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Senin, 31 Desember 2012

Brazilian Feijoada – Happy (and hopefully very lucky) New Year!!

We’ve posted about this before, but there’s a great, southern tradition of eating beans and greens on New Year’s Day to ensure good fortune in the coming year. 

Apparently, by eating “poor” the first day of the year, you align certain cosmic forces in your favor, which results in prosperity and good luck the rest of the year. Sounds crazy, right? I know, you’re way too sophisticated to believe in such lame supernatural shenanigans. Hey wait a minute…don’t you watch all those ghost hunter shows on cable TV? Busted! Hey, did you hear that noise?

Anyway, whether you believe in this kind of culinary clairvoyance or not, this Brazilian feijoada is one of the world’s great stews. The traditional good luck bean is the black-eyed pea, but here we’re celebrating the delicious, and very nutritious, black bean.

I tried to be clear in the video that this is just my version, and not some attempt at true feijoada authenticity, whatever that is. As long as you have black beans, and LOTS of smoked, salted, dried, and/or cured meats, you are well on your way to some kind of feijoada-like awesomeness.

In case you’re wondering, all I did for the greens was boil some kale in salted water until tender, and then sauté briefly in olive oil and garlic. It pairs perfectly with the white rice and rich stew, and while I can’t guarantee a year’s worth of wealth and good luck, I can promise you a delicious bowl of food. Happy New Year to all of you, and as always, enjoy!



Ingredients for 6 portions:
1 pounds dry black beans, soaked overnight
2 quarts water, plus more as needed (add more whenever stew looks too dry)
1 bay leaf
2 smoked pork chops
12 oz linguica
8 oz Italian sausage
4 oz smoked bacon
3 oz dried beef
1 onion
6 cloves garlic
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
salt and pepper to taste
For the crumbs:
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp grated orange zest
2 tbsp chopped Italian parsley

Basic steps:
- Soak beans overnight, add to pot with bay leaf, beef jerky, and any bones
- Simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until beans are cooked, but very firm
- Add onion mixture and meats, and simmer for another hour, or until beans are very soft
- Add a splash of water at any point during the cooking if stew looks too dry
- Test and add salt near the end, depending on saltiness of meat

View the complete recipe

Leftovers


Christmas has come and gone. The gifts have been thought out, purchased, wrapped, received, unwrapped and put away. The guests have come and gone. What remains, however, is a lot of leftovers. Fred and I have done all sorts of things imaginable with all of the leftovers in the fridge - the most creative being a shepherd pie of sorts. We took the leftover prime rib, chopped it up with some carrots, celery and red wine and turned it into a boeuf bourguignon. Then we took the scraps leftover from the domino potatoes, boiled them and made a mash. We put the remains of the winter greens gratin in the mash and stirred it all together. Then we put the bourguignon in a casserole, topped it with the mash and baked it. That was dinner one night. And a snack the next day. The funny thing is that now we have that leftover in the fridge.


I feel like Sisyphus, but my rock is leftover food. Actually, my rock is the ham. We weren’t entirely certain we would have enough food to feed our seven, possibly eight, guests for Christmas dinner (a thought, that in hindsight, was absurd) so we asked Fred’s mom’s boyfriend to bring a ham (he had offered). Needless to say, the ham never even saw the dinner table on Christmas as we had an over abundance of food.


So I sent everyone home with some ham that night. And the next day there were ham sandwiches. And some ham biscuits the day after that. We even had ham and eggs for breakfast the next morning.


But even yesterday, when I opened the fridge, the ham was still there. And a lot of it. I wanted to get the hock to make ham and beans, but there was still so much ham left to use. So, I did what I often do in these situations; I called Mom. You see, my mom makes a killer ham salad.


