From selling box lunches to becoming a famous Chinese chef

Feng Zhengming chatted with Master Shen from Yancheng for a while.

He looked at the president of the cooking association who had not had a chance to interrupt.

"President Lin, I heard from my senior brother that he hasn't joined the cooking association in Yancheng yet. I don't think this is right, right? Is it possible that President Lin and you haven't had time to inform my senior brother yet?"

When President Lin was asked this, he was speechless.

Zhang Minghai had actually already applied to join the Culinary Association a long time ago.

It’s just that in Yancheng’s culinary association, some people are a bit xenophobic.

On the one hand, I feel that Zhang Minghai has been learning cooking in Quancheng over the years.

On the other hand, I feel that Zhang Minghai was not born in the urban area of ​​​​Yancheng, but was born in the countryside.

After all, the Culinary Association still looks down on Zhang Minghai.

Therefore, the Cooking Association has kept silent about the fact that Zhang Minghai joined the Cooking Association.

No one thought of taking Zhang Minghai seriously, so naturally Zhang Minghai did not join the Cooking Association for such a long time.

Originally, President Lin thought that when he met Feng Zhengming this time, he would never bring up this matter in person.

Unexpectedly, Feng Zhengming was quite direct and raised the issue in front of the city leaders and Master Shen from Yancheng Vocational School.

The city leaders and Master Shen looked at each other.

How could they not see that Feng Zhengming did this on purpose?

He wanted to get his senior brother from Yancheng into the Cooking Association.

Before President Lin could speak, another staff member of the Cooking Association who came with him spoke up.

"There are a set of rules for joining the Cooking Association. We will conduct certain inspections on every chef who joins the Cooking Association. We hope that the chefs who join the Cooking Association can promote the cooking industry in our Yancheng."

When Feng Zhengming heard what the other party said, he immediately smiled and asked, "So, you all think that my senior brother has made no contribution to the cooking industry in Yancheng?"

When President Lin heard this, he subconsciously looked at the staff member who was speaking, and used his eyes to stop him from talking.

But Feng Zhengming did not give up. He continued to ask: "President Lin, if this is the case, may I know who are the people in the Cooking Association? What contributions have they made to the Yancheng Cooking Industry?"

After asking this question, he looked at Master Shen and asked, "Master Shen, you are such a respected master, I think you should be the president of the cooking association, so that you can win the support of the people."

Once these words were spoken, everyone present was speechless.

Master Shen could only smile bitterly and wave his hands: "I can't do it. I'm OK teaching students, but if I really want to be the president, I'm afraid I really don't know how to manage."

Feng Zhengming asked: "Then Master Shen, you should be the vice president, right?"

This made President Lin and the people from the Cooking Association even more embarrassed.

In theory, a master like Master Shen is indeed qualified to be the vice president.

However, in Yancheng’s cooking association, the positions of president and vice president have already been taken.

Master Shen is just a director. Most of the time, Master Shen is just a figurehead and has never even attended some meetings of the Culinary Association.

Seeing Master Shen's expression, Feng Zhengming knew the answer without him answering.

"President Lin, it seems that not only capable chefs can join and participate in the management of your Yancheng Cooking Association?"

The person who spoke before couldn't help but speak again: "Feng Zhuangyuan, you are a guest in Yancheng, but it seems that you shouldn't ask about the affairs of our Yancheng Cooking Association, right?"

Feng Zhengming was immediately happy when he heard this.

"But I am the national number one scholar, and I forgot to mention that I am also the vice president of the Provincial Cooking Association. As the vice president of the Provincial Cooking Association, shouldn't I inquire about the development of cooking associations in various parts of Qilu?

After all, only when cooking associations in various places are well developed can our Qilu cooking industry be better.

Moreover, as a Shandong cuisine region, I think Qi and Lu should be a chessboard in Shandong cuisine.

On the basis of preserving local characteristics, the traditional basic techniques of Shandong cuisine should be spread everywhere, and the cooking association should also play a role, so that the overall cooking skills of our Qilu chefs will not be too bad. "

Feng Zhengming's words immediately left everyone in the Cooking Association speechless.

Especially Master Shen couldn't help but agree after hearing it.

"Feng Zhuangyuan is right. We in Qilu should share Shandong cuisine with other places. We should preserve the local characteristics and the basic cooking techniques of Shandong cuisine. Only in this way can Shandong cuisine develop better throughout the province.

