CRITERIA FOR THE FINAL PROJECT

As I've mentioned recently, the final project is due at the beginning of October so I'm getting preoccupied by it. I don't want to be doing this at the last second so I'm gearing up now. Up until recently I'd been having trouble coming up with dishes for the menu. I keep thinking of desserts! Recently I've been trying to force myself into thinking of dishes and more difficult for some reason right now, a unifying theme. Below, to introduce you to my preoccupation, the criteria for the final project as described to us...

As a final project, all students are required to create an original menu (consisting of five courses) around a unifying theme. "The Creative Menu" allows students to express their own personality through their imagination while using the knowledge of techniques learned at F.C.I. All work on this menu is to be done outside of school. This final project goes beyond everyday study, and is an opporunity for individual stent accomplishment in terms of personal creativity.

Criteria: All "Creative Menus" are due 2 weeks before the final exam date and cout as 15 per cent of the final exam; 75 percent of the final exam is based on the student's overall attitiute, committment, and how well he/she worked with others thourhout the six or nine month course.

* The menu must have a minimum of 4 courses.
* An introduction should accompany the project and explain your theme and what inspired you to choose it.
* All recipes must be broken down to show cost per dish, for 1 portion and for 4 portions.
* All your dishes must be represented through photographs, or you may use sketches, painting, or computer renderings.
* The project must be identified with your name as author.
* The grade for the final project is based on 5 categories, each worth 3 points, for a total of 15 points.

The categories are as follows:

THEME: Each project must have a theme that ties all elements together. Theme possibilities are endless. Some examples from past projects are: the regional foods of France; the works of a particular author; a period in music; American regional cooking, (the cooking of New England, the foods of California with a French touch); a balloon trip through Burgundy; a wine-tasting dinner; the rythm of the seasons; an adaptation of a fairty tale; the cuisine of a student's ethnic background or nationality.

RECIPES: The tecnhical viability of the recipes will be judged, in other words, they must work. In addition to describing each plate and relating it to the central theme, each plate must be accompanied by a consise and clearly written recipe including a cost per dish breakdown (bon d'economat). Technical terms learned at F.C.I. must be included. The project should utilitze classic techniques and demonstrate the student's proficiency in using them and what he/she has learned during their 600 hour trianing program.

ORIGINALITY: As much as possible the theme and the recipes used in this menu should be original.

ARTISTRY: Each dish must be prepared outside of school and either photographed or dranw and included in the final presentation of the menu. The student should remember that the judges will be looking at the final presentation of each plate and how the various foods are arranged; the photographic or drawing skills are not the most important features. Students should remember that the amount of money spent on the project does not affect the final grade. In all fairness to yourselves and to the other members of your class, please take this into consideration. We encourage you to keep the costs down, and concentrate on the quality of the content. The main points of this category are: the artistic value of each plate and the artistic value of the mal as a whole and how well it ties into the theme.

PRESENTATION: The project should be neatly presented in an orderly and attractive format. The grade for this category relates to the presentation of the project as a whole, remember the amount of money spent does not affect the grade!

Your creative project may be requested by the French Culinary Institute for its library and/or "Hall of Fame Wall."