My mom is also moving back to Virginia in less than two weeks. So right now, any excuse to see, or talk to her is welcomed. In fact, lately, we’ve been talking about five or six times a day. Yesterday it was about ham salad. She told me her recipe and her technique, and while Fred watched football in the den, I took every last shred of meat on that ham, got two chefs knives, and went cray cray on some ham salad. My mom told me Uncle Dougerton especially loves her ham salad, so I delivered some to him today. I also took some to my girls at Lindy & Grundy, since they love anything my mom makes.


Today is New Year’s Eve, and I’m sitting on the sofa, writing this, completely swaddled in the blanket my mom knitted me for this Christmas. She has been working on it for well over a year and it shows. It’s huge. It’s like twenty feet long huge. It’s bright and colorful and filled with different textures and shapes. I know it will be in my life forever. My kids and grandkids will love this blanket. I look at the blanket and I know she touched, and thought about, and poured love into every thread, every millimeter of it. Did she know what she was giving me right before she is moving away? My favorite leftover of them all. An heirloom.


And this recipe for ham salad.




Kathy's Deviled Ham Salad


Ingredients:
2 cups ham, really finely chopped
1/4 cup sweet onion, finely diced
1/4 cup celery, finely diced
1 large dill pickle, diced
3 tablespoons mayo
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
Dash of sherry vinegar
Salt and black pepper to taste


Directions:
Mix all the ingredients together until blended but not too smooth as you want a bit of texture. Taste and adjust any seasoning or add more mayonnaise if you like. A little drizzle of pickle juice is excellent as well.


Yield: About 3 cups. Keeps in the refrigerator for a few days.



Printable recipe.


One year ago: Domino potatoes
Two years ago: Linguine with pancetta mushroom cream sauce
Three years ago: 2009: The Year of the Food Truck

Best of 2012

melonsalladmedsalsa

I have to do a yearly round-up! I know I haven't been posting as much as I've used to, but there's still been some really good stuff this year, and recipes I really don't want you to miss.

January: Melon salad with Lime-Coriander Salsa is a great light side dish. Another side is Brown Butter  Carrot Mash - not so light, but SO delicious. And a great take on an old dish is Hawaiian Chicken - I love it.

freshpastasalsicciasauce

February: My favorite this month is easily Pasta with fresh Salsiccia. It's something we've made many times during the year, with or without variations. I also found a better recipe for Swedish pancakes, and made Mocha-Coconut Muffins .

makaronipuddingbroccoli

March: Not a lot going on this month, but my Macaroni Pudding with Broccoli was really good.

hpsauce-salad1

April: Most important this month - I had a baby! And as for food, don't miss the Cauliflower Soup, or the Chicken Salad with Beets!

brusselsprouts-orangeparma

May: Side dishes won this month - Creamed Corn, and Brussel Sprouts with Orange and Parma Ham.

soft chocolate chip cookies

June: Oooh, lots of good stuff this month! Muffins with Rhubarb and White Chocolate, Thai-ish chicken burgers, my brother's Tomato Salad and really awesome Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Carrot salad

July: Again, a good month. The Jalapeño Bacon Cheese Ball was unexpectedly good. A Carrot Salad with Feta and Pecans found its way to my table many times, with some variations. And our favorite pasta had a sauce with Roasted Red Peppers.

homemade-vanillasauce

August: My husband made Brownies. I made a Trio of Strawberry Jam. And I decided to never again buy ready-made vanilla sauce, when the original Quick Vanilla Sauce (råkräm) is so quick and easy.

koriander-jordnötspesto

September: Some seriously bold flavors as fall approaches. A Coriander-Peanut Pesto is maybe my favorite of the whole year. We started making basic risotto with lots of mix-ins, this one a Carrot & Leek Risotto. I made my own Sauce Remoulade for the first, but certainly not last time. And Tortilla Roll-Ups was a brilliant idea for picnics, too bad the season was nearly over.

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October: Three great things - Spaghetti Triangles, Feta-Topped Salmon and Vegetarian Potstickers.

