I have always been very fond of trying out new dishes to eat and if I describe myself then I would describe myself as a Foodie. It is very important to eat as Food provides the fundamental types of materials required to keep our bodies functioning. When my mother and sister used to cook dishes for me, I always used to stand next to them because I was very curious to know how everything is made. Though I used to watch others cooking, I only knew how to cook a few dishes so I took the advantage of lockdown and CAS as an opportunity to learn to cook different dishes. Furthermore, Learning to cook is one of the most important skills that any person can have and as for me, I am planning to go to study abroad so it is very important for me to learn to cook so that I can cook for myself.
Throughout the experience, I demonstrated LO1, LO2, LO3 and LO4.
LO1 : Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth.
As I said earlier that I am a foodie but cooking is not at all easy. While learning to cook, I was able to identify my strength in managing stuff and keeping everything clean. One of the most essential things is to keep the kitchen clean so that the food is safe from bacteria that can grow and spread if the kitchen is messy.
LO2 : Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process.
Cooking for the first time is the most challenging thing to do. The main requirement to make a dish is chopping the vegetables. It was challenging for me to chop a few of the vegetables in the proper size. I had to be very careful and attentive while chopping the vegetables so that I did not harm myself. Also, being patient was a challenge for me. But in the process, I learned a lot like chopping the vegetables with different techniques and all.
LO3 : Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience.
In cooking there is always a process and step to be followed, before preparing the dishes I had to make sure I had all the ingredients with me and followed the recipe in the correct order. It is very important for me to plan activities to avoid havoc or obstacles while doing the job. Planning things ahead of time helps make the activities we do run more smoothly.
LO4 : Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences.
As per the plan, I had the time of over 3 months to cook at least 8-10 different dishes. Dedicating time to cooking needed my commitment and perseverance as it is not an easy task and not a task that can be done in a hurry. It was not at all easy to commit time because of the school submission tasks and exams on the way.
To conclude this experience was unlike all my other experiences, however, it was probably the most fun despite me having to do it alone. I really had a lot of fun creatively making new cuisines and sharing them with friends and family. I demonstrated creative thinking skills as I made different dishes and it helped me become a thinker. Also, I used to ask my mom and my sister for some strategies which helped me become an inquirer.
Evidence :
