I could have gotten through the process faster and done more recipes to demonstrate my skills if I
had done sample pieces previously. I accomplished my objective, but not as well as I could have. I sent out a
survey to my peers that included all of my criteria so that I could factor their feedback into my final
assessment.

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Bibliography

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