Chef dad serves his toddler gourmet meals like scallops and braised short ribs

A dad uses his talents as a professional chef to serve his youngster gourmet meals, in the hopes of widening his palette and avoiding any fussy eating.

Jack Zhang, 31, leaves other parents ‘shocked’ at the lengths he goes to to ensure two-year-old Levi gets the most out of his food.

Since he was old enough to eat solids, Jack’s cooked his son scallops, ratatouille pork dumplings and short ribs – amongst other delicious dishes.

In fact, the experience has even deepened his own love of cooking.

‘I started off when he was young, making baby food from scratch.

‘I love to cook – that’s my passion. Now I have someone to cook for all the time,’ Jack shares.

‘I love introducing him to all types of dishes, cuisine and cultures.

‘The mindset is for him to not to be always picky, and to try a bunch of different foods.’

This vision is something his wife, 28-year-old part-time English lecturer Emily, shares. She similarly grew up with home-cooked meals, something which the couple wanted to replicate for their son.

‘In the beginning I would try to introduce him to protein like fish and meat’, says Jack, noting that he would cook rice, salmon and peas and ‘blend it into a baby food consistency’ when he was one.

Initially, he loved ‘anything that had salmon in it’ and was a huge fan of Greek yoghurt, even as a little baby.

Then, when Levi reached 18 months, his New Yorker dad experimented with new dishes that he could chew.

Now, scallops with a cauliflower puree, quick pickled cucumbers, radish, microgreens and tobiko – a flying fish roe used in Japanese cuisine like sushi – are all household favourites.

Not only does serving him a wide range of food keep his palette ‘curious,’ but it allows him to learn from watching his dad in the kitchen.

‘It helps him explore and learn’, he shares.

‘I recently made braised short ribs with parsnip puree.

‘He really enjoyed it.

‘He loved pulling it out the bone.’

Incorporating his favourite films into the culinary experience also keeps Levi excited, with the couple having recently introduced him to a ‘ratatouille inspired by the Pixar movie,’ which they ‘let him watch first’ before sampling.

The young couples’ approach is something that strangers are often taken aback by.

‘I think people are shocked to seeing someone eat different food so young,’ says Jack.

‘People say ‘I’m 40 and I’ve not even tried that.’

But the proof is in the pudding: Levi speaks ‘extremely well for a two-year-old’, his dad says, sharing that he has ‘full on conversations with him.’

Together, Jack and Emily are putting together a cookery book with some of Levi’s favourite dishes to encourage other parents to introduce their children to new, exciting foods.

‘His palette is always changing.

‘It’s never too early for kids to learn.’

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