theverytc

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[theverytc]

Sunday is a wonderful day for a super Bowl of @eatsofasia congee! Especially when it comes with seafood mix, peanuts, cilantro, youtiao/yauzhagwai croûtons PLUS a pidan or onsen tamago. Get warm, Chinese style, on this cold cold #YYC day! (at Eats of Asia - EoA)

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Forget your fast food chain pork patty breakfast sandwiches, why not have a world famous @alleyburger with fries or daily side salad for brunch instead? A little birdie tells me @charbar_yyc may have more of this tomorrow...if you missed it today. #chefapprenticelife #yycfood #yyc #brunch #breakfast #alleyburger (at charbar)

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The beginning of chenpi (陳皮). Ever since I started cooking I've worked at a number of farmers markets. And usually during the winter, citrus is plentiful & one day while working with @chefjdelcorro at @eatsofasia, I saw mandarins at the fruit stand. I scooped up about six, ate the fruit, but kept the skins as a bit of a lark. Three weekends later the skins were fully dried, and every summer I have been aging those skins (and more that I've added over the past few years) in the sun, just like they do in my ancestral home of Xinhui County 新會縣, which is known across the Sinosphere for its chenpi, some of which could be aged for as much a century & is literally worth its weight in gold (a kg of 10 year old Xinhui chenpi could set you back CAD$150. No joke.) Doing this brings me a little closer to my heritage and connects me to my late grandfather, who was a cook when he first arrived in Hong Kong. In a way, making chenpi is almost like a bridge across time that connects us. Think you haven't tasted chenpi? Probably not. But if you've had red bean soup for dessert at a Chinese restaurant, chenpi is sine qua non. Or perhaps you've had a Chinese lamb hot pot? Chances are chenpi is one of the herbs singing in harmony. Heck, I've even tasted chenpi beer. It's amazing the culinary magic one can work with a little piece of dried and aged mandarin rind! 家中做陳皮。 身為一個廣東新會縣祖籍嘅我，多時會見到有人用陳皮嚟煮餸���煲湯，煲糖水，炆羊腩煲，等。 三年前我剛開始做廚時嘅某個冬天星期日，我係農民街市見到有新鮮盧柑。 買咗幾個去，食咗啲柑之後，留咗啲皮囉去乾。轉眼過咗三年，今日終於有啲算係陳皮用。 不過點用呢？我連陳皮啤酒都喝過，我心入面知道一定有好多用途、咪係煲湯炆羊咁間單⋯ #ChefApprenticeLife #HomeMade #yycfood #yyc #mandarin #citrus #chenpi #陳皮

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Straight outta the Kaifeng (開封) legends and into #YYC. Today's feature @eatsofasia Five Gallants Congee (五義粥). Execute your hunger in style like Lord Bao (包青天) ! #yycstreetfood #yycfood #yyceats #yyc (at Eats of Asia - EoA)

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Three years ago tonight, I made a proper fool of myself on @ctv_television as one of the first Canadians to join @MasterchefCDA's #WhiteApronClub. To have been part of a very elite group of cooks worldwide was a rush that years later I still remember like a first love, or a first kiss. But little did I know that moment was only a springboard to bigger, better and greater things. I didn't know that I would be one step closer to finding my life's purpose, which is probably a greater prize than winning the whole kit 'n caboodle. Having spent a lot of my life at that time not really knowing what I was going to do, it brought me a whole hell of a lot more clarity on my road map. And little did I know that I would meet some of the greatest people ever, some of whom I haven't seen since I was eliminated. (This I promise you, Toronto folks, I will come to see you soon.) So thank you, MasterChef, I may not have won you, but at least my life's purpose I know. Will Chopped Canada be in the cards for 2017, though? I certainly hope so, because I'm itching for that winning feeling again... #Throwback #Memories #ChefApprenticeLife #yycfood #yyc #masterchefcanada (at Toronto, Ontario)

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Day 2 of my #Citrus fun time. Jalapenos, kumquats, lime, grapefruit & salt = green citrus kosho. Not as spicy as the red (since I removed the membranes from the jalapeños. Seriously regretting not leaving a little of it for more heat) but just as good. No need to wait for the cure; this one I have to say is even better than a salsa verde. And that's saying a lot by my standards. #chefapprenticelife