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November: I don't eat much fish, but this Tomato & Red Pepper Sauce went really well over cod. Pork Stew with Tarragon was delicious. I made these simple Baguettes several times. And Roasted Cauliflower with a Capers Vinaigrette... oh, awesome.

almond vanilla toffee

December: There were those amazing Christmas ribs, with ginger and orange. And a Broccoli Avocado Salad. A Lamb Meatloaf, stuffed with Feta cheese. And ending the year on a sweet note, don't miss these Almond Vanilla Caramels.

Minggu, 30 Desember 2012

"Half Pops" and Bacon Chocolate Cups ...YUM !


POPCORN --- BACON --- CHOCOLATE
crunchy sweet savory
party in your mouth.


"HALFPOPS"...

have you discovered HALFPOPS yet ?!

these are genius in a bag.  you know that crunchy "half popped" little kernel you search for at the bottom of the bowl of pop corn?...well, someone has discovered a way to package those crunchy little bits.  every tiny niblet in the bag is perfectly half popped to perfection.  i haven't run into a solid kernel yet.  how do they do it ?!


an easy party treat to throw together.  this was actually one of my first chocolates this season and it's also the one that everybody flipped over.  not many people have experienced "HALFPOPS" and i'm surprised how many people still haven't hopped on the CHOCOLATE BACON TRAIN...

put all three together and you have a winner !


"HALFPOPS" BACON CHOCOLATES

1# pound (measurement in the raw) of bacon, cooked extra crispy
1# pound of good dark chocolate..."TEMPERED" is best
1 bag of "HALFPOPS" butter and sea salt flavor
1/4 tsp ground chipotle...optional
smoked salt for a sprinkle on top...optional

more of an idea than a recipe, but here it goes...
IN A NUT SHELL... all you're doing is adding bacon and halfpops to tempered chocolate and spooning it into little candy cups.  you chose the ratio of bacon to halfpops.  i didn't measure, but don't skimp on the bacon.

i would cook the whole pound of bacon, but save about 1/5 (cooked) of it for those last few candy cups at the end.
start with about one cup of the half pops and 4/5 of the bacon...add more in when necessary.  i like a lot of chocolate so i make sure the chocolate is filling the cup with no air pockets.  it makes it easier if you place the paper cups in a mini muffin tin.  when all are filled, give them a tap on the counter to settle the chocolate.  sprinkle with a little smoked salt if you want before the chocolate sets.
i really suggest tempering your chocolate because these will have a better snappy chocolate  crunch and will hold up better if giving as party favors.  click HERE for a post i did with some tips and tricks i've learned so far about "tempered "chocolates.
i added more half pops and bacon towards the end...so have some extra on hand just in case you need to get that last bit of chocolate out of the bowl and into a candy cup...not your mouth!


Per's birthday cake

Per's finished birthday cake

Per requested this from his birthday cake this year:

-it should be made by Titus, our three-year old.
-also, it should have candy on it.

Titus making birthday cake

And that was it. So, free reins for me! Well, kind of. Or not really. But I made a simple cake that was even really pretty, until Titus put all the candy on it. And very tasty, too.

You have to start this the night before serving, the chocolate fluff must absolutely sit over night.

Per's birthday cake

Birthday Cake 2012

3 eggs
280 g sugar
180 g flour
2 tsp baking powder
90 ml boiling water

Filling:
1-2 bananas, mashed
1 daim bar

Milk Chocolate Fluff:
200 ml cream (full-fat)
170 g milk chocolate

To decorate:
200 ml cream (full-fat)
candy

The night before, prepare the chocolate fluff. Simply chop the chocolate and place in a bowl. Heat the cream until it's warm, but not boiling. Pour over the chocolate, stir until smooth. Now chill, over night. Then, before assembling the cake, beat until thick and fluffy.

