Shadowing Practice: I Turned My Apartment Into a Fine Dining Restaurant - Learn English Speaking with Video
Choose a practice mode
Each mode opens a full-screen practice room.
172 sentences
If sentences are too short or too long, click Edit to adjust them.
1
So it's currently 7 a.m
2
and in exactly 12 hours my friends are coming over for
3
what I told them is gonna be fine dining tasty menu dinner.
4
I have no ingredients, no plan, no menu but we're gonna fix that right now.
5
Let's go.
6
So right now we're at the unit square green market.
7
We're gonna be picking up some produce for the menu.
8
I used to work at a restaurant that changed this menu every other day
9
so I'm really used to using whatever is in season so I'm just gonna walk around and see what inspires me.
10
So we just finished up the green market.
11
I got a ton of cool produce.
12
Now I'm gonna rush back home we can sort this out for the menu.
13
Let's go!
14
Woo!
15
Made it.
16
So I just got back from the farmer's market.
17
We got some sweet corn, gold bar squash or golden zucchini, heirloom tomatoes.
18
It's also summer so naturally I got a bunch of stone fruit, cantaloupe as well as some golden melon, this head of maitake, along with some nice long beans.
19
I also got a whole bunch of herbs too.
20
So now that I have all my produce, I'm gonna give myself 20 to 30 minutes to write the entire menu down
21
and get all the details like how I'm gonna make it.
22
Because that's gonna be really important to making sure the next few hours goes really well and I'm feeling good for dinner.
23
So when I'm thinking of a menu, one of the easiest ways for me to come up with ideas is to pick a theme.
24
Today I'm just highlighting summer produce, but you can always pick cuisines or fusions.
25
It just makes the whole process a lot easier to understand even in your head when you're thinking and creating new ideas.
26
I'm thinking corn and cheese, hot and fried for the first bite.
27
For the tomatoes, I kind of want to keep them really simple, but they pair really well with Melon, sweet, savory, summer salad.
28
For the zucchini, I want something warm and wholesome.
29
Cherry and lime is a super common combo.
30
Maybe that'll be the sauce for something.
31
And the peaches, I think I'm gonna do something really simple with, not much of a dessert guy.
32
It looks like I'm going for five courses today.
33
So I just finished my menu, and I'm feeling really good about it.
34
I don't have all of the ingredients I need.
35
I didn't have much in my fridge.
36
So I'm just gonna do a really quick grocery run before we get to cooking.
37
Panko, panko, panko.
38
Tell me if you guys see panko.
39
Excuse me, would you guys happen to know where breadcrumbs might be?
40
Oh, four. Or five.
41
No, five.
42
No, four.
43
I'm sorry.
44
I'll find it.
45
Thank you so much.
46
No, four.
47
Okay, thank you.
48
Oh, breadcrumbs.
49
Come.
50
Let's go.
51
Cut it on.
52
All right, we're just about on time.
53
Let's get to cooking.
54
The first thing I'm going to be making is actually the first bite, which I'm going to be making with corn and cheese.
55
Just got to toss our corn.
56
Now I'm going to get this into a blender with some water.
57
I'm gonna get this on a medium flame, just cooking down.
58
Now I'm gonna make a Mornay sauce, which is essentially just cream sauce infused with cheese.
59
And I'm just gonna favor the cream with some aromatics.
60
Another pot on with our cream, shallot, a couple pieces of clove, some corn husks.
61
I'm just gonna let this cream come through simmer before letting it sit and it infuses.
62
Next I gotta make a roux, equal parts butter, flour.
63
Now I have a little bit of time to grate our cheese for the sauce.
64
Our infused cream is coming to a simmer so I'm gonna kill the heat.
65
The corn cream is still reducing nicely and as you can see our roux is turning blonde.
66
So the corn is still working but we made some good time.
67
Now I'm gonna work on the melon.
68
So I just tasted them and the honeydew is much sweeter and nicer than the cantilever.
69
I'm gonna marinate the honeydew in its own juice
70
and I'm gonna marinate the cantilever in some tomato juice just to add a little extra flavor that it doesn't have.
71
Shout out my friend Musashi, he made this oil.
72
Mmm, so good.
73
Now I'm just going to strain it all into a perforated pan with cheesecloth.
74
Gently cover it up and press with a weight.
75
To the melon I'm going to add some red wine vinegar with a good amount of salt, cracked pepper, smoked tomato oil, all of my melon in this, a touch of white balsamic.
76
Now I can finish my sauce by straining in this cream.
77
Gradually mixing in.
78
Now we have our base bechamel, and at this point I can add the cheese.
79
Pour a tray, a little bit of plastic wrap, pour this right on.
80
Now we're going to wrap this up and get it in the freezer.
