Since my earlier post was about kitchen "mishaps", I might as well keep to the theme of "edible mistakes". Besides, this one particularly suits the ocassion all because of how the strawberries are cut. Yup, this is how I usually do it: cut a V-shaped indent and half the strawberry.

How this strawberry tart came about I can't quite remember. I think it was based on a recipe in Everyday Food. 

But my store-bought pie crust couldn't hold its shape when baked blind. The edges just fell inwards in the oven, thus the thicker "folded" look. I spread an entire block of lemon-flavoured cream cheese on it and arranged the strawberries towards the center. They look shiny because of mandarin preserves that was brushed on them.

Happiness is not all about making the right choices and doing the right things every time. Sometimes, happiness occur through the little "accidents" in everyday life. So here's to a lovely Valentine's and a lifetime of happiness, although accidents are not pre-requisites.  

Confession: what you see above was a mistake. Due to the sudden demise of my five-year-old laptop (I'm still grieving now and then), I thought I'd just go ahead and make some sticky rolls by intuition. No need for looking up ideas on the internet. I'm not a huge fan of cinnamon to be honest, but with the cinnamon swirls which I love from Peet's in mind, I took out the last box of Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheets and there's no turning back. 

Here's what I did, in brief:
1. Roll pastry sheets to slightly bigger than the size of a laptop.
2. Spread fig jam over both sheets. Lightly sprinkle castor sugar over the area.
3. Roll up the sheets loosely. Cut each sheet into 6 wheels. Reshape them a little.
4. Sitting them cut-side up, stuff as much dried cranberries inside the wheels (between layers). 
5. Top with torn-up pieces of figs from the jam. Do an eggwash on top and around the wheels.
6. Arrange the wheels on baking tray and sprinkle castor sugar over. Bake 25-30 minutes at 400F.

On hindsight, I should have sprinkled the dried cranberries in step 2, after the jam, before the sugar. 

I suppose it all turned out well - I managed to finish the jam that's been sitting in the fridge for months (neither of us liked it enough...). Edible mistakes - what more to ask for?

The picture you see here is not taken with any iPhone photo app. Nor was the woman styled in that pretty frilly dress to match the retro setup. This is my mother in her kitchen back in the late 1970s. And if you're wondering, the scalloped edges on the photo are real.

It's a pity back then that one could only take monochromatic pictures. I was too young to remember but one thing's for sure, that four-panel cabinet is light olive green with white outline. I know because it still sits at the same spot today even though most parts of that area had been upgraded through the years. That cabinet is my mum's arsenal of sauces, spices and seasonings. The door panels can be fan-folded to the right for easy access during cooking.

Growing up with a mum who's capable of cooking anything contributed to a very delicious childhood. Bringing up six kids was not easy when one was a full-time school teacher and had to feed the whole family. Did I mention cleaning and washing after all of us too?

Some days, I want to be back in Singapore sitting at the corner table for four atop Palais Renaissance, overlooking the wet, rather-unkept garden that belongs to the Thai Embassy. It doesn't matter how humid the weather can be, that little spot is always cool and relaxing. And it doesn't matter how the atmosphere at P.S.Cafe can be a tad too lively for one's comfort. Chances are, the sight of their croque monsieur brings about temporary deafness. It was one of the husband's favourite ways to start the weekend, after which we'd stroll along Orchard Road to buy papers from the lady in front of International Building, and cut through Claymore Road to get home. Or if we're feeling lazy, hop on bus 132 or 106. Those were the days.

Just this week, when the husband wanted a ham and cheese sandwich, I thought why not have croque monsieur instead? It's not that difficult to make - the only extra bit being the béchamel sauce. I don't have a foolproof recipe for it, but hand on my heart, it's butter, flour, milk and a whole lot of "look and feel". It all boils down to what one is using the sauce for, and hence the kind of consistency that's required: runny, creamy, or just "Very. Thick.".

So shown above is basically two slices of rye bread, lightly buttered and toasted; dijon mustard spread on one inner side; two slices of 1/8-inch thick ham with grated cheese; assembled on parchment-lined baking tray; smothered with béchamel sauce (of the third category); and finally broiled on high for about 5 minutes. Check out the browned edges of the parchment paper. Had it been left any longer in the oven, it would have caught fire!

Lesson of the day: use aluminium foil for broiling.

P.S.: (Pun intended!) I would also like to put on record that the caesar salad with rosemary & honey dijon chicken from P.S.Cafe is the best in town. Looking at the menu is just my being courteous. It's always this for me, and when I'm greedy, I'll have it with an iced mocha and the orange flourless cake. Now I'm hungry.