Chefapprenticeathome - Tumblr Posts

Dulce de leche experiment. Bathing cans of condensed milk for 10 hours at 85°C in my @anovaculinary #sousvide machine, and this South American delight emerges. I've worked with #DulceDeLeche at two restaurants already. What can I do to make this part of my #ModernCantonese repertoire? Hmmm... #ChefApprenticeLife #ChefApprenticeAtHome #testing #sweets #dairy #yycfood #yyc #yycliving

Panqueques con dulce de leche. Making some #LateNightEats, and practicing for work. Freshly made crepes, homemade #DulceDeLeche, brûléed sugar. For a guy who doesn't make a lot of desserts, I think I didn't do too badly. It tasted nice... #ChefApprenticeLife #ChefApprenticeAtHome #dessert #crepes #sweet #brulee #ComidaArgentinos #CucinaLatino #yycfood #yycliving #yyc #yyceats

#Latergram: Amped up packaged noodles. Green curry soup, fish cake, tiger prawn, sprouts, soft egg yolk, sambal. It isn't the prettiest dish but when it's 2AM and it's been a long week...IT WORKS. #ChefApprenticeLife #ChefApprenticeAtHome #LateNightEats #ModernCantonese #yycfood #yyceats #yycliving #yyc

Spaghettini alla cacio e pepe; a Roman classic made by a #ModernCantonese cook. I recently had it when eating dinner with @unusualzen at @Tenfoothenry a few weeks back, and fell in love. I didn't have pecorino on hand, but had a hard cheese on hand. Let's just say the Sichuan peppercorns helped, the cheese...yeah, not so much. It's not @KenjiLopezAlt-level perfection, but at 2:15am #LateNightEats it wasn't bad. (P.S. The garlic toast is optional.) . #ChefApprenticeLife #CucinaRomana #pasta #CucinaItaliana #yycfood #yyc #yyceats #yycliving #cacioepepe #ChefApprenticeAtHome #chefslife #chefstalk #fbcigers #foodshot #foodstarz #foodstagram #Gastronomy #instachef #instafood #truecooks #theartofplating #huffposttaste #chefsofinstagram #staffcanteen

Finally have a #ChefApprenticesDayOff, and having worked thru #FathersDay I decided to treat dad to a home made #Thai feast. This was my first attempt at building a charcoal fire. (working at @charbar_yyc means I learn from some of the best broiler cooks in #YYC) was actually not as hard as I thought -- controlling the temperature, well, next slide. #ChefApprenticeLife #ChefApprenticeAtHome #charcoal #fire #yyc #yycliving #yycfood #AsianStyle #ThaiFood #beautifulcuisines #chefsroll #chefslife #chefstalk #fbcigers #foodshot #foodstarz #foodstagram #Gastronomy #instachef #instafood #truecooks #huffposttaste #chefsofinstagram #gastropostYYC

"No, Mr. Gai Yang, I expect you to roast." This was my first attempt at making a Thai style charcoal roast chicken. Apparently it's so popular in Bangkok and other Thai cities you can throw a chicken bone at any direction and you'd hit a Gai yang joint. #ChefApprenticeLife #ChefApprenticeAtHome #charcoal #fire #yyc #yycliving #yycfood #AsianStyle #ThaiFood #grill #BBQ #beautifulcuisines #chefsroll #chefslife #chefstalk #fbcigers #foodshot #foodstarz #foodstagram #Gastronomy #instachef #instafood #truecooks #huffposttaste #chefsofinstagram #gastropostYYC

But of course, what's a roast chicken dinner without a salad? And since I went #Thai, I continued the theme with a cool, tart & refreshing som tum (green papaya salad.) My mom isn't a spice water so I kept the spicy peanuts and the dried chilies on the side...plus loads of holy basil & cherry tomatoes with dried shrimp on top. Served with piping hot coconut-lemongrass rice, and it could be a meal unto itself without the chicken. And you know what? My dad loved it. Score!! #ChefApprenticeLife #ChefApprenticeAtHome #yyc #yycliving #yycfood #AsianStyle #ThaiFood #beautifulcuisines #chefsroll #chefslife #chefstalk #fbcigers #foodshot #foodstarz #foodstagram #Gastronomy #instachef #instafood #truecooks #huffposttaste #chefsofinstagram #gastropostYYC #gardemanger #salad #somtum #fathersday

Now of course what #ThaiFeast at the Leung house would be complete without the appearance of our family favourite, stir-fried water spinach (aka kangkung) with preserved tofu and chili (腐乳椒絲通菜)? None! My dad taught me this dish, and it's only fitting the son makes this perfectly. Without the proper BTUs, it was okay. Just wish I had the BTUs to really blast it to perfection. Le sigh. #ChefApprenticeLife #ChefApprenticeAtHome #charcoal #fire #yyc #yycliving #yycfood #AsianStyle #ThaiFood #beautifulcuisines #chefsroll #chefslife #chefstalk #fbcigers #foodshot #foodstarz #foodstagram #Gastronomy #instachef #instafood #truecooks #huffposttaste #chefsofinstagram #gastropostYYC #kangkung #通菜 #腐乳椒絲通菜

And now we get to the star of our show, the Gai yang (Thai roasted chicken). From the time I got home with the bird, marinated it, and roasted it...would you believe it only took 2.5 hours? The skin was a bit more burnt than my dad liked (that's why you don't go making salad while your chicken is skin side down on a hot charcoal fire, kids), but he thoroughly enjoyed the flavour, saying it was spot on. Coming from a dad who has friends who are Thai...damn that made me feel good. #ChefApprenticeLife #ChefApprenticeAtHome #charcoal #fire #grill #bbq #yyc #yycliving #yycfood #AsianStyle #ThaiFood #beautifulcuisines #chefsroll #chefslife #chefstalk #fbcigers #foodshot #foodstarz #foodstagram #Gastronomy #instachef #instafood #truecooks #huffposttaste #chefsofinstagram #gastropostYYC #chicken #fathersday