For the cake:
Beat eggs and sugar until very fluffy. Fold together flour and baking powder in a bowl. Add this, along with the water, to the egg mixture. Stir in a little at a time - first flour, then water, more flour and so on until everything is added and folded into a smooth batter.

Butter and flour a 20-cm springform pan. Pour in the batter and bake at 175°C for about 25-30 minutes. Leave to cool in the pan. When it's completely cool, turn out the cake and divide it lengthwise into three cake layers. (It's easy - use a serrated knife and cut while turning the cake, that way it'll come out really even.)

Spread the first layer with mashed bananas. Put the second piece of cake on top, and on that, spread chocolate fluff. Top with a finely crushed daim bar, and the third cake layer. 

Beat the cream until fluffy. Spread the cake with a thin layer, then decorate as you wish with the remaining cream and chocolate fluff - I put both into piping bags and just piped away until it was all gone.  

Sabtu, 29 Desember 2012

Learning how to eat

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Dante is now eight months old, and not really eating much but we're letting him try most things. I don't believe in giving baby cereal or mushy food, so I just let him try whatever we're having and hopefully that will work out. It did - more or less - with his brother. Anyway. (Baby-Led Weaning is the philosophy)

He enjoyed trying to eat this chicken quesadilla, at least - even though he doesn't actually swallow much.

Jumat, 28 Desember 2012

Penang Hawkers' Fare at York Hotel ... simply authentic since 1986

From the 14th December 2013 to 1 January 2013, York Hotels brings in the authentic Penang Hawkers' Fare. The Penang hawkers are flown in to cook up a storm of Penang's best street food inside the hotel's White Rose Cafe.

Lunch - 12noon to 2.30pm
Dinner - 6.30pm to 10pm

Our Eat Eat Eat Group had a gathering to buy Chris a birthday meal. Here's showing what's available. We were out on a stampede with second and third servings of each dish.

Ban Chang Kueh - This is like out peanut cake that's mostly crispy and had a sprinkle of peanut inside. The queue seems to be the slowest as the time taken to cook this dish is a bit long.

Cuttle Fish with Kang Kong - This is a simple dish but the stall's special sauce, a mix of three types made it savory and sweet at the same time.


Lor Bak - This is an assortment of items like, shrimps, beancurd, sweet potatoe, and yam, deep fried in batter and then drizzled over with braised sauce.

Prawn Noodles - This is not unlike the type we have in Singapore but delicious nevertheless.

Penang Rojak - A mix fruit salad that's mixed up in prawn paste sauce and then sprinkled with bits of ground peanuts.

Penang Char Kway Teow -  The difference with our Singaporean char kway teow is the use of thinner kway teow and the dish do not have the sweet sauce that we have in ours. This stall has one of the longest queue in the hawkers' fare.

Fish Ball Noodle Soup -  Light clear tasty soup and springy fish balls. This was simplicity at it's best. 

Penang Laksa - The minced sardines in the gravy gave it the seafood characteristic with a slight sourish taste from the asam.

Oyster Omelette - I thought this would have tasted better if it's served right out of the wok. In the hawkers' fare, this dish was served out of a food warmer which takes out the wok hei.

Cendol - This Penang iced dessert is drizzled with thick coconut milk and gula melaka. There's also the ice kacang served at the same stall which I didn't photograph.


21 Mount Elizabeth
Singapore 228516
Tel : +65 6737 0511

Garlic & Blue Cheese Green Bean Almondine – I Just Couldn’t Do It

When I went to culinary school in the early Eighties, the chef instructors used “Green Beans Almondine” as a prime example for the kind of stodgy, clichéd, faux-fancy, vegetable side dishes that we were supposed to eradicate shortly after graduation. 

This was the dawn of a new age of American cookery, and something so old-fashioned as green beans almondine had no place along side our newfangled raspberry vinaigrettes and cajun fish.

