A Tasty Defense

Jared Cannon Recommended for Diploma

15 May 2004 -- Last night, Jared Cannon presented an impressive defense of the diploma thesis.  Jared cooks well and his presentation was centered around this interest and his plan to enter the Culinary Institute of America this August.

To accommodate his presentation, Jared rented a meeting hall with a kitchen facility.  He spent the day preparing a variety of dishes for the Assembly and guests.  He offered:  crackers and cheese, peel-n-eat shrimp (which he thoughtfully peeled, so that people’s fingers would not become messy), garlic mashed potatoes, sautéed green beans and carrots, honey and peach glazed ham steaks, vegan pasta, and seared chicken.  (Desserts were provided by members of the Assembly.)

In addition to this impressive feast, Jared’s presentation included an exhibition of meal preparation.  Standing at a table in the front of the assembly, Jared explained various techniques of cooking and his plans for studies in college, as he prepared grilled steaks to order for his Thesis Advisor and the President of the Assembly.  While the assembly’s mouths watered, he grilled the steaks and sautéed fresh vegetables.  He discussed the style of cuts used for the meats and the vegetables, and their effects on the presentation of the food when prepared.  He discussed the nutritional effects of various cooking techniques and his preferences for seasonings.  In response to a question from the audience, he explained his technique for distinguishing among rare, medium-rare medium, medium-well, and well-done steaks.

Once the food was prepared, Jared demonstrated the artistry of presentation by preparing the two plates in contrasting styles.  The President’s meal was splatted onto a dingy brown plate and doused with brown sauce.  The Advisor’s meal was placed carefully on a large white plate, using a twist of the spoon to round the mashed potatoes, fanning the spears of carrots and green beans on the side of the potatoes, and cutting the steak into two triangles, reclining on the opposite slope of the potato base;  a small pool of brown sauce highlighting the meat by contrasting with the whiteness of the plate.  The point was well made that, though the food tasted the same, the presentation made a great difference in the experience of the meal.

After the presentation, Jared invited the Assembly and Guests to enjoy the buffet.  (The traditional 10-minute break was extended by the clatter of utensils and cheerful talk over dinner.)

Jared then returned for an hour and thirty-one minutes of questioning by the members of the Assembly.  The questioning was intense.  It focused on Jared’s seminal experiences at a program that he attended in California over two summers a few years ago and his history of experiences at The New School.  Jared was candid and responsive to the questioning.  He showed a consistent concern that his comments be responsive and helpful to the other conversants.  At the close of questioning, Jared retired from the room and a discussion of issues relevant to his diploma, and the diploma and its meaning generally, was had.

At the close of discussion, an advisory vote of those present recommended that Jared receive a diploma at this June’s diploma meeting.  The vote was 23 in favor of a diploma and 6 in favor of further growth within the School.

Jared’s Thesis Review Committee also met after the presentation and voted to recommend that Jared be granted a diploma this June.  The committee is in the process of preparing its report for the School Assembly.

Jared seemed pleased but exhausted at the end of the Defense.  He celebrated with some members of the School Meeting, over breakfast after the meeting – which lasted until 2:00 AM.

Jared’s presentation was ambitious in its conception, and well done in the execution.  The taste of his cooking bodes well for his success at the Culinary Institute of America.  It also promises some wonderful TalkAbouts and Sketti Dinners for the members of the School, since Jared has said that he plans to return to the School often, and cook for us, after he goes off to college.