I was raised in Philadelphia, Seattle, and parts of the rural Midwest
during the sixties and seventies, imagining myself to be the warm,
bright center of the universe.
My earliest memories of food were
my Grandmother’s biscuits, my mother’s lemon spice cake
and the Galloping Gourmet TV show. I was perhaps 9 or 10 years old
when I remember watching Graham Kerr’s show, then running
to the kitchen to try to produce what I’d seen. He made it
seem like so much FUN.
I began working in kitchens during High School
in 1977. I was “Kitchen Helper #2”, and it seemed like
a better option than baling hay, the other summer job choice in
Kirksville, MO.
After high school I continued working in kitchens
to finance college, a 4-month trip to Europe and my true dream of
becoming a Rock Star. During this period, I read extensively, digesting
cookbooks by the armful, entering a world of history and intrigue
and science...in short, the world of Cuisine. Guiding me on this
journey have been some truly remarkable chefs. It seems as if everywhere
I went I found talented people willing to share their passion for
food.
Joe Deas of Charlotte,
founder of the local ACF chapter, Certified Executive Chef,
Master Baker, a man who was the Banquet Chef of the old Hotel Charlotte
at the age of 16 in the days when purveyors left deliveries stacked
by the kitchen door overnight and dishwashers carried handguns.
John Berres, Chef, Restaurateur and consultant.
John found Food with a capital “F” in Korea as a Jeep
driver in the armed forces and ended up running an amazing series
of eclectic restaurants in Greensboro and Charlotte.
Sue Epstein, Chef Consultant. When Alice Waters
was showing the world that women could change the world of food,
Sue was quietly proving it every night by producing amazing food
in her tiny kitchen in St. Louis MO.
In 1993 I arrived in Asheville, all I owned in a truck and ready
for work, just in time for the worst blizzard of the century. In
the intervening years I have managed to dig myself out, find interesting
work and in the process discover a home here in the mountains.
In the spring of 2000 I joined the M7 team as
a catering production chef for Fine Friends Restaurant here in Asheville,
and, with the opening of Crest Conference Center in 2003, I assumed
responsibility for all food service at M7 Event Solutions.
My office, my home, my pride and joy are now at
M7 Event Solutions. Come join me for the view.
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Allen
Dye