There was only one problem with this prohibition...green beans and almonds tasted really good together, and made for a lovely side dish once in a while. Of course, fearing you’d be laughed out of the young, hot cooks club (hot from heat, not from hotness) you just didn’t dare make or serve such a dinosaur.

Anyway, to make a long story short, I’ve finally done a green beans almondine video, but added roasted garlic and blue cheese to it, just in case any of my old classmates are watching.  I actually did this at Thanksgiving, sans nuts, and it got rave reviews, so I had a feeling the addition of the slivered almonds would work just fine, and they did! I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!


Ingredients for 4-6 portions:
1 pound green beans, blanched in boiling, salted water until almost tender
3 heads garlic
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
cayenne to taste
1/3 cup sliced almonds browned in 1 tsp butter
2 oz Pt. Reyes blue cheese, or other blue cheese
400 degrees F. for 15 minutes

View the complete recipe

Reese's and Chocolate Fudge ICE CREAM Cake


ICE CREAM CAKE...

NO...not COLD Ice Cream Cake...

this is CAKE MADE with ICE CREAM !

2 ingredients...
ice cream and self rising flour
THAT'S IT !!!


are the grand-kids, nieces and nephews still here for the holidays?
are you running out of things to do ?
does Nana and Grand need a break ?

well, this is a must try.
this is too weird.  it doesn't seem like it would work...but it DOES !!!

a beautiful bready-cake bakes up from soften ice cream and some self-rising flour.
i didn't believe it so obviously i HAD to try it.

get the kids in the car, go buy some fabulous ice cream, come home and whip up this easy peasy cake.  you'll all have fun, they will be amazed and you'll be the "hero" !

it's a "win win situation"


 TWO INGREDIENT ICE CREAM CAKE
adapted from Kirbie's Cravings

3 cups ice cream, softened.
2 1/4 cups SELF RISING flour

add fun extras...

for the cake shown here i used 31 Flavors Dark Chocolate Fudge ice cream and Reese's peanut butter cups cut into small pieces.  a "bold" flavored ice cream works best. for instance... plain chocolate would be a bit...well..."plain".

preheat 350F.  and prepare a 9x5 loaf pan with butter or spray.  i always like to make a parchment sling as well for easy removal.
in a large bowl mix the "softened" ice cream and the flour.  my ice cream was just softened, like "soft serve"...not runny melted.  original recipe suggested a wooden spoon.  i used my Kitchen Aid mixer.  mix until no chunks of ice cream or clumps of flour are visible.  mix in Reese's carefully by hand.  pour into prepared loaf tin and bake for 55-60 minutes or until tooth pick come out clean

NOTE...choose a sweet bold flavored ice cream and add some candy extras in to make this more of a dessert cake....or whip up a fun flavored frosting.  on it's own it is a good loaf cake...not too sweet, but perfect for a breakfast treat.


All about Cheddar Cheese


Cheddar is one of the most popular cheeses in the world and one of my favorites. It originally came from Somerset, in England but is now produced in many  parts of the English speaking world and beyond. But only 14 makers are licensed to use the EU Protected Designation of Origin “West Country Farmhouse Cheddar” which indicates it's still made in the traditional way.

The process for making cheddar is similar to other cow's milk cheeses, with the addition of a unique process that has taken on the name "cheddaring." Slabs of curd are stretched, then piled on top of each other to help drain the whey. This helps to harden the cheese and develop acidity and flavor. Farmhouse cheddars are traditionally wrapped in cloth and then aged. Good English cheddar should be buttery and nutty in flavor and should have a soft crumbly texture. Cheddar improves with age, developing those crunchy crystals of calcium lactate you find in other aged cheese, like Parmigiano Reggiano. 