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It's #citrus season, probably one of my favorite times of the year. This weekend after I finished lunch rush at @eatsofasia I made my usual wander over to @chongosmarketyyc. And to my surprise they had kumquats (金桔) at $1.99 a pound. I left the bag of Meyer Lemons I wanted to buy, and bought 1.3 pounds of the kumquats instead. Our family usually salt cure fresh kumquats 咸金桔 for a cough remedy, but since we are overstocked on the stuff, I had no idea. Jams and marmelades seem to be a good idea, but what about making it into a citrus kōshō, or more specifically a kinkan kosho (金���胡椒)? A bit of lemon and grapefruit zest & juice, a heaping spoonful of @hatihatihotsauce (didn't have fresh chilies), salt and chopped up whole kumquats. And there it is; red kumquat kosho. Tested it out on some leftover Chinese roast duck and it was intense. I think I'm going to have fun with kumquats... #ChefApprenticesDayOff #ChefApprenticeLife #TestKitchen #yycfood #yyc #kumquat #kosho #lemon #grapefruit

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Pimped out #congee (粥) for brunch. Savoury rice porridge, youtiao/yauzhagwai (油條/油炸鬼) croutons, cilantro, sesame, shrimp & uni (海膽). Fluffy, crispy, and umami at the same time. Missed the congee train today? It's back next Sunday @eatsofasia. Come get some, 'cause this ain't your mama's congee. #ChefApprenticeCooksLunch #ChefApprenticeLife #yyc #yycfood (at Eats of Asia - EoA)

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Chicken tortilla soup for lunch today @charbar_yyc When life hands you a lemon you better make that metaphorical lemonade. And when you have seasoned chicken stew... Although according to some of our lunch diners it was "too much stuff". TBH, I've never heard anyone say a soup had too much stuff. This is truly a first! Nevertheless, delicious. It's still available (quantities limited) @philandseb East Village until 9pm. Grab one & let me know how it tastes. #ChefApprenticeMakesLunch #ChefApprenticeLife #yycfood #yyc #soup (at charbar)

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Brined pork centre cut chop katsu Japa-curry don. #Dinner straight outta Yokosuka. A sprinkle of shichimi togarashi, and a small spoonful of @hatihatihotsauce finishes it all off. #ChefApprenticeAtHome #ChefApprenticeLife #yycfood #yyc #dinner #curry #カレーライス #豚カツ #deepfried #pork

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Feeling a wee bit cold? The ultimate Chinese cold buster is on. A hot bowl of congee...your choice of toppings. Come & get it now @eatsofasia! #JooksOn! 今日係#YYC係咪好凍呀？快啲嚟食碗粥啦！ #ChefApprenticeSundays #ChefApprenticeLife #yycfood #粥 #Cantonese #ComfortFood (at Eats of Asia - EoA)

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Simplicity, take 2. Butter poached lobster. Basil, garlic, orange zest. #chefapprenticelife #ChefApprenticeAtHome #PlatingPractice #yycfood #yyc

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Simplicity. Lobster, green yuzu kōshō (青柚子胡椒), ponzu. #ChefApprenticeLife #ChefApprenticeAtHome #PlatingPractice #yycfood #yyc

[theverytc]

When all you need is soup for lunch. (And bread. That too.) Here's to having hits each day like this soup every day I work on lunch sauté. Today was a good start. #ChefApprenticeLife #ChefApprenticeDoesLunch #yycfood #winterfood #soup #bread #sourdough (at charbar)

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A post shared by John Leung 梁仲賢 (@chefjohnleung)

Dat soup. It's on the 🔥. Coming to @charbar_yyc for lunch today? You have until 4pm to savour a bowl of this daily creation from yours truly. (and then available at the Simmons Building @philandseb until 9pm) Beef, cabbage & lentil sprouts. Perfect for this -13°C day in #YYC. Awwww yeah. #WinterFood #ChefApprenticeLife #yycfood #yyc #yyceats #soup #beef #cabbage #lentils #hearty (at charbar)

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How do you make butter poached lobster better? How about a black garlic rice pilaf? It actually matches rather well. #ChefApprenticeAtHome #ChefApprenticeLife #yycfood #yyc #yycliving #yyceats #captureyyc #yycnow #chefsroll #chefslife #chefstalk #fbcigers #foodshot #foodstarz #foodstagram #Gastronomy #instafood #truecooks #huffposttaste #chefsofinstagram #feedfeed #Jarrytype #happynewyear #seafood #lobster #pilaf #blackgarlic #FrenchCuisine #classic