In particular, local cooking associations should play a role in threading the needle, helping to better promote the traditional techniques of Shandong cuisine and improve the level of chefs in various regions.”

Master Shen's words immediately made the people in the cooking association even more embarrassed.

The Yancheng Culinary Association has indeed not done a good job in this regard.

Although the Cooking Association is also trying hard, it is not very active in some organizational exchanges and learning.

So this is the problem that Feng Zhengming grasped.

Now even the people from the Yancheng Culinary Association want to defend themselves.

The facts are already before us.

Their own people also said that in order to recruit talents, the Yancheng Cooking Association must have certain skills and make contributions to the development of Yancheng's cooking industry and catering.

In this way, the Yancheng Cooking Association has shot itself in the foot.

They totally failed to do what they said.

Upon seeing this, the city leaders knew that the people from the Cooking Association could no longer explain to Feng Zhengming.

The leader can only step in to smooth things over.

"Feng Zhuangyuan, this matter may not be handled well by the association, and our city has not paid attention to this aspect. How about this, let the Cooking Association absorb you, the senior brother, into the association later."

Feng Zhengming listened to his leader's words and gave him face with a smile.

"Since the leader has said so, I have nothing to say. My purpose of this trip is to appreciate the scenery of different places in Shandong, understand the different diets and taste preferences of people from different places, and better improve the cooking of our Shandong cuisine.

On the other hand, I also hope to learn more about the situations of cooking associations in various places.

I know that the Cooking Association is a non-governmental organization, but I still hope that cooking associations in various places can shoulder some responsibility for inheriting and promoting Shandong cuisine.

If Shandong cuisine is to be developed and passed down, it cannot be achieved by just me being the national number one scholar.

What is needed is for Shandong cuisine chefs from all over the country to communicate, learn and work together better.”

The leader nodded: "Yes, the top scholar is right."

Then the leader looked at President Lin and said: "Your association must recruit Chef Zhang as soon as possible, and your association also needs to communicate more with the province and other local cooking associations.

We need to work together to develop Shandong cuisine, and as Feng Zhuangyuan said, we also need to maintain some of the characteristics of our Yancheng."

What else can the people from the Cooking Association say?
Feng Zhengming is completely in the right position, and his status also qualifies him to say these words.

The most important thing is, how could the people of Yancheng not support him?

President Lin quickly expressed his position: "Leaders, Feng Zhuangyuan, don't worry, we will immediately absorb Zhang Minghai into the cooking association, and we will also absorb more outstanding chefs from Yancheng."

Feng Zhengming spoke again: "President Lin, in the land of Qi and Lu, we are all Shandong cuisine chefs, and there should be no sectarianism between us.

As long as you stick to the basic techniques of Shandong cuisine and inherit and promote Shandong cuisine, you should be an excellent Shandong cuisine chef. I still hope that the Yancheng Cooking Association will not lose sight of the big picture and affect the inheritance, progress and promotion of Shandong cuisine. "

After hearing this, how could President Lin have any other ideas?
I just felt that Feng Zhengming's hat was too big.

If the Yancheng Cooking Association does not make some changes, it would be tantamount to deliberately destroying the inheritance and progress of Shandong cuisine.

Faced with the righteousness of the country, or the champion of the national cooking competition.

Feng Zhengming is the most authentic Shandong cuisine.

Who can still question his authority?
Wait until you leave Donglai Restaurant.

The city leaders still specifically reminded President Lin.

"Go back and do some things for your association. Today, Feng Zhuangyuan has been very considerate and did not directly say that the Cooking Association should change its management. Otherwise, I'm afraid you, the president, will be replaced."

President Lin was surprised when he heard this, but then he felt that Feng Zhengming should not be that powerful.

"If he removes me from the position of president, who will be the president? And will anyone in the cooking association listen to him?"

Seeing that President Lin didn't believe it, the leader couldn't help but shook his head.

"You, think about his status. He is the champion of the National Cooking Competition, and he is now the vice president of the Provincial Cooking Association. If he really comes forward to call for action, he can completely re-establish a team for the Yancheng Cooking Association.

Do you think that when the time comes, Master Shen will stand on your side or on his side?"

After hearing this, President Lin immediately understood everything.

With Feng Zhengming's current appeal, if he stood up and raised his voice in Yancheng.

I dare not say that all the chefs in Yancheng will respond to the call.

At least he is qualified to re-establish a new cooking association team in Yancheng.

Moreover, with Feng Zhengming's presence, the new team will definitely gain the support of most chefs in Yancheng.

