Action Action ResearchResearch

In the KitchenIn the Kitchen

with

Maria Ray!!

Action Research:Action Research: Identify Identify something you want to something you want to

investigate.investigate.

• Ok, I want to investigate how to make Tiramisu. Why? Though not a favorite of mine, it is a favorite of my family’s and once in a while I revert back to my Italian roots and want to actually please them.

Action Research:Action Research: Imagine Imagine a Way Forwarda Way Forward

• Well, the only way to tackle this is to research recipes. I checked

Marcella Hazan’s The Essentials of Italian Cooking

David Rosengarten’s Dean and DeLuca Cookbook

Mario Batali’s Simple Italian Food

Friberg’s The Professional Pastry Chef

and

www.wikipedia.com

Action Research:Action Research: Taking Taking StockStock

• Well, after all that research . . . .

. . . . I found nothing!

ZIP, ZILCH, NADA!!

None of them had a recipe that I could use. Had they not heard of Tiramisu?

Action Research: Action Research: Imagining a Imagining a Way Forward . . . Part IIWay Forward . . . Part II

• While I was a wee bit discouraged the Sicilian in me would not give up. I kept at it. This time I tried Al Gore’s internet and hit pay dirt.

Action Research: Action Research: Taking Taking Stock and Formulating a PlanStock and Formulating a Plan• Going through recipes on the internet

is interesting. You find out all types of things and realize that some people have incredible taste and others will eat cat food if someone will open the can for them.

• The newest quandary I found myself facing was what type of cheese to use. (All the guys are saying, “There’s cheese in that?”)

Action Research: Action Research: Trying it OutTrying it Out

• Though I still needed to purchase several items I already had Philadelphia Cream Cheese in the house and thought I would play with that first and save myself some money. After all, the recipe I was following received four out of five stars. I soon learned they must be cat food lovers because when liquor was added to the cheese it broke down.

•Which is what I did after all that time and money.

Action Research: Action Research: Trying it Out . . . Part IITrying it Out . . . Part II

• Hi-ho, hi-ho, it’s off to shop I go . . .

After much thought I decided to switch cheeses and work with Marscapone, a finer, smoother Italian cheese usually used in canolis and other Italian pastries. I also decided to ditch the rum (I can hear the gasps!) and replace it with Amaretto.

May God forever bless the creators of this fine liqueur.

Action Research: Taking Action Research: Taking Stock of What HappensStock of What Happens

• Tiramisu is made with cheese, ladyfingers, coffee, sugar (lots of sugar) and chocolate.

• When I first made the dessert I used all of the above with Philadelphia Cream Cheese.

• As I said, the cheese broke down when I added the rum.

• It never went any further than that as I threw it in the garbage.

Action Research:Action Research: Modifying Modifying What We’re Doing In Light of What We’re Doing In Light of

What We’ve Discovered.What We’ve Discovered.• My next attempt at assembling the

dessert progressed a bit better. Allowing the Marscapone to sit at room temperature helped blend it more easily with the copious quantities of sugar and the Amaretto gave it a wonderful, rich flavor.

• The family loved the finished product but I find reason to complain.

Action Research:Action Research: Modifying Modifying What We’re Doing In Light of What What We’re Doing In Light of What

We’ve Discovered.We’ve Discovered.

• While the overall flavor of the dessert was great, I was not happy with the consistency of the cheese nor with how the layers of ladyfingers fell apart after a day or so.

• Back to modifying . . .

Action Research:Action Research: Monitoring What Was DoneMonitoring What Was Done

• I made several attempts to get the consistency and texture just right. I

exchanged granulated sugar for powdered which made the consistency smoother. used the cheap Amaretto rather than the more expensive di Saronno which also added to a creamier filling. allowed fresh ladyfingers to grow a wee bit stale and used them for the outside layers only. bought a different ladyfinger (found in the cookie isle) for the center of the dessert.

Action Research:Action Research: Review and Review and Evaluate the Modified ActionEvaluate the Modified Action

• By reflecting and on the process of creating the dessert and using my family as guinea pigs I systematically validated or eliminated methods that didn’t work.

• Since identifying all the major snafus when making the dessert, I haven’t changed any of the essential ingredients or steps.

• I have occasionally added ground almonds and a raspberry coulee much to my family’s displeasure who believe I’ve despoiled a wonderful dessert.

Action Research:Action Research: Why?Why?• I’m befuddled whenever I hear

someone ask, “Why do we need to do action research?”

• Most of us do it everyday – we just don’t identify it as such.– We do it with home building

projects, baking and cooking projects, sports, etc. It really is woven into our everyday lives.

Action Research:Action Research: Why?Why?• Action research allows teachers to continue

learning about and perfecting their teaching.

• It is not meant to be an addition to anything else. It is meant to identify problem areas (and we all have them) change what you’re doing, increase your reflection of past practice and illustrate what you’ve learned about your past and present methods.

• Action research allows you to practice what you preach to your students. That education does not end in the classroom and that we all need to be life-long learners.