81
Our tomato and melon has been pressing for a little bit, and underneath is a super clear liquid.
82
It's really clear and super aromatic with tons of tomato and melon flavor.
83
This is gonna be perfect for the granite.
84
Time to start our sauce.
85
For the sauce, I'm gonna start reducing some stock.
86
And now it's time to pit all these cherries.
87
We're gonna start by burning our limes.
88
Add that leftover fat from the steak.
89
We sweat all of our aromatics.
90
Cumin seed, venal, coriander.
91
Deglaze in some sherry vinegar, cherries.
92
Trying to get every last bit of the burnt lime and beef flavor off the bottom of the pan.
93
Now that this is reduced down on all syrupy and jammy, I'm gonna pour over my reduced beef stock, add our burnt lime juice, and I'm gonna see some coriander stems in the sauce.
94
So the sauce is steeping now, we're gonna move on to the next course.
95
Time is moving really quickly, I really gotta speed up a little bit.
96
I still have to do things like set the table, pick the plates, clean up my whole apartment, have everything ready and laid out for myself,
97
so let's keep on going. so so
98
just finished making most of the main components for each of
99
the dishes except for the dessert it's kind of coming down to the wire there's not
100
that much time i have a lot of garnish
101
and other prep to do the next hour
102
and a half has to be really productive otherwise i don't know
103
if we're gonna make it let's try our best let's go
104
Let's keep going.
105
See if it works.
106
It's currently just past 6 o'clock, which means I don't have much time.
107
I need to finish the last bit of prep I need to do, clean up this whole area, clean up the kitchen, clean up the table, set the table, pick the plates.
108
I've got a lot to do if we're going to make it.
109
Setting up the table.
110
So I just finished setting up the kitchen, covered up the sink so
111
that way I have a lot more space for mise en place and things that I can do.
112
I've got all of my ingredients here set up in order of dish, that way I don't lose track of anything, make sure I have everything that I need.
113
I've also got all of my plates up here.
114
These are going to get warm on top of the stove, but I'm going to plop them in the oven real quick, that way they get hot for the hot courses.
115
I've got all of my plates here for the cold dish.
116
All the melon and everything that needs to stay cold is in here, like the herbs.
117
This is my pass today where I'm going to be plating everything, where I've got all the utensils, spoons and stuff for plating.
118
We're about to get started pretty much.
119
They're about to get here.
120
I think they're here.
121
See you guys.
122
Sorry, it's hot in here.
123
So it's currently 7 o'clock.
124
All of my friends are here.
125
And we're about to get dinner started.
126
Let's go.
127
First course, corn and cheese croquette, parmesan on top, parmesan aioli as well, and a little bit of watercress.
128
Use the two or three bite over there.
129
Summer melon and tomato salad.
130
Honeydew, cantaloupe, sambal tomatoes, which are the orange ones, sunset tomatoes, and deep grante, so shaved ice ice made of melon and tomato juice.
131
Juiciness, sweet, smoky, salty, all of it.
132
How does this work?
133
Squash pasta.
134
On top is a parmesan crumble, toasted cashews with chai, pasta, charred long beans.
135
Enjoy!
136
Thank you.
137
That's really good.
138
I don't know how to describe it.
139
I'm using the shrimp stick,
140
roasted maitake mushrooms, charred cherry, and the sauce is the cherry birthed conju.
141
Look at that.
142
It's a little bit of a mouth.
143
It's like the ratouille cook.
144
Oh my god.
145
It's chewy.
146
It's like that.
147
It's a good one!
148
It's a good one!
149
I love you!
150
Yeah, you're the best!
151
No, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!
152
Yeah, you're the best!
153
I know you're the best!
154
I know you're the best!
155
I know you're the best!
156
That was bangin' Man, that was really cool!
157
I know!
158
No, that was cool!
159
I know, that was cool!
160
I know!
161
I know!
162
Steak and pasta I'm gonna make the dessert too Nah,
163
I'll do it I got the pasta and then the dessert I'm probably pasta and dessert Pasta and dessert?
164
They're all like new tastes
165
They're scared I put ice on it You guys put ice on it You put ice
166
and tomatoes on it Put ice and tomatoes on the top.
167
Clean up time.
168
Kitchen is clean, and just like that, we're fully finished.
169
Thank you all so, so much for watching.
170
It was a lot of fun documenting the rush, the stress, and the fun of cooking in my apartment.
171
If you have any questions, please comment below, and if you enjoyed, like and subscribe.
172
See you then next.
Download App
Everything you need to speak fluently
AI PronunciationScore every sentence
IPA PracticeMaster every sound
VocabularyBuild your word bank
Vocab GameLearn while playing
FOR YOU
Recommend Video
B21
394 sentences
What my Ex-Michelin Trained Chef Husband Cooks in a Week
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
304 sentences
The Economics of Owning a Restaurant
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
187 sentences
startup diaries ep. 9 - taking on quizlet and duolingo
Business EnglishDaily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
397 sentences
I Review A Restaurant In Someone's House! 10 ⭐⭐⭐!
