A Living Room

Wow. Its been 4 months since I last blogged. It wasn't that my love for food has died. Maybe I was lazy? But one thing I have learnt for sure, is that food is meaningless if you are unhappy. The best food came out of chefs who are smiling. Your mood affects the outcome of your food. When you spirits are up and you are enjoying the cooking process, all the favours and portions will come together, like a well conducted symphony. I am sure you have never seen a cranky and grouchy conductor. A great conductor simply guide and glide with the music that comes from his effortless hands.

In these 4 months, I did make a few memorable dishes....pork ribs in red wine sauce, expanded my pasta repertoire to include mussels vongole, pasta with bread crumbs, anchovies and olives, black sea bass in tomatoes...all because of a brand new cookbook by Mario Batali! Yeah. His recipes are really simple and the results are always spectacular. And of course, I bought Marcella Harzan, a guru of Italian cooking. Her cookbooks are similar to Julia Child's - no pictures! But chokeful of detailed instructions and tips. I once made a potato soup from scratch and I know her recipes are fail proof.

We discovered a little bistro tucked away in Joo Chiat, which we passed by on numerous occasions because it didn't look unique or different from the tons of restaurants/eateries lining Joo Chiat. Well, due to recent physical inconvenience, we happened to walk into it one rainy afternoon. And we have been back ever since. They serve the best cheesecakes ever, yes, better than Cheesecake Cafe! Its creamy and delicious, with fresh spin on traditional flavours, including (burp) durian!

Their lunch and dinner menu impresses too. Had a pizza and pasta, plus beef stew one Suhday afternoon and the food was really good and affordable. They won't charge you Orchard Road prices. Pizza was thin and crispy with fresh toppings. The sausage and cream pasta was heavenly without being cloying. Beef stew was probably a Eastern European version with cabbage and spices. I expected a French version, since I could make one on my own. But it was a nice surprise. And ladies, they serve over 25 types of tea with exotic combinations like rasberry, hibiscus, cranberry, lemon, myrtle, echinecea, passionfruit, lavender etc. I have ordered a different tea every single time.

But the best part has yet to come - being in the restaurant is like being in your own living room. Cosy, comfortable with warm and personal service. Big day beds with lots of cushions and soft decor makes the place so inviting you really feel like falling asleep in. And you definitely do not want to leave. Cannice and her team have done a fantastic job in creating a little 'home' in Joo Chiat.

Chezcake Bistro it is. Check it out.