My self-study life can be roughly divided into two stages. In 1961, I started working before I finished my second year of junior high school. Although I was studious and motivated at that time, I had no clear goals for self-study. I often learned whatever I saw. I loved reading Chinese and foreign novels, and I also wanted to read international knowledge. Sometimes I liked to practice calligraphy. I once wanted to install a radio, and I also studied "Semiconductor Circuits". Base". As a result, 10 years have passed, and the learning results have been very little. In 1971, I established the research direction of cooking technology as my main direction, and planned to compile a cooking material as my specific goal. After three years of hard work, the task of compiling this 200,000-word material has been initially completed. Comparing the two stages before and after, I realized that in order to achieve results in self-study, we must first establish the main direction of attack and select specific goals. This is the first step that determines the success or failure of self-study.
Directions and goals
Why should I take the study of cooking technology as the main direction of self-study? When I first started working, I thought that the catering service industry was nothing more than a big spoon touching a small spoon, without much knowledge. Actual life has made me change this view. Our store is a roast duck restaurant with a history of more than 100 years and often receives foreign guests from all over the world. The dishes cooked by the master chef: fennel prawns, mandarin duck balls, etc. are delicious and very popular among foreign guests. The New York Culinary Institute also wrote to my store asking for recipes. These all made me interested in cooking technology. Once, the chef took a break and I cooked for the foreign guests. After the meal, I saw that a plate of braised cabbage with mushrooms and cabbage that foreign guests used to like was left untouched. What's the reason? I was a little confused. Afterwards, after receiving some advice from the master, I realized that my technique was not good enough and I did not blanch the cabbage first. At first, I thought grilled cabbage with mushrooms was quite simple, but I didn’t expect it to be right the first time I made it. It seems that I have quite a lot of knowledge in cooking techniques. I secretly made up my mind to learn the master's skills, pay attention to the master's cooking methods, and jot them down in my notebook. But the notes were messy and unorganized. Looking for a recipe required searching here and there, which was time-consuming and inconvenient. So, I came up with the idea of ??writing a cooking material. In this way, the experience of the master chef can be systematically summarized, and he can also learn comprehensive cooking knowledge, and provide reference materials for his colleagues. In this way, I found the connection point between study and work in actual work, and selected the main direction and specific goals of self-study.
Persistence
After the direction and goal are determined, the learning purpose is clear and the learning content is specific. I first briefly read some cooking books, and after thinking about it, I wrote a preliminary outline. The plan was divided into three parts: raw materials, cooking, and recipes. Then, learn and write in order.
Learn from books and try to figure out undiscovered patterns. To compile a piece of information, you first need to study carefully and collect materials from all aspects. I read "Chinese Famous Recipes", "Cooking Techniques", "Yangzhou Famous Dishes",
"Non-staple Food Commodity Knowledge" by going to the library to read, buying from used bookstores, and borrowing from neighbors. " and more than 40 related books. I learned a lot of new knowledge from it. For example, I used to think that all eight-treasure dishes are sweet, but then I checked 13 "Chinese Famous Recipes" and learned that using different raw materials, eight-treasure dishes can be made into two categories: salty and sweet. I not only work hard to learn from the experience of my predecessors, but also pay attention to summarizing new rules. In the past, cookbooks only introduced different cooking methods. When I was writing a chapter on cooking, I thought: since different cooking methods can be classified, then there are also many types of seasonings. Why not introduce them in different categories? Therefore, in addition to introducing various cooking methods, I also categorized the ingredients according to the ingredients of the seasonings (hibiscus, eight treasures, sesame seeds, tomatoes) and flavors (sweet and sour, vinegar and pepper). In addition to concentrating on cooking books, I also continue to expand my knowledge and read some books related to cooking, such as nutrition, aesthetics, color science and modeling.
Learn from the master and try to understand the truth. Many master chefs have worked for decades and have rich cooking experience. I humbly learn from them and ask for advice. Once, a chef told me that some salt should be added to sweet and sour dishes to "kill the bite". "Kill the mouth" is the master's idiom. What is the role of adding salt? To this end, I read a lot of books and finally found the answer in "Shandong Recipes". The purpose of adding salt is to make the sweet and sour dishes rich and not greasy, and to increase appetite. Not only did I know how to do it, but I also understood why it was done this way.
Learn in practice and pay attention to summarizing your own experience. In the process of writing materials, I organically combine work and study. Apply the knowledge learned in self-study in practice; when you have new results at work, you can also compile cooking materials in a timely manner, achieving both study and work promotion. One day, I accidentally saw the recipe "Goldfish and Duck Feet" in a magazine. I was inspired by it and imagined a new plan. A few days later, several foreign guests happened to come to our restaurant for dinner. I made a plate of "Goldfish and Duck Feet" according to my idea. The colors were bright and lifelike. "A dish.
Accumulate information. Usually, some newspapers and magazines often publish some product types and new cooking knowledge. I keep them carefully and form my own small warehouse of information. During the writing process, also pay attention to the use of these materials.
Persisting in self-study requires determination and perseverance. I realize that the determination of specific goals can enhance the enterprising spirit and enable self-study to persevere.
Because I have set a specific goal, it is like a silent command, always urging me to move forward. One time, I was writing a section on how to distribute materials. I wanted to use my work day off to go to the library to look for materials. Unexpectedly, I fell ill. My family advised me not to go and to rest at home for a day. I think distributing materials is more complicated, and I don’t have the information at hand, so I won’t do it. I can’t compile the information, and I can’t sit still. Finally, I took some medicine, went to the library due to illness, and found information. Although this day was hard, I felt happy. I learned knowledge and completed the scheduled tasks. On the road of self-study, I just touched the door and only had a superficial understanding. Recently, I am preparing to study the flavor characteristics of my country’s eight major cuisines and further delve into cooking techniques.