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
100 sentences
If Masterchef was Asian | Steven He, Joma Tech, Jeenie Weenie, Twosetviolin
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
153 sentences
Living Alone Diaries | A week of cooking, apartment hunting, strong friendships chit chat, grocery!
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B22
554 sentences
I'm Trapped in a Buffet Until I Eat Every Item
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B23
42 sentences
Gordon Ramsay's Avocado Toast
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
629 sentences
I'll Pay For Your Groceries If You Let Me Cook For You
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B14
39 sentences
Super Quick OCTOPUS SALAD | Bart van Olphen
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B21
224 sentences
Which Menu Will Make It? ⏲️ | MasterChef Australia | S18 Ep59 | Clip
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
B11
280 sentences
Tactics for Listening Third Edition Developing Unit 5 Restaurants
Daily ConversationWorking Adults
Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “I Turned My Apartment Into a Fine Dining Restaurant”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: melon, sauce, corn, menu, cream. This video has 172 sentences and 1703 words to shadow. The speech runs for 12:12. The speaker talks at a steady 140 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. Only 76% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| tomato noun | /təˈmeɪ.toʊ/ | A widely cultivated plant, Solanum lycopersicum, having edible fruit. |
| melon noun | /ˈmɛlən/ | Genus Cucumis, the true melon (including various cultigens like honeydew and cantaloupes), the horned melon, and others. |
| corn noun | /ˈkɔːn/ | Any cereal plant (or its grain) that is the main crop or staple of a country or region. |
| dessert noun | /dɪˈzɝt/ | The last course of a meal, consisting of fruit, sweet confections etc. |
| pasta noun | /ˈpɑ.stə/ | Dough made from wheat and water and sometimes mixed with egg and formed into various shapes; often sold in dried form and typically boiled for eating. |
| cherry noun | /ˈt͡ʃɛɹi/ | A small fruit, usually red, black or yellow, with a smooth hard seed and a short hard stem. |
| panko noun | /ˈpæŋ.koʊ/ | Coarse, dry breadcrumbs used in Japanese cuisine. |
| lime noun | /laɪm/ | Any of several green citrus fruit, somewhat smaller and sharper-tasting than a lemon. |
| aromatic adjective | /ˌɛɹ.əˈmæt.ɪk/ | Fragrant or spicy. |
| honeydew noun | /ˈhʌniˌd(j)u/ | A sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves and other plant parts by insects (especially aphids and scale insects) feeding on plant sap, or by fungi. |
| infuse verb | /ɪnˈfjuz/ | To cause to become an element of something; to insert or fill. |
| parmesan noun | /ˈpɑːmɪˌzæn/ | A hard, full-fat Italian cheese from Parma or its neighboring province Reggio Emilia. |
| ingredient noun | /ɪnˈɡɹiːdi.ənt/ | One of the substances present in a mixture, especially food. |
| flavor noun | /ˈfleɪvə/ | The quality produced by the sensation of taste or, especially, of taste and smell in combined effect. |
| pour verb | /poɹ/ | To cause (liquid, or liquid-like substance) to flow in a stream, either out of a container or into it. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| clean up verb | To make an area or a thing clean; to pick up a mess; to tidy. | |
| set up verb | /ˌsɛt ˈʌp/ | To make ready for use. |
| come down to verb | To reach by moving down or reducing. | |
| come through verb | To come into a room or other space through a door or passageway. | |
| come up with verb | To manage to produce, deliver, or present (something) by inventing, creating, thinking of, or obtaining it. | |
| cover up verb | To conceal or disguise. | |
| finish up verb | To complete the last details of a task. | |
| pick up verb | To lift; to grasp and raise. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- It looks like I'm going for five courses today.
- I don't have all of the ingredients I need.
- I didn't have much in my fridge.
- Excuse me, would you guys happen to know where breadcrumbs might be?
- All right, we're just about on time.
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 102 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, gonna, we're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: preposition /ˌpɹɛpəˈzɪʃən/, squash /skwɔʃ/, cashew /ˈkæʃuː/, garnish /ˈɡɑːnɪʃ/, shallot /ˈʃælət/
- Long words — get the stress right: aromatic /ˌɛɹ.əˈmæt.ɪk/, ingredient /ɪnˈɡɹiːdi.ənt/, cantilever /ˈkantɪliːvə/, coriander /ˈkɔ.ɹiˌæn.dɚ/, preposition /ˌpɹɛpəˈzɪʃən/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like tomato, melon, corn.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.