Okay, one last pic of the whole meal. Only thing not in this pic is the lemongrass-infused coconut rice. I have to say Operation Gai Yang was a rousing success...my dad loved it and pretty much everything else. Now...what project will I take on next #ChefApprenticesDayOff? #ChefApprenticeLife #ChefApprenticeAtHome #bbq #yycliving #yycfood #AsianStyle #ThaiFood #beautifulcuisines #chefsroll #chefslife #chefstalk #fbcigers #foodshot #foodstarz #foodstagram #Gastronomy #instachef #instafood #truecooks #huffposttaste #chefsofinstagram #gastropostYYC #dinner #fathersday

There's just something about charcoal grilling that makes everything taste better. Whether it's steak or a Gai yang (Thai roast chicken), even a threatening rainstorm couldn't keep me from grilling this up. Maybe it's the obsessive food lover in me, but anything not grilled with charcoal...just doesn't taste the same. #ChefApprenticeLife #ChefApprenticeAtHome #yycfood #yyc #yycliving #yyceats #chefslife #chefstalk #fbcigers #foodshot #foodstarz #foodstagram #beautifulcuisines #Gastronomy #instachef #instafood #truecooks #chefsofinstagram #feedfeed #tastespotting #gastropostYYC #charcoal #chicken #ThaiCuisine

Raging hot charcoal. Marinated butterflied chicken. A beer in hand. Here is one of my many happy places. #ChefApprenticeLife #ChefApprenticeAtHome #yycfood #yyc #yycliving #yyceats #grilling #chicken #charcoal

Pan-seared sirloin (rare) sliced with Japanese steel so fine that would make The Bride's Hattori Hanzo look dull. No better #LateNightEats than that. Or is there? #ChefApprenticeAtHome #ChefApprenticeLife #yycfood #yyc @Alberta.Beef @knifewear

...oh wait, I CAN make steak better. Peppercorn sauce made with a shot of whiskey finished with a monte au beurre. It broke slightly of course (don't judge me too harshly, @chefgroves.) And don't judge me on the toast please. I wish I had grilled sourdough a la @charbar_yyc, but hey. Beggars can't be choosers when there's already steak. I've already hit the #LateNightEats jackpot; everything else is gravy. Literally! #ChefApprenticeAtHome #ChefApprenticeLife #yycfood #yyc #yyceats #yycliving #captureyyc #yycnow #evliving #chefslife #chefstalk #fbcigers #foodshot #foodstarz #foodstagram #Gastronomy #instachef #instafood #truecooks #huffposttaste #chefsofinstagram #beef #steak #FrenchClassics #sauces @alberta.beef @LoveCdnBeef

It's 12:42am, and I just finished making this pot of risotto infused with flavours of Japan & Hong Kong. What could it be for? Here's a hint: it's for @yycpizzaweek. More to come when it's all done! #ChefApprenticeLife #ChefApprenticeAtHome #homecooking #yyc #yycfood #yycpizzaweek #Italian #rice #arborio #risotto #Japanese #和風 #ModernCantonese #新派粵菜

One night in the fridge + eggs = time to shape the "dough" into a crust. Let's see how it looks before its topped. #ChefApprenticeLife #ChefApprenticeAtHome #YYCPizzaWeek #TestKitchen #yyc #yycfood #captureYYC

More #LateNightEats fun, this time with coconut milk, pandan extract and agar to make a version of the classic Southeast Asian multilayered dessert, which in Thai is called wun gati bai tuey (วุ้นกะทิใบเตย). The agar amount is right, and the sweetness is balanced with kaffir lime leaf and lemongrass. The only thing is that the layers are just a wee bit off. Oh well...next time. #ChefApprenticeLife #ChefApprenticeAtHome #yycfood #yyc #AsianStyle #thaifood #masakanindonesia #dessert #coconut #pandan #jelly

So...here is the result of my wun gati bai tuey/puding lapis/coconut pandan agar pudding experiment. The top two layers slid off, but the lower three stayed put and this is the result. Flavour wise the herbs did balance out the sweetness. A nice cup of black tea balances it out perfectly... All in all, another partially successful experiment. #ChefApprenticeLife #ChefApprenticeAtHome #yyc #yycfood #captureyyc #yycnow #chefsroll #chefslife #chefstalk #fbcigers #foodshot #foodstarz #foodstagram #Gastronomy #instafood #truecooks #huffposttaste #gastropostYYC #chefsofinstagram #tastespotting #F52grams #feedfeed #AsianStyle #thaifood #masakanindonesia #dessert #coconut #pandan #jelly #LateNightEats

How do you make a night when @torontofc wins its first #MLSCupPlayoffs game? Why, beef rendang of course. Babied a pot of this while watching #TFC make history. So delicious, and so, so sweet. (Also, rendant holds a special place in my heart, as it was the dish that got me onto @masterchefcda. Long story.) #ChefApprenticeLife #ChefApprenticeAtHome #ChefApprenticesDayOff #JohnnysDayOff #HomeCooking #yyc #yycfood #tfclive

Watching back @nbchairspraylive with a Vietnamese iced coffee pop (cà phê sữa đá) in my hand, after work. French roast coffee, condensed milk plus seven minutes in a quick pop maker. Frozen magic in minutes. (Although I could've used more condensed milk...but still good to taste a bit of the coffee.) #ChefApprenticeAtHome #ChefApprenticeLife