I recently got a chance to try some Westminster cheddar, and am happy to report that it is very widely available in supermarkets. Westminster aged cheddar cheese is made on England’s oldest cheddar making farm in North Somerset only 15 miles from the village of Cheddar. The Barber family has been making cheddar since 1833 and is reputedly to be the oldest cheddar making family in the world. The milk from their cheddar comes from Holstein Freisian cows. The cows are grass fed for 8-9 months of the year depending on the weather ( free from growth hormones, RBGH or RBST). As with all cheeses, the flavor is very much an expression of what the animals eat. What sets their cheddar apart? They hand turn the cheddar and it's not blast chilled, this lets the starter culture have more time to develop. They also mature the cheese at a slightly higher temperature to let the cheese mature again and develop in flavor. 

While the popularity of cheddar has a lot to do with the influence of the expansion of the British Empire and milk rationing during WWII (cheddar was virtually the only cheese made in England during the war), it's versatility in cooking is also undeniable. If you are enjoying aged cheddar, it's good to at least try it on its own. Here are my tasting notes:

Farmhouse
Aged 10 months, it's buttery, creamy texture that melts and lasts on the finish, much sharper than domestic "extra sharp" cheddar with a richer flavor but not acidic. 

Sharp
Aged 12 months, it is both sharper and drier than the 10 month, but still very creamy with no bitterness, a bit fruity.

Vintage 
Aged15 months, it's even sharper, but less salty, little bit of crunch from the crystals, nutty.

Farmer's Reserve
Aged 2 years it represents only 2% of total production. It's the driest, with more crunch, complex but still creamy and earthiness.



Some of my favorite ways to use cheddar:


* Served with my favorite chutney and bread

* In macaroni and cheese with Spanish peppers

* In cheddar biscuits

* As a topping on chipotle chili 

* In fondue

* In a souffle


* In cream of broccoli soup




Disclaimer: My thanks to Westminster Cheddar for supplying me with samples. 

Selasa, 25 Desember 2012

Merry Christmas!

Photo (c) Flickr user kevindooley
Michele and I wanted to wish all of you who celebrate, a very Merry Christmas. Hopefully you’re surrounded by the people you love, and/or a ton of great food. 

We have a new video posting on Thursday, but until then I’m going to try and take a few days off from staring at the omnipresent computer. Seasonal apologies for any lags in responding to comments or emails. Enjoy the rest of your holiday!

Quiche with Brussel Sprouts & Ham

Untitled

Almost everyone in Sweden eats ham for christmas. (Need a recipe? Here.) And thusly, almost everyone is stuck with tons of leftover ham for days. Or weeks, even. Newspapers, magazines and blogs are full of helpful idea of how to get rid of those leftovers (much like USA with Thanksgiving turkey, I imagine.)

I grow tired of ham real fast, so I usually buy a small one, and we try to devise dishes that will use it up quickly. Tonight, I also happened to have a bag of brussel sprouts - we both like them a lot, but I couldn't think of a dish with just sprouts that I wanted... but paired with the ham, in a quiche? Perfect.

My mom makes a great quiche, and this is pretty much her recipe. I used a little more cream than milk, while she does half/half, and I think she adds even more water to her crust but I thought that sounded too scary so I chickened out. This worked out well. Very, very well.

Quiche with Brussel Sprouts & Ham
serves 4 as a main dish, or 8 as part of a larger spread

For the pastry:
300 ml all-purpose flour
50 ml cold water
100 g butter

For the filling: 
2-300 g cooked ham, diced (leftover christmas ham is ideal)
500 g brussel sprouts, trimmed,cleaned and quartered
1 onion, diced
butter
3 eggs
175 ml cream
125 ml milk
125 ml  mild cheese, grated
125 ml sharp cheese, grated
pepper

Start by making the pastry. In a food processor, combine flour, butter and water. Whiz until the mixture first gets crumbly, then turns into a ball. Shape into a log, wrap in plastic and leave in the fridge for at least half an hour.

Slice the log into 1/2-cm slices, and press out into a pie tin. (I use a 24 cm springform pan.) Blind bake for 10 minutes at 175°C.

