Benjamin Franklin

Unit name:
Gastronomy & the Management of the Food Experience

Reflective Journal Value 50%
Due Week 8
This assignment requires you to keep a reflective journal of your learning activities and your engagement with the set food experiences prescribed within the unit Gastronomy and the Management of the Food Experience.

Why
Part of the professional development of an individual is the ability to think about the world in which they move. By critically analysing current practice, questioning what is being done and why, asking questions and finding answers we attempt to build a deeper level of understanding. Keeping a reflective journal is just a means of documenting your own engagement with this process.

Method: You are required to compile a journal containing the following:
1) Weekly reflections on your learning and activities related to this unit (you need to revisit earlier reflections as you progress through the subject).
2) Written (and when appropriate photographic) accounts of the prescribed activities undertaken.
3) Any other content that you believe is important.

Journal activities:
The aim of this unit initially is to introduce students to the study of gastronomy and food in the experience economy, highlighting the social and cultural aspects of food from production to consumption. In short you are asked to think intensely about food from paddock to plate. The following activities are designed to help you develop a deeper understanding of food and food as an experience also hopefully to provide some interesting and enjoyable experiences. Students are then asked to critically analyse their own structured food experiences in line with the theory discussed in class in order to gain insight into both the consumption and production of food related events.

In carrying out this assignment students should be mindful of any costs, recognize that the cost of food is one of the issues you do need to contemplate this semester  stay within your own budget constraints.

Please note that some of these activities require planning, additional reading, long lead times  START EARLY WEEK ONE!!!!!! Ask yourself questions and look for the answers, to gain lasting benefit from this assignment approach each activity with a sense of great curiosity.

The experience activities.

1.Special Event
You are required to create & cook yourself a special event. The event is to be a themed dinner for a small group of your friends.

2. Grow something to eat.
How is food produced? You are required to attempt to grow enough food to provide one meal for yourself. (And eat the results)

3. Restaurant visit
Select a restaurant you are not familiar with and go for a meal. Critically discuss this meal experience?

4. Shopping
Visit a large supermarket.
Critically analyse this as a food experience

5. Food and the city
Visit at least two food precincts
Critically analyse each and make comparison between these two food experiences.

6. Provisioning the city
Visit one of the following markets (during the hours of its primary operation) and discuss how such a visit could be promoted as a leisure/tourist activity.
A Farmers market or The Sydney Fish Markets.

7. Food and the media
Watch two different food programs on television. Discuss and analyse these as an experience.
Go online, find and participate in a virtual food experience.
Some questions:
Why are these food related activities popular?
What do you think people get out of this activity?
Comment on the concept of
What type of online food experiences did you find?
Describe which of the three media experiences you enjoyed most.
Explain why you enjoyed this experience?
How can the hospitality & hotel industry use the internet to allow people to sample their experiences

8. Food in your life
Think deeply about your own food habits in light of these activities and your readings.
You are required to read the article from the Sydney Morning Herald by Terry Durack Food experiences you must have before you die
You are to create your own (based upon your life experiences) additional & original list of 5 food experiences you must have before you die.
You must provide a reason (written in a similar style to Durack) for each of your choices.