President Lin felt a little helpless. He suddenly felt that perhaps he should not have listened to some people in the association before.

From this perspective, excluding Zhang Minghai will not help the development of the association at all.

After Feng Zhengming, Master Shen and the people from the cooking association left the city.

He was very straightforward and said to his sixth senior brother in front of Hu Feng some things that he couldn't say just now.

"Sixth brother, it looks like the internal fighting in the Yancheng Cooking Association is quite intense?"

Zhang Minghai smiled bitterly: "If I hadn't seen it today, I wouldn't have known."

Hu Feng then told some of the things he knew.

"It's not that they are fighting among themselves. After all, the Cooking Association itself doesn't have much power. It's just that for some unknown reason, they are discriminating against chefs who come to Yancheng from other places, and chefs who come back from other places in Yancheng."

After hearing what Hu Feng said, Feng Zhengming smiled and spoke frankly again.

"It's simple. They are jealous of talented people and are worried that more capable chefs will replace their positions in the association."

Hu Feng and Zhang Minghai still don't quite understand what the point is.
Seeing that the two men didn't quite understand, Feng Zhengming asked them.

"After I return from this trip, I will organize some old chefs with the Provincial Cooking Association to discuss an exchange training for young and middle-aged chefs in the province. Brother Six, can you go?"

After these words were spoken, Zhang Minghai still didn't understand what they meant.
Hu Feng already understood.

"So that's how it is. The resources controlled by the Culinary Association come from the Provincial Culinary Association. Opportunities for exchange and training, as well as the provincial government's support for young chefs from various places, will also be cut off by the Culinary Association."

Feng Zhengming nodded: "Because the Provincial Cooking Association cannot send people to various places for selection, it can only be recommended by local cooking associations."

After hearing this, Zhang Minghai understood.

"So, the Municipal Cooking Association really has a lot of power."

Feng Zhengming looked at his sixth senior brother.

"Sixth brother, do you want to be the president of your Yancheng Cooking Association?"

Hearing this, Hu Feng was quite excited.

He felt that Feng Zhengming's question was not a casual one.

If Zhang Minghai really said that he wanted to be the president of the association.

Feng Zhengming might really support him with all his strength.

With Feng Zhengming's support and the help of some local chefs like Master Shen, Zhang Minghai should be able to become the president.

However, Zhang Minghai had no idea about becoming the president.

"I want to be the president? I can't do it. I can only cook. I can't manage the affairs of the association as the president all day long."

Then, without waiting for Feng Zhengming to speak, Zhang Minghai expressed his true feelings directly.

"Zhengming, I know that you don't want Senior Brother to be bullied, and hope that Senior Brother can also be glorious in Yancheng.

But if I rely on you to be successful in Yancheng, is that really successful? No, others will only say that I am using your name to bully others in Yancheng.

So I still need to improve my cooking skills. I hope that one day when someone comes to Yancheng and wants to eat Yancheng’s delicacies, they will think of me first.”

After hearing what his sixth senior brother said, Feng Zhengming immediately laughed.

"Okay, this is my Sixth Brother, I believe you can do it."

Zhang Minghai also smiled, and then called his junior fellow apprentice to go into the kitchen together.

"Okay, okay, let's hurry to the kitchen. There's a lot of work to do. I want to learn a few dishes from you today. After you leave, I want to be able to cook them too."

Feng Zhengming agreed: "Okay, I will definitely teach you today, Sixth Brother."

Hu Feng watched his two fellow apprentices walk towards the kitchen.

He had already made up his mind to give Zhang Minghai enough profits and dividends.

We must keep Zhang Minghai in Donglai Restaurant at all costs.

And today, more people come to Donglai Restaurant to eat Feng Zhengming's dishes.

The reputation had spread yesterday and more people came to visit.

Everyone wants to taste the cooking skills of the national champion.

Feng Zhengming did not disappoint everyone.

The same two dishes as yesterday, today Feng Zhengming also specially used Yancheng’s famous specialty snack, stewed rice.

He added some seafood unique to Yancheng and made some seafood stew.

We asked some service staff at Donglai Restaurant to divide the seafood stew into small bowls and give them to customers in the queue to taste, so that everyone could fill their stomachs.

It has to be said that this has boosted the reputation of Feng Zhengming himself and Donglai Restaurant.

This immediately made the Donglai Restaurant even more famous in Yancheng. (End of this chapter)