Meanwhile, get on with your filling. Fry the sprouts and onion in a little butter for about five minutes or so. Add the ham.

Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk with the milk and cream. Stir in the cheeses and season with pepper. Add salt if you want to, it will depend on how salty your ham is. (Mine? Salty. So I didn't add more.)

When the pie shell has baked for ten minutes, add the sprouts, ham and onion to it, and top with the cheese-and-egg mixture. Bake for an additional 25-30 minutes. It should be golden brown and feel "set" if you jiggle it.

Serve warm.

Senin, 24 Desember 2012

P.S. Cafe Palais Rennaisance ... Our little Christmas Chillout

P.S. Cafe ... Is that P.S. for Project Shop? I recalled Project Shop started retailing apparels and bags and cool fashion bric bracs. The cafe came later and it seems that the cafe business becomes more profitable. From one P.S. Cafe, there are now four of them. As I like basking in their chill-out among the green concept at Harding Road ...

... I also enjoy immersing into the casual ambience of the P.S. Cafe at Palais Renaissance right inside the Orchard Road shopping belt. Inside the Palais's cafe, the high ceiling evoked a feeling of spaciousness which is a rare characteristic in the Singapore real estate context these days.This spaciousness extends out into their outdoor dining area where ceiling fans coupled with the high ceiling help beat down the sweltering heat. This made outdoor dining possible and somewhat cooling on Christmas Day. I was planning for a high tea chill-out among HY, Chris, little Julien and me but guess what ... all the choice high teas were fully reserved. People do get very hungry on Christmas day huh :). The only choices were places like P.S Cafe that have a No Reservation policy.

Daily Specials written up on a chalkboard is a given at P.S. Cafe. Whichever P.S. Cafe you visit, don't ignore the chalkboards where the chef's specials are listed. These are usually something off the menu which may just make your day!
Smoked Turkey Arrabiata - Manuka Smoked Turkey with Tortiglioni, Buffalo Mozarella,, Sugar Snap and wilted spinach tossed in spicy tomato sauce. (one of the daily specials)  The use of smoked turkey and the red tomato base sauce made this one of the dish to have for Christmas. The turkey was shredded so it was tender. The arrabiata sauce was fiery hot and I liked that.

P.S. Steak Sandwich - Grainfed Steak Strips on Chargrilled Bread, Crunchy Greens, Ginger Garlic Teriyaki,, glaze with toasted sesame and Nori Seaweed Shoestring Fries. (one of the daily specials) The recommended doneness of the steak strips is medium. The chargrilled bread gave the extra smokey flavor on first whiff. As you sink your fangs deeper, the beef jus and teriyaki oozes out to line the palate. The addictive shoestring fries attracted two other outstretched arms. Fortunately, there was more than enough to go around.

P.S. Caesar with Grilled Prawns -  House Caesar salad with poached eggs, smoked crispy bacon, baby coz and baked croutons tossed in Chef's dressing with freshly shaved parmesan. Chris ordered the House Caesar which was seemingly the healthiest choice on our table. Crunchy greens, crunchy croutons, crunchy grilled prawns!

To get all sweet and sticky, you gotta have the cafe's favorite ...

Sticky Lemon and Chewy Florentine Cake served with vanilla ice cream

Sticky Date Pudding with toffee sauce topped with vanilla ice cream.

We also liked the infusions offered by the cafe ...

My Old Ginger Root to chase away the colds and sooth the stomach.

Peppermint Tea .. helps to clear the respiratory tract and even helps with indigestion.

As I observed, only the coolest of folks visit P.S.Cafe. A man with a green straw hat carrying a pink hand bag saunters in catwalk style to a neighboring table, oops sorry, that's the gf's hand bag. A few tables away a few twenty-ish young girls in their sun dress hugging each other as they meet, just like the scenes in Sex and the City when the friends meet.


Level 2 Palais Renaissance
390 Orchard Road
Singapore
P.S. Cafe Website