Not long ago, at the Shaanxi Food Exchange Conference attended by 76 hotels, 40-year-old Xie Feng won the runner-up for her "Wang Yao Health Banquet". At present, he is preparing for the "Wang Yao Health Festival" in Tongchuan. "How can we make the health banquet innovative-give it the connotation of health culture and Tongchuan characteristics?" Xie Feng's eyes are full of expectation.

Twenty-two years ago, he was a poor boy in the mountains, and he was timid at the sight of the city.

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1989, Heigou Village, Li Miao Township, Shangzhou, Shaanxi Province, dropped out of junior high school in Xie Feng. "The family is too poor, five people have 4 acres of thin land, and the food is not enough." He must stand up for this family.

The hope of the mountain people lies beyond the mountain. Through his uncle's contact, he took the borrowed 15 yuan toll, carried his bedroll, and came to the road-building migrant workers' team in yijun county, Tongchuan City. Pulling soil, shoveling sand and mixing soil are all hard jobs that have no choice. Seven months later, I got 800 yuan. "I can bear hardships, but I have to work for more than ten hours for 4 yuan every day. What day? " Xie Feng consulted his uncle: "A coolie is not as good as a craft. The radio said that there is a chef training class in Tongchuan, and I want to learn it. "

The ambitious young man left a deep impression on his uncle. Xie Feng came to Tongchuan City, gritted his teeth and paid the tuition fee of 500 yuan, and began a three-month study. Every day he is the first to arrive, killing fish, washing dishes, making a fire, cleaning and learning dirty work, and he rushes to do it; Go to the hotel for an internship in the afternoon. In fact, people are not allowed to start, so students can only watch. Many people didn't go. He goes there every day, taking the initiative to talk to the master and help them do those idle jobs that are not in line with the world. After the expiration, only Xie Feng is left in the hotel.

In fact, as an apprentice, helping the master is the beginning of real learning. "I usually wash vegetables and pack boxes. Cut things and practice basic skills when you are not busy. Later, the master opened a restaurant and I became a chef. " A few years later, Xie Feng obtained the certificate of intermediate chef.

However, Xie Feng's foothold in this city began when he was recommended by his master to be a chef in Tongchuan Hotel. At that time, the business of this restaurant was very bad, and it could only sell for one or two thousand yuan a day. Sometimes there are no guests and you don't have to go to class. Chef Xie Feng held several meetings at the end of the year. He did his best. "I haven't had a day off for more than a month, and I have developed many new dishes." The market responded immediately, and customers were surprised by the new atmosphere of food in this state-owned hotel, and the turnover almost doubled that month. After half a year, the monthly turnover exceeded 6.5438+0.5 million yuan.

But Xie Feng is sober. He is still a young tree in this city. Hu, the catering boss, also knows that, as usual, the catering department she contracted is far from gaining a foothold in the market. "At that time, the pressure was particularly great. Wherever there is an opportunity, I will take him to study. " Hu recalled:

At Defachang Hotel in Ann, Hu cleaned the office for the manager and went to the backyard to kill fish. Every night, Hu asked him what he had learned; Xie Feng said he was still killing fish. Finally, one day, Xie Feng said excitedly, "I was on the stove today ... but people tore off the labels on the seasoning box." "What shall we do?" "Nothing, I remember the smell." According to the taste in memory, Xie Feng went to Tan Shi Street and found all kinds of spices.

Eating lobster for the first time, Hu quietly brought back half a piece to let him distinguish the umami flavor. ...

1999, Xie Feng and the manager rented a van to participate in the skills competition for employees of foreign-related hotels in Shaanxi province. After several days of theoretical and practical competition, Xie won the first place. When the list was published, several people hugged each other and cried.

Cooking has advanced by leaps and bounds in knowledge and knowledge. At a national competition in Beijing, when the host announced that Xie Feng of Tongchuan Hotel had won the championship, many people didn't know where Tongchuan was.

Xie Feng not only obtained the qualification of senior cooking technician, but also became a big shot in the industry. China culinary master, top ten store manager of national commercial service industry ... with two bags of honorary certificates. In Tongchuan, Shaanxi and even the national cooking competitions, he served as referee and referee for many times. In 2008, as a migrant worker, he was rated as a model worker in Tongchuan City, Shaanxi Province. At the same time, the catering of Tongchuan Hotel has gradually become a leader, and now the monthly turnover has reached 2 million yuan, and the wedding banquet has been arranged from June 20 14 to June 0/8. Standing

At first, Hu went to Shanghai to undertake the catering department of Tongchuan Hotel and was recommended by the master to be a chef. Hu planned a monthly salary of 1500, but the master insisted on 1600: "It's good to spend money and solve problems."

Hu soon felt it: "At that time, it was a coal stove. Xie Feng smashed the stove and poured slag himself, never pretending to be a chef. " Manager Li Dangshuan said: "He is very kind to employees. Sometimes when eating is tense, let employees eat first, leaving themselves and their apprentices. "

With the continuous improvement of skills, Xie Feng thought of helping more migrant workers like himself to study and achieve something.

Since 65438+2007, Xie Feng has brought out more than 500 disciples, of whom more than 30 started with craftsmanship, and 8 outstanding disciples won gold and silver prizes in the national cooking competition. 20 10 Tongchuan first workers' skills competition, among the top five in the cooking competition, four were Xie Feng's apprentices.

"I have never been conservative, but I am afraid that if they don't learn, new things will never be learned." This is the fundamental reason why he can make many disciples and make big disciples.

Xie Feng became a famous chef and teacher in China, but he never forgot his teacher's kindness. In 2008, when Master was celebrating his seventieth birthday, Xie Feng invited chefs from major hotels and fellow chefs to cook with their own hands, and set a table 13, which became a beautiful talk in the industry. Last year, Xie Feng won another grand prize. He celebrated in a very special way. He invited the old master back and solemnly put on a high hat symbolizing the rank of chef. The master was so excited that he burst into tears: "How can you treat me like this?" Xie Feng said: "Without a master, there would be no Xie Feng today, and all my honors would also belong to a master."

The dining in the restaurant has reached its peak in the local area, but Tongchuan is small after all. With today's fame, craftsmanship and ability to mobilize manpower and capital, it is not difficult for Xie Feng to go to any big city or start his own business, but he never leaves Tongchuan Hotel. Nonsense: "I watched him grow up like a sapling." Xie Feng said: "I always feel that I grew up with the hotel."

Now, Xie Feng has bought a house and become a family. His children 10 years old, and he also became a Tongchuan person.

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Devoted to studying cooking, Xie Feng found so much fun that he gave up many opportunities, such as becoming a manager. "Every time the research and development of new dishes is recognized, that little sense of accomplishment is the happiest."

In addition to subscribing to books and magazines on catering, Xie Feng also pays special attention to acquiring knowledge by participating in various banquet competitions. For more than ten years, he spent more than three months studying and competing in other places, and he spent at least 654.38+10,000 yuan. "The competition needs to buy its own materials, and it is reluctant to spend money on clothes. No matter how expensive the materials are, you have to buy them ... you can't think of what you haven't seen. When you see it, you will often draw inferences and get inspired. "

I remember once taking part in a national cooking competition. Xie Feng's works were beautiful when they were first made. After a while, they changed color, but the color remained for a long time. He went to tell others that the original secret was to add some fish glue when thickening.

Xie Feng likes to travel, and his favorite is to eat the "best food" in the local area, and he will get something every time. Once I went to Chengdu and found the hot pot of the emperor's mother, he left directly. As a result, the meal was less than 150, and the taxi cost 200 yuan. There, he got a little inspiration and came back to make a new dish with Chinese cabbage, bacteria and some medlar. It is beautiful and refreshing, and it is still very popular now.

Xie Feng has a unique view on the innovation of cuisine. He said to his apprentice, "What is innovation? It is something that has changed plus speed. " The apprentice is very confused. He said, "Just dare to think first and then make it as soon as possible."

Last year, in June 5438+10, Xie Feng and his friends talked about the harm of monosodium glutamate and chicken essence at dinner. When they came back that night, they thought about how to get rid of monosodium glutamate without hurting the taste of the food. It didn't take long for him to succeed-replacing monosodium glutamate and chicken essence with soup cooked with leftovers, which was not only more nutritious and healthy, but also reduced the cost.

Now, he has begun to sort out the information of the fine dishes developed over the years and prepare a book. "I want to pass on my ideas, experience, knowledge and technology and influence more people." He said.